Smoke Free

Sunrise in Kapaa

It's been a crazy 8 months since we landed in paradise. We arrived on chantix and slowly, one cigarette at a time, we resumed our smoking habit. Today, with the help of Quit Now Hawaii, we are wrapping up our first smoke free day.

Last Saturday we went to a luau where the King and Queen of Atooi were being honored. Atooi means the light of god and is the ancient name for the island of Kauai. Sunday, we became citizens of the Kingdom of Atooi, talked story with the king and had our first restaurant review.

I'm hoping someday soon I can write about the King and his acceptance by the United Nations and the Kings and Queens of the Polynesian Triangle. We are planning to meet with him again to record more of his interesting story. This is a rich story that will take time to unfold.

I mentioned that it was "our" first restaurant review. That's because Dan is my photographer. Still a team; I write the story, he takes the pictures. He was frustrated by our camera and it's inability to take pictures in low light. The food pictures we took weren't that great. So, he did some research - even chatted with a staff photographer from the Garden Island newspaper - and got a Nikon D90. Our next review is Wednesday and we are sure to get some excellent, mouth watering shots!

On the work front, I have been offered 2 more monthly postings for the Hawaii vacation travel blog, making 6 a month and am negotiating with Blair Estate for some writing jobs. Blair Estate Coffee is a local, organic coffee farm. It's funny because the farm less than 5 minutes from our treehouse. The owner, Les, comes into Papaya's a lot (he sells Dan fruit and corn) and he and Dan got to talkin story and one thing lead to another! His partner, Tai, is who I am talking with. We'll see, he just left for vacation so it may be a while before I know.

A week from today my folks are coming. Having been in close proximity all of my 44 years, the distance has replaced anger for affection and I look forward to seeing their happy faces.

Tonight, the owner of Papaya's wants to take the managers and their spouses to dinner at the new Indian restaurant Chutney's. We are due there in 75 minutes so I'll post some pictures real quick.

I am sending lots of love, light and prayers to my friend Deb who is in intensive care at a hospital in Denver. She is recovering, but with a punctured lung and 12 broken ribs it will be slow. 

Cherimoya cousin to Soursop, is sweet and delicious and available at Papaya's =)

Beautiful Starfruit also now available at Papaya's. =)

Beautiful artwork at Na Keiki O Ka Aina, next to Papaya's. A fantastic foundation that preserves Polynesian traditions. I will write more on it soon.

More art work available at Na Keiki

Puppy love!

Taaadaaa!! our neighbors Phil and Simone. It was Simone's birthday last night. We had a great time hanging out with her and her friends. She is one loved woman!

Carla is the grill master! She made perfect steaks with a zesty salsa, shrimp (in a special sauce), moist and creamy salmon and chicken wings. Dan made guacamole from local avos, I made her a yellow birthday cake with chocolate frosting and the traditional mac salad. There were crispy wontons, baked beans, baked potatoes and fresh pineapple. 

A shot of one of our boxes from the farm, PUMPIN with delicious goodness!

I have a byline now!!! So...I need a picture. My friend Christina took this one but it didn't make the cut. It has to have a white background and after Dan cut me out, my hair looked really weird!

Puamana dancing the hula.

This young lady is from Tahiti, man can she make that grass skirt flip. She is one of the young adults receiving support and education from Na Keiki O Ka Aina.

Phil, the Director of Na Keiki, teaches kids to make and play Tahitian drums among other things.

Dan does the hula!

Paul, another student of Na Keiki, has a traditional Polynesian tattoo on his back. He is about to perform the Fire Knife Dance.

And he's serious!

Sunset over Ni'ihau

Towering Coco Palms greet the royal leaders.

Puamana and I wait for the King.

Another shot to hit the cutting room floor.

Casablanca, mom get ready! They have the best lamb chops!!

This appetizer is awesome! House made mozzarella wrapped in Prosciutto, baked and drizzled with a port, fig and cinnamon reduction. O...M...Gawd!! So good.

Local arugula, oranges and goat cheese with toasted almonds with a lemon vinaigrette. YUM!

