Saturday, October 29, 2011

Where Shall We Eat? Maui Restaurants and Recipes

Wayne and Marsha have been to Maui sixteen times. They are experienced Maui dinner goers and know all the VERY BEST spots. Wayne's philosophy is that eating  out should be as much of an adventure as the rest of the trip. Food-lover that I am, I couldn't agree more.

Cane and Taro
On the Ka'anipali Beach, a ten-minute walk from the hotel at Whaler's Village - an open-air restaurant (as many are here) where one can enjoy the sound of the ocean waves. It was our first evening here. I was so completely jet-lagged that I felt I was eating dinner at 1:00 in the morning! Thus, my stomach said, "No Food!" 

I kept it light and had "The Wedge," a wedge of iceberg lettuce with grape tomatoes and sprinkles of egg, bacon, chives, and herb crostini topped with Russian Dressing. It was quite delicious!

Cheeseburger in Paradise
Photo source
There are two here. We ate at the one at the Shops at Wailea. Shared an order of their famous cheese fries. Burgers were GREAT!
photo source

Found this Recipe online:

Cheeseburger in Paradise BBQ Jerk Ribs

Jerk Paste

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 habanero pepper (scotch bonnet), coarsely chopped
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
4 garlic cloves, quartered
2 green onions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1/2 cup butter

4 racks pork baby back ribs

BBQ Sauce
1 cup ketchup
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup molasses
2 teaspoons hickory liquid smoke
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

1. Make jerk paste by combining all ingredients, except butter in
a food processor or blender, and blend until no big chunks of garlic
are visible. Pour mixture into a medium saucepan and add butter. Cook
over medium heat until bubbling then reduce heat and simmer for 2
minutes. Brush jerk paste on underside (bony side) of ribs, then flip
'em over and brush paste on the meaty side.

2. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Place ribs on baking sheets with
the meaty side up and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Flip each rack over onto
large pieces of aluminum foil and wrap tightly. Be sure the meaty side
is down now, and bake for another 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the meat
is tender. The cut ends of the bones should now be sticking out about
1/4 inch.

3. While your ribs are cooking make the BBQ sauce by combining all
ingredients in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat
and simmer sauce for 30 minutes. Cool, cover and chill until you are
ready to grill your ribs.

4. When the ribs are done remove them from the oven and let them
cool in the foil for 15 to 20 minutes. Preheat your barbecue to
med/high. Use tongs to remove the ribs from the foil and place them on
the pre-heated grill with the bony side facing the heat (ribs curving
down). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until browned, then flip ribs over
onto the meaty side. Brush the grilled bony side (now face-up) with
BBQ sauce, and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until grill marks
develop on the meat. Flip the ribs over onto a serving platter when
you remove them from the heat and brush the just-grilled meaty side
with BBQ sauce.

Makes 4 large servings.

Bubba Gump

Inspired by the 1994 movie, Forest Gump. The Bubba Gump restaurant is named after the film's characters Benjamin Buford "Bubba" Blue and Forrest Gump and had movie paraphernalia. There are 32 restaurants world-wide. The one we visited in Lahaina is built right around a giant banyan tree which grows up and out the top. It is Wayne and Marsha's favorite place. Understandably so!

"Anyway, like I was sayin', shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. Dey's uh, shrimp-kabobs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo. Pan fried, deep fried, stir-fried. There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich. That- that's about it." 
-Bubba

I ordered the “I’m Stuffed!” Shrimp - Large Shrimp with Crab Stuffing, baked in Garlic Butter, and topped with Monterey Jack Cheese. Served with Jasmine Rice. It was a mouthful of heaven!

Bubba Gump Hush Puppies 
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups self-rising cornmeal
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
1 (17oz) can cream-style corn
1 large onion, chopped
vegetable oil

PREPARATION:
Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine eggs and milk; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Stir in cheese, pepper, corn, and onion (do not over-stir batter). 

Pour oil to depth of 2 inches into a small Dutch oven; heat to 375*. Carefully drop batter by rounded tablespoons into oil; fry puppies, a few at a time, 3 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. 


 From: The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Cookbook

Hard Rock Cafe
Ate late at the Hard Rock Cafe after our long day on the road to Hana and our four-hour hike (without water)  to the bamboo forest and on to Waimoku Falls. I was mostly interested in gallons of ice water and Potts and I split a pulled pork sandwich because we weren't very hungry -- just exhausted.

Here is a copycat recipe for their 
Pulled Pork

3 lbs pork shoulder

1 quart hot water

1 quart apple-cider vinegar
1/2 cup Tabasco sauce
1/2 cup granulated sugar

In a large bowl, combine apple-cider vinegar, Tabasco sauce, sugar and hot water. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour marinade over pork, cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
Remove pork from marinade and place in a baking pan. Cook in a preheated 450 degree F oven until browned. Pour some marinade over pork, lower temperature to 300 degrees F, cover and slow-roast for an additional two hours or until meat pulls away easily from the bone. Serve!

Hard Rock CafĂ© BBQ Beans 

Ingredients:
2 (15-oz) cans pinto beans(with liquid)

1/2 cup ketchup

1/3 cup white vinegar

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons diced onion

1 teaspoon prepared mustard

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1/2 cup cooked bacon

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Pour entire contents of the can of pinto beans into a casserole dish
3. Dissolve the cornstarch in a small bowl with the 2 tablespoons of water.
4. Add this solution to the beans and stir
5. Add the remaining ingredients to the dish, stir well and cover
6. Bake for 90 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
7. Stir every 30 minutes.
8. After removing the beans from the oven, let the beans cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Longhis
My personal favorite. I enjoyed a delicious Salmon with tomatoes, capers, and lemon sauce. Makes my mouth water just thinking about it!
Photo Source
Found their recipe for their artichoke appetizer. We didn't have it, but I noticed someone who did!

