tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-62085832009-07-07T23:21:13.594-10:00Free range thoughts on the finest ingredients, cuisine, and fine dining in Hawaii.Larrynoreply@blogger.comBlogger187125This is an XML content feed. It is intended to be viewed in a newsreader or syndicated to another site.tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-36942364055943548742009-07-07T23:21:00.001-10:002009-07-07T23:21:13.657-10:00

by Larry Geller Remember Michelle Obama’s great idea to grow a White House garden and keep it organic? She even resisted pressure from the pesticide lobby to spray their poisons on it. Unfortunately, something happened on the way to the realization of the First Lady's good intentions. Recently the National Park Service discovered that the White House lawn, where the garden was planted, contains

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2009/07/obamas-garden-our-food-swamped-in-toxic.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-55781911903010565652009-07-06T16:04:00.001-10:002009-07-06T16:13:59.584-10:00

by Larry Geller Check out this July 1, 2009 article from the New York Times Magazine, Street Farmer, describing the achievements of Will Allen, a MacArthur Foundation Genius Award winner: Like others in the so-called good-food movement, Allen, who is 60, asserts that our industrial food system is depleting soil, poisoning water, gobbling fossil fuels and stuffing us with bad calories. Like

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2009/07/we-need-this-in-hawaii-ny-times-street.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-62367522943811329152009-05-17T09:49:00.000-10:002009-05-17T11:01:52.082-10:00

by Larry Geller A scary article from the New York Times, Food Companies Are Placing the Onus for Safety on Consumers (May 14, 2009) should be of particular concern to Hawaii consumers. Because of the length of the distribution chain, by the time food gets to us, any little buggers hitchhiking along have had a chance to party and prosper. Like flying here on United used to be, free drinks,

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2009/05/enjoy-your-salmonella-pot-pie.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-33590989550890670332009-04-25T22:13:00.001-10:002009-04-25T22:13:00.311-10:00

by Larry Geller Check these out next time you are at the KCC Saturday Farmers Market. (click for large enough to read) Greg has set up a few tables to enjoy these classy omelets in comfort. Technorati Tags: Hawaii, Honolulu, KCC Saturday Farmers Market, farmers market, Blue Lotus, Blue Lotus Farms del.icio.us Tags: Hawaii, Honolulu, KCC Saturday Farmers Market, farmers market, Blue Lotus, Blue

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2009/04/market-find-blue-lotus-duck-egg-omelets.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-79203684480948959912009-04-22T09:58:00.001-10:002009-04-22T09:58:40.318-10:00

by Larry Geller Send out for scotch, boil me a crabCut me a rose, and make my tea with the petalsJust hang around, pick up the tabNever out think me, just mink mePolar bear rug me, don't bug meNew Thunderbird me, you heard meI'm getting hungry, peel me a grape [Peel Me a Grape, Written by David Frishberg] Now, that’s luxury. To get someone to peel your grapes for you. In Japan, peeling grapes

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2009/04/peel-me-grape.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-29260820440480153782009-02-06T11:30:00.001-10:002009-02-06T11:30:06.795-10:00

by Larry Geller A story in today’s Advertiser, Local milk back in stores, brings welcome news. An important piece of information was omitted, though, and it’s one you need to know about if you buy “local” milk at your favorite supermarket. Hidden at the very end of the story continuation is this incomplete revelation: Most milk imported from the Mainland, while it can be characterized as being

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2009/02/disappeared-news-why-milk-imported-into.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-22172689468126806222008-12-08T14:02:00.001-10:002008-12-08T14:02:13.209-10:00

by Larry Geller I have always admired a well-run kitchen. After all, we go to a restaurant for an enjoyable eating experience. If they’ve forgotten part of an order, if there’s a long wait, if it comes out cold when it should be hot, or if the dessert is microwaved and soggy, it makes it tough to enjoy. On the other hand, when something is expertly prepared, seems to pop right out of the kitchen