Spanish stew. Mussels, shrimp, scallop, slipper lobster, calamari in a rich tomato broth. Not my favorite. The tomato broth was excellent though.

Greek Pasta with orzo, feta, kalamata olives, zucchini, and roasted red peppers. Yummy but not yummy enough to order again.

This was fantastic! Ribeye rubbed with ground porcini, sugar and salt. Grilled perfectly and garnished with black lava salt. 

Good pictures of perfectly cooked meat are hard to get. But, if you like lamb chops, these are the best ever! I love lamb chops, my mom is from Spain, we have a lot of lamb chops. These are simply perfection!

Desert! Yum!

Chef Sarah and owner Elizabeth

Mike Young played music that night. He was perfect for the mod. He gave us a CD "In the Islands" and we are loving his jazzy, Hawaiian style surf music. Proceeds go to his foundation W.R.A.D Wave Riders Against Drugs.

The bar at Casablanca where locals go for pau hana (done working)

The winning shot for now. Now that we have a better camera and a title time, it's gonna have to be redone! I look a little craaazy!!

We are official and proud citizens of the Kingdom of Atooi. The back side is pretty cool too!

Kauai Farmers Markets

Savvy tourists and locals alike know how to save money by buying local.

Yes, Hawaii can be expensive. Not because it can be, because it has to be. Everything has been brought here, making its way across thousands of miles of ocean and air. That isn’t easy and it isn’t cheap! 

Savvy tourists and locals alike know how to save money by buying local and the farmers market is the place to do that. Kauai has multiple farmers markets going on every day plus loads of small, family run road side stands selling everything from ahi and leis to avocados and passion fruit; plus you can learn about things like the white pineapple. Tender, juicy, white flesh that is not as acidic as the common yellow ones. The farmers usually reserve them for the locals but you can find them at the farmers markets.

If you are visiting, renting a condo or time share with a kitchen, it is a smart way to save money. Dining out can be expensive so save one meal a day for that and supplement the other two by frequenting the farmers market and making meals in your condo. 

One of my new favorite finds is Island SOL Bakery. SOL is an acronym for Seasonal, Organic and Local. This bakery has something for everyone; savory meat and cheese or veggie and cheese filled pastries. Sweet scones with creative combinations like peanut better, strawberry jam and local bananas. Cookies, coffee cakes, and their signature treats scruffins. Little coffee cakes with surprise fillings. There are regular, gluten free, dairy free and vegan choices. You can find this bakery at the KCC (Kauai Community College) and Hanalei markets.

Some markets, like the large one in Kapa’a, only sell vegetables. Sometimes there is a truck parked outside the market selling fresh eggs. Some, like the markets in Hanapepe, Lihue and Kilauea signal the start of selling with a whistle blow or the honk of a car horn. You can browse but you can’t buy until the signal, then it’s every man for himself! Some sell kim chee, slushies, hand made jewelry, jams and all manner of hand made products. It’s the perfect way to get outside, meet people, support small business and save some money!

Ali’i Nuii Aleka Dayne Aipoalani

Ali’i Nuii Aleka Dayne Aipoalani with his wife (left) and Puamana

Aliʻi Nui were ruling chiefs (in Hawaiian, nui means grand, great, or supreme) and must claim parentage at least of a mother of the highest rank.

Dan and I had the good fortune to meet the King of Hawaii. It all started out innocently enough. I called our friend Puamana to schedule two massages for mom during her stay here. She asked me about my new work for MidWeek Kauai. I explained what I would be doing and said "ultimately, I would like to learn about Kauai: it's people, places and history and write about it. Connecting residents and visitors while sharing what I learn with the world." So, she invited us to a celebration. The Celebration of the Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi is a week long event celebrating and acknowledging the Royal Union of the Pacific Nations and the inclusion of the King of Hawaii. Atooi is the original name of Kauai.

On September 11th 2009 the King, having proved his bloodline to the state government, indigenous leaders and the United Nations, was officially recognized as the King of Hawaii. This week the King has been celebrating with 15 Kings and Queens of the Polynesian Triangle. This is a historic event because the leaders of the Polynesian Triangle unite whenever the Triangle is breaking apart, which seems to occur every 200 or 300 years. The last time it happened was in the reign of King Aipoalani's ancestor, King Kamehameha 1. 

