Why mom's pickled goodies business was a success

My mom made a lot and I mean a lot of pickle mango and sweet pickle onions and kim chee when I was a kid. Not because we ate all of it, we may have had one bottle for every 50 to a 100 that she made, but because it was a business for her. You can click to see the post here of Mom's Pickled Veg recipe.

Selling her foods "Annie's pickle mango" evolved into making pickled onions and kim chee. I remember people would come back week after week to buy from her along the pine grooves of Kalanianaole Hwy in Waimanalo (now the front of a polo field) because she made it fresh and with love. Love for us kids; this home cook sold goods with other roadside vendors. By having her own business she was allowed to make her own schedule and later when my disabled brother needed her she could always be there.

We spent our summers helping her peel mangos as the juices ran down our hands and turned black. We got tired of it but it was something we did and it wasn't all work, we loved visiting and playing with cousins when we'd gather the mangos from relatives. We knew it was part of our job to help mom but I never fully appreciated all she did for us to help care for us. My dad worked full time but was off on most weekends which allowed my mom to make and sell her pickled goodies while we were at school and be with us when we got home. I remember she had to find a commercial kitchen in order to sell to the public but she was still able to keep her original reason for the business, to take care of us kids.

So you see, these aren't just memories of food and recipes, it's about our lives, how mom took something she knew how to do and make it a little business, like many resourceful parents - food is part of our lives in more ways then one it can sustain you and provide for you and bring others to gather together. Enjoy! Share your stories of food and family in the comments below. - ml

Check out my recipes at: Orlando Cooking Examiner

Hawaii Style Pickled Mango

A while back someone on Facebook asked for a pickle mango recipe. My mom used to make tons of pickle mango and sold it by the roadside with other food and craft vendors along the pine groves in Waimanalo. Those days are long gone, however the memories of picking and peeling green Chinese variety mangos from friends, relatives, neighbors and strangers who had too many mangos fall to the ground during the harvest season, it's hard to forget this sweet/tart treat loved by islanders.


Since it's hard to find the type of mangos that aren't stringy or perfectl firm and green here on the East Coast of the US, I haven't made any pickle mangos. When I lived back home in Hawaii, it was easy to get it already made from most grocery stores or in package snack isles of any convenience mart, so I had to dig through my mom's cookbooks and found a simple recipe that one could use most anywhere with common ingredients and of course some green mangos. 

See the pictures below, the mangos need to be green to create this delightful pickle. The second picture shows mangos that are half-ripe, when they start turning colors of yellow, red it's too late - just leave those on the counter to enjoy the softer, sweet flesh for later.

Green Mangos perfect for making pickle mango

Ripe Mangos from Hawaii

Here's mom's simple recipe for Hawaii style Pickle Mango


Ingredients:

• 6 cups water
• 4 cups brown raw sugar
• 2 cups white vinegar
• 3/4 cup Hawaiian or rock salt
• 2 tbsp. red food coloring (or you can leave it out but it's not real Hawaii version of pickle mango without the red food coloring!)
• Wash, peel and slice the mangos to about 1"x3" pieces

Directions:

• Mix all the ingredients and boil until the sugar and salt dissolves.
• When liquid is cool, add the mangos.
• Store in glass jars.
• Optional and very tasty: add seedless Li Hing Mui (Chinese dried cherry seeds - can be found on Amazon if you're not in an area that readily sells Chinese snacks)
• Wait a few days for it to marinate in the refrigerator (if you can)
• = 'onolicious (delicious)

 
Mahalo (thanks) mom!

I found another pickle mango recipe on this site and photo below by Pomai. 

This recipe also posted on examiner and adapted from: More of Our Favorite Recipes, Sixth Edition 1969. Published by Maui Home Demonstration Council, Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii. Formed by Maui County Women's University Extension Clubs.

Check out my other recipes at: Orlando Cooking Examiner

What's a kapakahi chef?