Artichoke Longhi Maui
4 Large Globe Artichokes
1/2 Cup Grated Parmigiana-Reggiano
Juice of 1 lemon
2 Sticks [1 Cup] Butter

To prepare the artichokes, cut off their stems and remove the tough outer leaves with scissors. cut off the top inch of each artichoke.

Steam or boil the artichokes for 20 minutes, until the heart is tender when pierced with a fork. Remove the artichoke from the steamer or cooking vessel. Spread the leaves on the top, then reach in and grab the inner pointy leaves and pull these out. Underneath this you will see the hairs of the artichoke; directly underneath these are the heart. Carefully spoon out the hairs but do not go too deep into the heart. You can prepare the artichokes up to 6 hours in advance. reheating them in boiling water or a steamer.
Sprinkle each hot artichoke with Parmesan. In a small saucepan bring lemon juice to a boil; add chunks of cold butter and stir constantly so the sauce does not break. When the butter is fully melted, pour over the artichokes


Bistro Molokini at the Grand Wailea
Visited photographer Michael Gilbert at the NaPua Gallery at this resort owned by the Waldorf Astoria.
Remarkable grounds...
They even have their own wedding chapel.
Joined Michael for lunch at the Bistro Molokini. My turkey sandwich was just so... so... but Pott's fish and chips were amazing! I snuck them off his plate while he was visiting. grin

Kimos
Any idea what Hula Pie is? I didn't have a clue until I came to Hawaii. It's an Macadamia Nut Ice Cream pie and is part of the Hawaiian eating experience. We had one of a little different variety at Kimos. Oreo crust, stawberrry ice cream with a hot fudge drizzle. 

Photo Source
Kimo's Hula Pie

Ingredients:
1 (9-inch size) chocolate cookie crumb crust
1 quart macadamia nut ice cream, softened
1 jar (12 ounce size) hot fudge ice cream topping
1 container (8 ounce size) Cool Whip
1 jar (3 ounce size) macadamia nuts, chopped
Directions:
Fill pie crust with ice cream and re-freeze until firm.
To serve, top with fudge, cool whip and sprinkle with nuts.

The best surprise at Kimos was happening upon a full Friday night "concert" by Uncle Willie K. He was setting up as we were finishing our dinner, began playing during our Stawberry Hula Pie and we just stuck around. We were at the table right in front of the speakers. The first half of his performance was a sprinkling of this, that, and the other... Hawaiian, but not sappy Hawaiian, some blue grass, Italian opera, and some of his original compositions. I could tell from the minute he began that he was legitimate musician.
As the evening progressed, the "music" became LOUDER and more RAUCAS. I tried to protect my ear that was closest to the speaker, but it was POUNDED regardless and I left the place half deafened. Michael, you would have loved it! smile.

Here he is with the Hawaii Youth Symphony

And now a little of his steaming hot guitar playing!
Talk about versatility! 

Cool Cat Cafe 
Fifties Flavor with Terrific Burgers!

Beach Bum Grill
This sign says it all! Randy had "Nachos" built on french fries instead of tortilla chips complete with Kuala Pork, and all the usual toppings. Crazy Rich!
That's about it, folks! Good Times -- GREAT Food!

I'm a Water Baby!

Anyone who really knows me, knows when water is nearby, I have to be IN it! So when we found ourselves as "just the two of us," we dove in.

The Resort Pool. Why in the world would we choose a pool when the ocean is right out our doorway? Because it was SO inviting! Water falls, a slide - and besides that, the other pool comers just lounged BY the pool, so we pretty much had the water all to ourselves.


 I have a little Olympus Camera that will shoot up to ten feet underwater. It's pretty fun to play with.

Aboard the Quicksilver for a snorkel adventure to the Molokini Crater and Turtle Town.
 I'll have to admit that we saw more snorkeling bodies, than other sea life...


 ... but the boat ride was fun, the lunch was delicious...
 ... and we did spot ONE turtle at Turtle Town, so our trip was complete.



Walked the Beach at Kihei and watched the black crabs on the black rock. There were hundreds of them and they looked like creepy spiders! Gave me the willies!


Snorkeling at Kapalua Bay.  Better than the boat excursion and less bodies to swim around.

The Very Best Water Adventure was a hop, skip and a jump down our own Ka'anapali Beach.
 at a place called Black Rock.
 the fish were prevalent...
 ... and the corral amazing.

 Randy mentioned that it was the closest to the feeling of scuba diving than any other place he had experienced.


While floating along in a state of awe, I came face to face with a giant turtle swimming up for air. It scared me to death, and I hollered for Randy who happened to have the camera!

Here is some evidence. If you listen closely, you can hear me doing some underwater yelling!

Can you "name that tune"? If you get it right, you win....
a free...


Fish Stick!!
Cracks me up every time I watch it!

Oh... and I came THIS close to trying this. Man! It looked fun!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Maui

I know it's crazy, but it's true! Randy and I find ourselves in Hawaii for a SECOND occasion this year. This time on Maui, a first for me.

Our friends, Wayne and Marsha, have a time share at the Marriott Ocean Club on the Ka'anapali Beach; they invited us to come "share" it with them for a week. Of course we jumped at the chance -- who wouldn't?!

We are on the 12th floor and have a wonderful view of the beach. I have some difficulty with jet lag which gives me the opportunity to watch the sun rise each morning from our balcony.


It didn't take long for us to find OUR spot with the ocean waves and their soothing sounds to lull us into a sense of euphoria.