Puamana, a friend of the King, introduced us and he generously spent about an hour of his time passionately and reverently explaining the details. Coming from a place of deep love and spirit he is interested in communicating the Kingdom's story, lineage and mission to the world. It seems I am to help communicate this story through my writing. 

We are invited to become citizens of his Kingdom and are meeting Puamana at 10am back in Waimea where she too, will become a citizen. At the same time, the King will be meeting with the King of Tahiti and has invited us to come. He wants to show us his ancestral lineage, listen in on the meeting, and talk to us about his plans. He has the flag that was flown during Queen Lili'uokalani's reign, the last reigning monarch before the business community backed by the US government in 1893 took over the islands. 

Ali’i Nui Dayne Aipoalani is leading the Sovereign Polynesian Kingdom of Atooi in the process of organizing, instituting, and forming Subordinate Councils, whose rules, regulations, and by-laws shall be promulgated to protect and uphold the supreme authority of the Customary Chiefs (Konohiki) and People (Native Tenants) whose sovereignty in the National lands has never been voluntarily relinquished. It is expected that you will comply with the various international instruments and laws as well as US executive orders, proclamations, and regulations that insure protection of our RESERVED rights in accordance with our true identity as the original Inhabitants under the United Nations definition in Chapter XI-Declaration on Non Self Governing Territories. 

Limited edition inaugural coin.

Hawaiian Monk Seals

Another beautiful day on Kaua’i’s north shore, in Kilauea town, and I wonder if you can ever get tired of perfection. A friend is taking Dan and I down a secret path to Secrets Beach. Secrets is known to be a place where nude sunbathing abounds because of it’s isolated location. As we gingerly make our way down the sheer cliff, conveniently paved with stairs, we hit the beach and find we are alone. 

I look down a good half mile stretch of white sandy beach and rest my eyes on the lighthouse, a hopeful symbol perched on a peninsula. We walk along the shore, our feet grateful for the cool water.The pristine blue ocean is agitated by huge pounding surf and water rushes up the shore drenching us to our thighs. We run and play along the beach like children, laughing. Dan and I are in awe as we come upon a sleeping monk seal. 

Hawaiian Monk Seals are an endangered species, the second most endangered seal in the world, a total of 1200 are thought to live in the Hawaiian Archipelago chain. These seals are considered prehistoric, as they have been living in the islands for millions of years. Kaua’i is a favorite island of these seals, I have seen them napping on the beach three times in the six months that I’ve lived here. The seals beach themselves to rest, conserving their energy to hunt and reproduce.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) the seals are very sensitive to human disturbance and become agitated and sometimes aggressive if disturbed. Wanting to see evidence of life or maybe connect with something wild, people have been known to make loud noises, throw things at them, and have even been known to put their children on them for a photo! A mother seal may bite people and abandon her pup if she is disturbed.

If you come across a beached Hawaiian Monk Seal, please consider all of it’s struggles: threat of extinction, lack of food, entanglement in marine debris, shark attacks, infectious diseases, habitat loss, and fishery interactions. Admire from a distance of 150 feet, and please, don’t add to their problems.

Apple Banana Tarte Tatin

Sunday, when I quit the bakery I felt a lot better. On Monday, filled with energy and renewed inspiration I wrote a letter to MidWeek Kauai asking about writing work. I addressed it to one of the writers who seems to write almost every article in there plus, she and I had done some correspondence when we were setting up Jillian's interview. She emailed me back right away and said she was a freelance reporter and was not in a position to hire but forwarded my email to the Editor in Chief based in Honolulu. She also gave me his contact information. So, I rewrote the email a little and contacted him also. 

Tuesday morning there was an email from a lady who is staying at the same place I personal cheffed at several weeks ago. She was wondering if I was available Saturday (today) to cook for her and her family for her mother's birthday. I immediately replied and asked what types of food she preferred. Learning that they were a vegetarian family (except dad eats fish) I began to prepare a menu for them to choose from. 