How this all started

Originally I started a website to document my favorite foods, recipes and stuff that was food related. The thought was that this was going to connect with my writing as an Examiner Cooking & Recipe writer but then it became bothersome more than a help and it duplicated things that just didn't seem to matter in the world of social media.

What's the difference in this blog?

This is an extension about all kinds of things I eat, cook, bake, saw/read, bought etc. So it came to me that I didn't have a focus, no biggy this is where one can free write and get the writing juices flowing. This blog was going to be about anything and everything food related, it wasn't on a particular type of food, recipes or machines etc - which is so against the web crawlers, but I was all over the place. 

What's Kapakahi Mean?

With that I remember the word or slang that we used back home in Hawaii - 'kapakahi'.

Here's the definition: kapakahi (kah pah kah hee). Definition: lop-sided; one-sided; crooked; messed up. Used In A Sentence: Stay all kapakahi already! In English?

UPDATE: in March 2014, I changed the blogger url to http://foodieforeverdotcom.blogspot.com/ as it was easier for people to relate to then the words kapakahi chef. 

Multi-Cultural foods = Melting Pot

I thought to myself, "yup, that's what my food is all about", not so much one-sided but mixed up instead of messed up and I don't mean that negatively. 

It's an assortment of goodies both savory and sweet that we all enjoy. I have a lot of influences from growing up in Hawaii, the background of the Filipino, Hawaiian and Chinese sides of the 'ohana and the awesome tastes of the large groups of Asian and Polynesian dishes in the islands. 

Now that I live in haole-land, I have a stronger desire to learn how to make the dishes that I could easily get at many grocery stores and malls back home. I've also been fortunate to travel to other countries and learn some of their favorite dishes and brought the desire for those tastes back with me.

In addition to the authentic dishes, many of the people groups that migrated to the Hawai'ian islands came up with local (Hawaii) dishes that tweaked their home country because of different ingredients and the melting pot experience. Thus - this blog may have been called The Melting Pot, but then again, someone probably already has that name too. 

All in all, kapakahi seems to fit well right now (but the site will remain as FoodieForever.com. I need to get recipes from my relatives, mainly my cousins, friends/family to share so this may work out best to get them online and have them post pictures and recipes of what they have done so that we can share no matter where we live and go from there. This is a collaboration of many kapakahi chefs. - mlehua

Check out my recipes at: Orlando Cooking Examiner

Crispy Korean Vegetable Pancake

Being away from Hawaii for any period of time will make you home sick for foods that are easy to get at every corner on the island. This includes Korean fast food, but made fresh at places like Yummy's and Yoonies Korean bbq restaurants. I've really been missing the fresh veggies side dishes and the fish jun so I decided to look up how to make my own veggie jun, a Korean pancake using thinly sliced veggies, flour, water, a dash of salt and if you can find it, Korean pancake mix without the MSG.

Fortunately, I met a few Korean nationals here in Orlando and I was able to ask the wife where she bought her Korean pancake mix. Unfortunately for me, the store was quite a distance away, she later blessed me with a bag of Korean pancake mix when I saw her a few weeks later. The Asian markets nearest to me didn't have the mix without MSG so I was happy to receive it.

The only difference is that if you don't have the Korean pancake mix according to the video below, it won't be as crispy but you could use only flour. A few adjustments I made was I use egg substitute instead of real egg and kosher salt (my favorite) and I was out of Idaho potatoes so I harvested some of the sweet potatoes from my garden. This version wasn't sweeter, there was very little difference in taste and it was just as good. I also had extra fresh button mushrooms and it was delish!

Main Ingredients

• 1½ Cups potato (any type, I've used red, Idaho or sweet potatoes)
• 1 Cup onion (I like using the white sweet onion as it's easier on my eyes)
• 1 Cup zucchini
• ½ Cup carrot
• ½ Cup green onion
• 1/2 cup fresh mushroom
• 2 Tbsp red hot pepper (Optional)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Some cooking oil (For Frying)

Directions: after cutting all vegetables, place in large bowl, toss with salt and let sit for 3 minutes while preparing batter.