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/12/importance-of-well-run-kitchen.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-33294501064518933422008-11-23T21:12:00.001-10:002008-11-23T21:12:17.056-10:00

by Larry Geller It seems that almost everyone on the planet has tried Mark Bittman’s no-knead bread. The original recipe was in the New York Times article of November 8, 2006, The Secret of Great Bread: Let Time Do the Work (recipe here), and there’s a video which will explain the whole thing to you (although Bittman’s recipe differs from the video, it’s close enough): I’m guessing that if I

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/11/catching-up-with-mark-bittmans-no-knead.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-68248390610074162042008-11-17T21:17:00.001-10:002008-11-17T21:17:17.317-10:00

by Larry Geller We were thrilled to learn that Kookie is back in Honolulu, and this time with her own Thai restaurant and exciting new menu. Kookie’s Thai Kitchen opened Friday (Grand Opening will be Sunday, November 23) in a completely redecorated location on Middle Street, near Rose St. We rushed right over, eager for the flavors we remember from when she was the creative chef behind Club New

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/11/kookies-thai-kitchenoutstanding-flavor.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-71270284444795356652008-11-15T12:36:00.001-10:002008-11-15T15:28:14.221-10:00

Some supermarkets have jacked up prices more than others on a particular item. It’s hard for the consumer to tell whether increases are due to the higher cost of ingredients or just plain price gouging. When the manufacturer shrinks the product, it’s easier to detect. Tropicana, which makes a not-bad fresh (not from concentrate) orange juice which we’ll buy when it is on sale and Florida

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/11/its-not-just-candy-bars-that-shrink.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-60299557544649750462008-10-12T08:28:00.001-10:002008-10-12T08:28:58.155-10:00

by Larry Geller Hawaii has not dealt with charges that it permits cruel treatment of animals shipped here for food, and then covers it up by sticking “Island Produced” labels on the packages. The cruelty was revealed in a video produced by the Handle with Care coalition and highlighted again in an August, 2008 story in Honolulu Magazine. But the cruelty continues today. The Handle with Care

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/10/cruel-treatment-brings-pork-to-our.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-72255931752396910682008-08-15T17:22:00.001-10:002008-08-16T11:08:29.486-10:00

by Larry Geller Just a word to oyster lovers. I suggest not buying oysters at Costco unless the box is sealed shut. We were over there today and observed three teenage boys going through the boxes of oysters in the refrigerator cabinet. They were opening each box and handling and inspecting each oyster! Of course, we called this to the attention of nearby staff, but they took a long time

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/08/i-love-raw-oysters-but-beware-these.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-21808797589731272342008-08-03T20:11:00.001-10:002008-08-03T20:11:02.734-10:00

This is the second and (I believe) last eel alert for this year. Please see Eel Alert #1 for details. According to the Japanese calendar, Tuesday, August 5, 2008 is the second Doyo No Ushi No Hi for this year. When I visited Don Quijote, they were amply supplied with frozen 9.5 ounce imported eels. So no excuses. You’ll also need a little bottle of unagi no tare (eel sauce) if you’re out. Or, of

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/08/eel-alert-2.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-77356424131196120972008-08-03T14:43:00.001-10:002008-08-03T14:43:19.434-10:00

We skipped the Bishop Museum shindig last weekend, but that meant no farmers’ market shopping. Instead, we took a step back and shopped a little at Kokua Market (which has some of the same local produce that’s at the KCC Saturday Market) and at Costco. This weekend the market is back at KCC, and so were we. And it feels good. Here’s why. Costco has a bag of mixed color bell peppers that we used

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/08/back-at-market-feels-good.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-33887017459771166932008-07-31T21:10:00.001-10:002008-07-31T21:10:34.899-10:00

Congratulations to this well-respected goat farm on Maui. From today's Star-Bulletin story: Surfing Goat Dairy on Maui now also has the distinction of becoming the first Hawaii-based producer to receive the Certified Humane Raised and Handled label from Virginia-based nonprofit group Humane Farm Animal Care. To qualify for the label, farms must meet precise standards for the treatment of farm

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/07/surfing-goat-dairy-is-first-hawaii-farm.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-82128316050457243592008-07-24T15:07:00.001-10:002008-07-24T15:07:12.217-10:00