I love doing this sort of thing and as I happily created 4 options for each course; apps, salad, main and desert, I got a phone call from the Editor in Chief at MidWeek Kauai!!! I did my best to act like a normal person and kept my giddy excitement at bay. I had emailed him examples of my writing along with the Kauaian Fresh website. As we spoke about how I came to be in Kauai, I had mentioned cooking. He said he had seen my website and was wondering if I would consider writing the Tastes of Kauai column for the paper. It's a restaurant review and he would like me to do 2 a month, with the current writer doing the other 2. Would I??? I was jumping up and down with excitement as I calmly said, "I would love to do that." He told me to have fun with them, write about the food and the people. Tough, but I'll try! My photographer husband will be joining me on these excursions. I am excited because our first assignment, on September 12th, is at Casablanca; a nice Mediterranean restaurant in Poipu. Yum Yum! 

I have learned several lessons from the bakery incident. One is; if what I am doing doesn't fill me up, if it takes away from me, stop doing it as soon as possible. It's like being in a bad relationship. The longer you stay in it, the longer it will take you to find that someone who is perfect for you. We only have so much energy and if that energy is blocked because we are spending it on something that takes away from us, we will not be in a place to receive what is right. The second is; when one door closes, another will open or, in my case, two opened. Life is rolling out my dreams better than I could have imagined, at a pace I am comfortable with. I mean, I got to sleep in this morning; no 5am wake up, drive through the lazy, dark and deserted streets of Kauai only to enter the brightly lit chaos of the bakery. I get to have free dinners and write about them! How cool is that! The third lesson; Dream Big and let life (or god) figure out the details.

Never having made the Apple Banana Tarte Tatin, I included it as a desert option because it sounded so good. It ends up, that is the desert they chose. I decided I had better make it before I made it for a client! So the picture above is what Dan and I enjoyed the other night, it's fantastic! (Please excuse our fine plastic china.) The recipe calls for Apple Bananas, little bananas with a slight apple taste found everywhere in Kauai, but I think any banana would work well.

Apple Banana Tarte Tatin

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 8 apple bananas, cut in half lengthwise
• 1 sheet frozen puff pastry, defrosted or pie dough trimmed to fit pan
• ground cinnamon to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Saute half of the bananas until golden brown; remove from heat and saute the rest, using the remaining butter. Spray an 8 x 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray and then sprinkle evenly with sugar. Lay bananas over sugar, arranging in rows. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Lay pastry over, tucking edges under. Bake until pastry is golden brown, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven. Cool slightly, then invert tart onto a platter. Cut into 4 squares, and cut each square diagonally, forming triangles. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. 

I found this recipe in the Hawaii Farmers Market Cookbook. 

I couldn't resist, here is a letter I received from my last client ~

 We absolutely loved everything you made for us that evening and we are bragging of you to all our friends here.

 

Everything was absolutely fresh and delicious. The combination of flavors were complimentary and not overwhelming in any way.  We loved that the foods you prepared had a local flare and feeling to them as well. 

 

You and your husband fit seamlessly into our evening.  You prepped, cooked, served and cleaned up in such an unassuming, yet elegant way.  You also didn't make fun of our singing :)

 

I loved that you had some of the recipes available to me, the only criticism I can think of is I don't have that awesome hot dip recipe!  If it's not a secret recipe, can I get a copy?

 

We happily and strongly recommend that others use your chef services.  They will not be disappointed!

 

Mahalo, mahalo, mahalo!!

Julie Corell

Ladera Ranch, California

Why Kaua’i?

Just over a year ago my husband and I came to this beautiful island of gardens and rainbows. Captivated right away as the island cradled us in warm tropical breezes; the local community charmed our hectic lifestyle. They were warm and leisurely when offering helpful options for adventure, and even a construction worker at the post office “talked story” with us for 45 minutes! The enormity of the beauty that surrounded us verged on sensory overload. We just couldn’t keep our eyes off the titanic splendor that surrounded us from mountain to ocean, both just a head turn away.