Batter Ingredients

• 1 Cup all-purpose flour
• ½ Cup Korean Frying Mix (no MSG or use more flour)
• 1 Cup cold water
• 2 Eggs (or egg substitute)
• ½ tsp Kosher salt

Directions: mix all ingredients in mixing bowl (separate from vegetables) when you have mixed the dry and wet ingredients the batter should be runny, not thick. You can now add the batter to the vegetables and prepare a cast iron fry pan on medium heat with oil to fry so the pancake does not stick to pan. If you do not use a cast iron pan, the pancake will cook but may not get as brown but still will be tasty.

Cut like a pizza and use your favorite dipping sauce. I like an Asian sweet chili sauce, but you can use ketchup or soy sauce.

This recipe adapted from Aeriskitchen on youtube, I love her simple recipes and watch her videos over and over again. Watch the video below on how to make the Korean pancakes.

If you need more help on learning how to cut veggies watch the video on "How to Julienne Carrots for Dummies."

How to Julienne Carrots - Video - For Dummies

If you're still not sure how to "julienne carrots" the Dummies video is for you. It takes practice but you can do it. I once used the food processor, which is quick but more than I wanted in clean-up; in addition, the processor brought out a lot of liquid from the potato so I just hand cut the veggies now.


Recipe originally posted in Orlando Cooking Examiner - Monica Lehua

WDW Splitsville Luxury bowl & dine

Disney World in Orlando has a Downtown Disney Marketplace that hosts a Splitsville. It's a high-end bowling alley that is one that is beyond your neighborhood lanes. 


The food is designer and since it's in Disney there are a few Mickey heads that you'll catch around the 3-story lanes.

Don't forget your wallet, this place is truly a luxury with Loaded Fries for $10 and a Volcano sushi roll for $15. An hour of bowling will range from $15 to $20.

If you just want to walk around and check it out they'll let you do that too, so check it out the next time you're on the West Side of Downtown Disney in Orlando, Florida.

Grandma's Secret Donut Recipe

Grandma’s Not-So-Secret Homemade Donuts

My paternal grandmother was an amazing woman, this post is in her memory. Not only did she raise 10 children when my grandfather died at an early age, but she was an awesome cook. We loved when she would come for visits (we lived on Oahu and she lived on Maui) as each family would get two bags of her deliciously time consuming sweets including: Grandma’s sesame seed donuts and kankanen made from mochi (glutinous) rice sweetened with coconut and brown sugar, wrapped in banana leaves.  

Whenever I saw my grandmother cooking, everything was home made. She lived a simple life coming from a remote island in the Philippines to the island of Maui (I’m guessing somewhere in the 1920s or earlier since my father was the seventh child born in 1931 on Maui) and she and my grandfather came to make a new life for themselves and work in the sugarcane plantations. But let’s get back to the food.

Grandma brings treats

I visited my grandmother at her home in Lahaina one day and she prepared some donuts. I saw her heat up a pan and preparing the dough, frying it in the oil and placing it on a paper towel – topping it with sugar. She served me and my siblings at the table, it was delicious. I don’t ever remember her making regular American donuts with holes in the middle and I asked her how she made it. She smiled at me and went into her refrigerator and brought out a blue roll of Pillsbury biscuit mix. I looked at her puzzled and said to her, “I don’t get it.” She said, “This is how I make those donuts.”

Grandma's Secret

She laughed and proceeded to tell me that she would shape each biscuit into the form of a hole and fry it – simple. I said, “But that can’t be?” She assured me that I could do it do when I went home and there was no secret. Well, I can tell you that I tried when I went home and I don’t know how my grandmother made them so perfect and also it didn’t taste the same. Maybe it was the mystique of anything that comes from grandma’s kitchen is made with love and experience that I won’t have until I’m a grandma, but I’m not ready for that just yet. I’ll keep trying as I have a lot to live up to in following my grandmother and my mother’s examples of putting love in the meals that they prepare. I guess that’s why I will always call myself a Foodie Forever.