Today is Doyo-no-Ushi-no-hi according to the Japanese calendar. When we lived in Japan, it was the day when we just had to eat some unagi. Everyone did. It was, by custom, the hottest day of the year (and although it’s already mid-afternoon as I write this, it’s getting hotter every moment)! The day wanders on the Western calendar. It’s calculated by the ecliptic path of the sun, so each year it

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/07/eel-alert.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-42092816623127075462008-07-16T18:11:00.001-10:002008-07-16T18:22:57.674-10:00

This happened to us before, at the Grand Cafe in Chinatown. Maybe its a new law of physics. It has something to do with critical mass. And a lot to do with poor restaurant design. We dined last night at the Banana Leaf Pasta Cafe, in the McCully Shopping Center. It was our second visit. it seems fair to give a place a second try. Maybe last night will be enough for awhile, though. The pasta was

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/07/shout-out-at-banana-leaf-pasta-cafe.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-13220365865979371432008-06-22T22:14:00.001-10:002008-06-25T20:38:31.473-10:00

A special dinner. Nanette selected almost everything at KCC on Saturday (click pics for larger): Clockwise from bottom: Grape tomatoes (North Shore Farms)Red bell pepper (Pit Farm)Celery (Pit Farm)Tatsoi (Ma`O Organic Farm)Radishes (SKA Tropicals)Japanese “kabu” turnips (Ma`O Organic Farm) Scallops in a saffron crème fraîche sauce with basil chiffonade. Not pictured: Italian Country Bread (

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/06/sunday-night-repastscallops-in-saffron.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-10472435716180740542008-06-10T10:01:00.000-10:002008-06-10T15:44:36.261-10:00

Tune in to learn about the Slow Food movement, Slow Food Oahu, and the Little Kitchens event happening this Friday, June 13. John Noland will spend the hour catching up on Slow Food events in Hawaii.

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/06/learn-about-slow-food-tuesday-6-7-pm-on.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-9586563031934241402008-03-17T01:13:00.001-10:002008-03-17T01:23:21.593-10:00

We figured it would be safe now to do Nordstrom without getting trampled, and of course, we wanted to check out their Café. We've visited Nordstroms in other cities and pretty much knew what to expect (though I don't remember quite as much sticker shock as we found on our inspection trip today!). After returning home I read Nadine Kam's review in this morning's Star-Bulletin. We have had totally

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/03/nordstrom-marketplace-caf.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-35726541037651887662008-03-08T21:54:00.001-10:002008-03-08T21:54:43.468-10:00

(Thanks to the Progressive Review News for a pointer to this article) GRAPE EXPECTATIONS AFFECT WINE TASTING BOSTON GLOBE - Scientists at Caltech and Stanford recently published the results of a peculiar wine tasting. They provided people with cabernet sauvignons at various price points, with bottles ranging from $5 to $90. Although the tasters were told that all the wines were different, the

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/03/well-aren-those-flowery-descriptions-of.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-63406140775950076592008-02-16T17:40:00.001-10:002008-02-16T17:40:57.329-10:00

YouTube - My Incredibly Cool Toaster Via gadgets.boingboing.net .

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/02/i-hope-it-doesn-actually-play-music.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-20426033230291053392008-02-16T16:07:00.005-10:002008-02-16T20:05:18.673-10:00

We want to like Ploi Thai.  We've been back several times for dinner (most recently on the two-for-the-price-of-one-entree coupons in the Advertiser). There have been several reviews printed. Here is the Advertiser's review and this is the Star-Bulletin's. We like the decor, the service, and the lack of intrusive TV screens. Soft music is so much better than karaoke TV. The air conditioning is

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/02/ploi-thai.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-27705766024273457532008-01-10T19:16:00.001-10:002008-02-16T17:18:43.443-10:00

The Green Door is open! We're sitting at a table outside Betty Pang's new location in Kahala, near the Olive Tree, waiting for our Singapore garlic shrimp. Almost every table is full! Better come soon.

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/01/green-door-is-open-we-sitting-at-table.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6208583.post-13514480675614656122008-01-05T18:59:00.001-10:002008-01-05T18:59:08.198-10:00

Try pushing the "Now" button. FOOD CLOCK by Poodwaddle.com

Larrynoreply@blogger.comhttp://freerangegourmet.com/2008/01/food-clock.html