We spent all of a week on Kaua’i and went home to pack our bags, compelled to move to the island as soon as possible. We made a second trip to Maui just to make sure Kaua’i was the right place after deciding the Big Island was a remarkable place to retire and Oahu was for young folks who enjoy the city life. Kaua’i is small town and we like small town. 

I am truly blessed by the colorful people with wide smiles and generous spirit. The colossal, emerald green craggy peaks shrouded in misty clouds and graced with double rainbows, briny turquoise waters lined with over 50 miles of pristine white sand beaches, trade winds playing with Coconut Palms, lush gardens and the ever present sunshine.

I am thrilled that Kaua’i is our home, after all it just got voted by Travel and Leisure Magazine second best island in the world, behind the Galapagos. In the late 1700‘s King Kamehameha tried without success to conquer her. Pride in being “The Unconquered Island” and isolation of this remote archipelago infuse the locals with a lot character. The rugged island has steadfastly remained undeveloped; mom and pop stores are the norm as is taking time to properly say hello. If you pass someone you know, instead of rushing by, you stop. After the appropriate hug and kiss you say, “Aloha, how are you?” and listen, not just with your mind but with your heart. That’s small town aloha!

Mother's Know Best

When I told mom and dad what was going on at the bakery and of my secret evil plan to get revenge, my mom adamantly told me to take the high road. Lee and Cindy said stand your ground, take the high road, it's a small island, don't ruin your reputation. So, I stuffed my anger and emailed her. I told her I quit and listed the hours I worked for her. She wrote back, all confused, asking me why. She also said she had a check waiting for me at her house. 

Later in the afternoon Dan and I took Lucy to the vet to have her teeth checked and her butt squeezed again. She has a problem expressing on a regular basis. TMI? =) I wanted Dan to come with me to the baker's house, as a witness of sorts, Cindy's suggestion of being set up was fresh in my mind. 

Baxter didn't like being left in the car, he's been here before. He voiced his outrage as we walked through the banana patch to the back of the house where she and I used to meet. A young lady was sitting on the porch listening to Hawaiian music and typing on her laptop. Startled to see me, I introduced myself and told her there was a check waiting for me. She had no idea about the check or who I was. After explaining my story she went inside and called the baker. Several minutes later she came out and handed me the phone. The baker was angry! She told me my numbers weren't matching up. I was so shocked that she was angry and again accusing me of doing something dishonest, my mind went blank and I fumbled for words to explain the money again. Handing the phone back to her assistant, I went to the car to get my cell phone, I had texted her after market with the total amount in the cash box. 

Baxter, having finally calmed down, started barking again at my approach. The baker now wants to give me $50.00 less than what she owes me, $50.00 less than what the awaiting check was supposed to be. I ask her assistant if she just can't give me the whole amount so we can be done, she says no. I take the check she has just written me as Dan writes an itemized list of the money situation; what was made, how much Val took, the amount I paid for our booth at market, my market pay, deducted the amount of the check her assistant just wrote me and left the balance due. She said she would call the baker, I asked her to mail the check as I live 30 minutes away.

Back in the comfort and safety of our home, I forward the baker's assistant an email the baker wrote me saying there'd be a check for $250.00 waiting and to take the remaining monies from the cash box. I still haven't heard anything but, at least I took the high road. And, if her check doesn't bounce (it's from a bank in Austin, TX) then I'll only be $50.00 short. Unless, of course, I get a check in the mail.

I feel really great about being done with the whole thing. Not having to work for her has infused me with energy and opened me up for other pursuits, namely writing. Writing had been put on the back burner as I scrambled every week to keep up with the baker's ever changing needs. Whew! Moving on.

Here are some pictures from Sunday's hike to Ho'opi Falls. 

On the way in

Baxter and Lucy give the hike a "2 tails waggin" rating because it has drinks!

Once again, we are astounded by the enormous beauty.

We heard the falls way before we saw them.

Ho'opi Falls, less than 5 minutes from our house.

Making our way back,

I stopped to hug a tree!

Happy Trails!