Here’s the adapted recipe from Pillsbury that I’m sure is missing only one ingredient that can never be duplicated – Grandma’s love. Enjoy.

Homemade Doughnuts 

• 1 - Can (7.5 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (any type except flaky)
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Sugar
• Optional Glaze
• ½ container (16-oz size) chocolate creamy ready-to-spread frosting
• Candy sprinkles

1.       Separate dough into 10 biscuits; flatten each biscuit lightly with palm of hand. With 1-inch round biscuit or cookie cutter, cut hole in center of each biscuit. Grandma shaped the biscuit with her hand and made a hole with her fingers; if you do this you won’t have donut holes but bigger donuts.

2.       In 12-inch skillet or 4-quart Dutch oven, heat 2 inches oil over medium-high heat to about 350ºF. Carefully fry biscuits about 30 seconds on each side or until golden brown. With slotted spoon, remove from oil; place on paper towels to cool. Grandma sprinkled the donuts with granule white sugar while hot or powdered sugar and serve. (Or see optional steps 3 & 4.)

3.       In microwavable bowl, microwave frosting on High 15 to 30 seconds. Stir; if frosting is not completely melted, microwave and stir in 10-second increments until smooth.

4.       Dip one side of each doughnut into chocolate glaze; sprinkle with candy sprinkles.

Doughnuts can also be coated with cinnamon-sugar when they come out of the oil. Just give them a shake in a paper bag filled with a little cinnamon and sugar.

You can also fry up the doughnut holes for fun snacks.

This post was originally posted for Orlando Cooking Examiner.

Mom's Hawaiian Style Sweet Pickle Onions, Cucumbers & Carrots

Here's some just bottledsweet pickled onions, carrots & cucumbers. (two quarts) The bottle on the far right is of sweet & spicy yellow daikon, I'll post that recipe soon.

Since moving from Hawaii to Orlando, there's been one familiar pattern I keep repeating to myself, "I miss the food back home."

Fortunately I inherited my mom's old cookbook collection and her love for cooking. When I lived in Hawaii I could go almost anywhere and buy food that filled the need.

Now that I'm in Orlando, where there's no Chinatown (just a small section of Asian markets and restaurants), and a city full of what we called, 'mainland food' - chain/franchise restaurants with little uniqueness to it.

I have finally been forced to think outside of the box and make some of the things that I could easily find in supermarkets back home. This is my mom's modified version (with not so local Hawaii ingredients), except the Hawaiian Sea salt. I do grow some of my own carrots, onions and cucumbers in my community garden so that's another reason to start pickling, however they are still growing as I write so the next batch will be totally homemade!

Pickling is basically salting a vegetable or fruit with rock salt overnight and then adding a pickling juice you create yourself. In this recipe, Hawaiian rock salt is excellent as it marinates well and draws out the water from the vegetable.

This is a simple pickling liquid recipe that my mom used and modified over the years, I love that hand writing is in the cookbooks on how she modified recipes. It can be used with any of your favorite vegetables. The pictures below are of cucumbers, carrots and sweet onions. You can use 3 lbs of one vegetable like cucumbers or all onions, or a combination of 1 lb each of cucumbers, carrots, onions as in this example.

Simple recipe for sweet pickled cucumbers, carrots, and onions

Sweet Pickled Vegetable Ingredients

• 1 lb sliced cucumber
• 1 lb sliced carrots
• 1 lb or 2 medium to large size sweet round onions
• ¼ cup Hawaiian salt (or any rock or sea salt)
• 1-2/3 cups white sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1-1/4 tsp. whole celery seed (optional)
• 1 tbsp. whole mustard seed
• ¼ tsp. paprika (optional)
• Season with fresh or dried Hawaiian red chilies – whole or chopped (hotter when cut)
• 2 quart glass mason jars with new sealing tops

How to slice the vegetables

See photos of how to slice the vegetables for pickling.

Cucumbers and carrots should be prepared by remove some or all of the skin, slice in half lengthwise than cut in bite size pieces.



Onions can be prepared the same way as bite size pieces by cutting the ends off, remove onion paper, cut in half and again into about eight sections, depending on how large or small your onion is. Because this is a sweet pickle, any variety of onion is fine but sweet onions were used in this recipe.








Directions on How to Make Your Own Sweet Pickled Onions, Carrots, and Cucumbers

1. Place the sliced vegetables in a colander and then another large bowl to catch any liquid. Place ¼ cup Hawaiian salt and mix into vegetables, let sit for 3 hrs (or overnight) in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap.


2. Prepare the mason jars by following directions for sterilization in boiling water – right before you are ready to place vegetables into the bottles.


3. Remove the vegetable container from refrigerator and squeeze out any liquid from the vegetables, while still in the colander. Dump out the liquid from the bowl, place vegetables evenly into the two quart bottles, be sure to keep bottles and caps clean and sterilized. Its okay to press the vegetables down into the bottle but don’t fill it too full as you will need space for the pickling liquid.


4. In a pot add water, sugar, vinegar and bring to a boil, stir until the sugar dissolves. When it boils, add the paprika, celery seed and mustard seed.


5. Add the liquid mixture to the vegetables in the sterilized jars.


6. Place the sealing lid and cap on the bottle while hot, press down on the top to seal in the pickled vegetables and liquid.


7. Turn the jar upside down to be sure the liquid goes through all of the vegetables. Leave the bottles alone for at least two days before eating. You can turn the bottles upside down and right side up for the first two or three days to be sure all ingredients are marinated in the liquid. This pickled vegetable keeps well for several months in the refrigerator. Place a label with the date and type of pickles. Enjoy!

This recipe was adapted from, “Our Favorite Recipes: Island of Maui”, published by the Maui Demonstration Council, Second Edition, 1959. *One of my mom's favorite cookbooks, you can tell from the food-stained pages and pages falling apart.

This recipe was originally posted in the Orlando Cooking Examiner by this writer.

Sus' Easy Crockpot Salmon Chowder

Here's a yummy looking dish from fellow techie, blogger and my guest contributor: Sus Schmitt

Sus: No, I don’t eat much fish. Even with my Norwegian background, I’m not much of a fish eater. Grandpa Nils would be in shock. (He was raised in a small fishing community.)  I love salmon recipes, though, especially this salmon chowder.

The original recipe is from Taste of Home. Here’s how I prepare it in a Crockpot (slow cooker) with slight variations to make the chowder lower fat, but just as tasty. Also, since this variation is cooked in a Crockpot, I cut back on the seasonings a bit.

Salmon Chowder, photo courtesy of Sus Schmitt

First, I plan to bake the salmon for dinner one night.  I just sprinkle 2/3 of a large filet with mesquite seasoning and bake it for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until the fish is no longer dark pink.  I save the unflavored 1/3 of the cooked salmon for chowder one or two days later.

Ingredients:

On your chowder-making day, turn your Crockpot to high and add:

• 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) chicken broth
• 1 cup diced, raw, unpeeled red potatoes
• 1 cup shredded carrots (I use the store-bought shredded carrots and cut them up a little finer)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• ½ teaspoon dried dill weed

Sauté in a little olive oil:

• ½ cup chopped celery
• ½ cup chopped onion
• ½ cup chopped green bell pepper (you could try a red bell pepper)
• 1 minced large garlic clove

Add the vegetables to the Crockpot and cook at least 2 hours.

Thirty minutes before serving, turn the Crockpot to low and add:

• 1 can (14-3/4 ounces) cream-style corn
• ½  cup half-and-half cream
• 1 ½ cups reduced-fat milk
• 1-3/4 to 2 cups fully cooked salmon chunks with fat and skin removed

Yields 8 servings. Serve with or without cheese crackers.

This chowder also is delicious as a leftover, so don’t worry about making 2 quarts of it. (I served it to a visiting friend several months ago. She was quietly worrying as I dished up “fish soup” for lunch, but one sip won her over.)

About Sus Schmitt

Sus Schmitt serves as a Technology Ministry Developer for Women’s Resources at Cru. Her goal is to equip Campus Crusade for Christ staff to have more effective ministries through learning technological skills. Her main medium to do this is through her blog, eQuipping for eMinistry.  Sus also maintains a personal site, Mike and Sus.org and an evangelistic site, The Sovereign.  You can find her on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. Sus is enjoying her new role as a “nana” to a cute, little boy.

Julie's Blueberries. Pancakes. Maple Syrup oh my!

Here's a great breakfast surprise from fellow blogger and guest contributor: Julie Sanders

Photo by Julie Sanders

Last Sunday, sleepy-eyed Andrew followed his nose into the kitchen and asked, “How many are you making, Mom?”
“The whole batch.”
“Just for us?”
“Yep.”

His smiles and hugs expressed his delight.

Andrew’s my youngest, and is always ready to eat.  His older brothers were gone for the weekend, and Dad had already left for church.  It was just the two of us at table this morning.

We both ate till full, our taste buds tingling with a burst of blueberry tartness, mellowed by maple syrup warmth.

I delighted in Andrew’s enjoyment.  A simple offering, eagerly enjoyed.  This mama’s heart brimmed.

As a mom of three boys, I man the food-gates in our home.So in an attempt to find a nourishing, taste-appealing way to feed them – without going broke in the process – I discovered the treasure of Sue Gregg’s Blender Batter recipes.


These Sunday morning gems originated with her.

Blueberry Blender Pancakes

adapted from Sue Gregg’s  An Introduction to Whole Grain Baking

• 1½ cups cultured milk (buttermilk, thinned plain yogurt, or plain kefir)
• 2 T. melted butter or olive oil
• 1 t. vanilla extract
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice
• ½ cup uncooked rolled oats

Place all the above ingredients in a blender; blend at highest speed for 3-5 minutes.  Cover the blender and let stand at room temperature for several hours or overnight.

• 2 t. baking powder
• ½ t. baking soda 1 t. salt, to taste

Sift the above ingredients through a small strainer into a small bowl.  Set aside.

In the morning, just before baking, add to the blender:

• 1 egg
• 1-2 T. coconut flour OR 3-4 T. all-purpose flour as needed to thicken. 

Blend on highest speed for 1-3 minutes. Then, briefly blend in leavening and salt.  Assist with rubber spatula if needed.  Do not over mix.

Photo by Julie Sanders

Rinse off a couple handfuls of fresh blueberries.  Set close by to where you will be cooking the pancakes.

Grease griddle or skillet if needed and heat till water sizzles when sprinkled.  Pour about ¼ cup batter on griddle and quickly drop 3-4 blueberries in each pancake.  With a spoon, lightly cover each berry with additional batter.  This keeps them from cooking too quickly and burning when you flip your pancakes.

When pancakes start to firm up and bubble in the middle (about 1-2 minutes), carefully flip to other side.  Cook on second side about 1 minute.  Transfer to a cookie sheet while you cook the rest of the batter.  I like to cover my cooked cakes with a hand towel to keep them warm.

Serve with butter, warm maple syrup and some bacon on the side. Enjoy!

Read more by Julie as she writes about learning,life, and love on her blog, Along the Way, at www.thesandersplanet.com

Tim's Place, a touching story about a special Olympian restaurateur

I have a brother who was born with cerebral palsy. He is physically and developmentally challenged. I often wish I could open a little cafe/meeting place where I could create great meals and have people come and sit, all day if they wanted. A place where my brother could get social interaction that he loves and take on a few simple tasks to give him a sense of worth, which we all desire. Our economy always has challenges and even able-bodied people have a hard time finding work. I've seen it over and over again where people with challenges want to make a difference, want to contribute, if only someone would let them. This video gives some a little hope and may be some ideas if anything it makes you smile.

My hubby shared this link with me, about an outgoing young man, Tim Harris, who runs a restaurant in Albuquerque, NM called simply, Tim's Place: serving breakfast, lunch, and hugs… oh and if that weren't enough, he was born with Down Syndrome.