Rubber Slippers In Italy

When I grow up I want to be...

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 12:11:00 +0000

Snowplough in the chestnut forest, originally uploaded by Rubber Slippers In Italy.

Much of the snow is actually gone, having gradually melted away in steady rain that never let up within the span of 48 hours. I've only ever seen the snowplow when it passed by in front of the house - never as a mighty orange machine barrelling down the road behind us. Get out of the way - or get run over! It puts the fear in my eyeballs.

'Twas the night before Christmas (pidgin itanglish)

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:16:00 +0000

Frozen treecicle

'Twas the night before Natale*,
about 10 after eight
Things were hoppin' in the kitchen,
as I checked the cheesecake

The lights were a-twinkle,
I hummed xmas songs
Red wine on a simmer,
for the beef vigneronne

Potatoes and rosmarino*,
brown slowly in a pan
Orata* under salt,
baked with italian ham

It's time! Set the table!
Prepare to dig in!
Kimchi pickles and gravlax,
but first a cin-cin!

Merry Christmas! Buon Natale!
And da kine! Mele Kalikimaka!
In Italy we speak pidgin,
and give each oddah da shaka

I sorry no mo' spam,
no beef teriyaki sticks
Hawaii get all kind grinds,
ethnic flavors from an ethnic mix

We are grateful for Christmas together,
in a place we call our own
Warm greetings from the chestnut forest,
to you and yours at home

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

*Natale (Christmas) | *rosmarino (rosemary) | *orata (gilthead bream)

Bah humbug!

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:15:00 +0000

And show me your documents before walking across my property! Rowf! rowf! rowf!

Well it looks like a complete bust for our initial xmas plans as the weather is predicted to bring more snow, ice and rain in the next couple of days. Within 24 hours we received just under 12 inches of the powdery white stuff - not a whole lot compared to elsewhere - but as the saying goes, it ain't over yet. Certainly not over for the dogs who end up with hard frozen clumps stuck to their fur after diving, digging and rolling in it. Buon Natale!

Making gravlax for xmas eve dinner.

Zubrowka (zhoo-BROOF-kah) - polish bison grass vodka...great stuff!

Of course we gotta leave a bottle out for Santa.

Tongue insult nets a hefty fine

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:01:00 +0000

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/celebdu / CC BY 2.0

He did WHAT?

While checking news on ANSA.it, I had to rub my eyeballs twice when I read about the tongue incident which forced an italian farmer to pay 1300 euros in court fees. That's $1861 for flashing your papillae...he should have just flipped the other guy the bird.
http://ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/2009/12/18/visualizza_new.html_1647253289.html

And for weather news... Monday's forecast is on red alert 3 - snow and ice. Christmas is not looking too good at the moment and we may just end up staying right here in the chestnut forest. Oh to be in Hawaii at this very moment!

Halt! lassen Sie mich die Unterlagen für Ihre Schnurrbart sehen

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:47:00 +0000

Mister Bentley the guard dog, originally uploaded by Rubber Slippers In Italy.

Mister B to the postman: "Stop! Let me see the documentation for your mustache!!"

I tawt I saw a puddy cat

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:33:00 +0000

I tawt I saw a puddy cat, originally uploaded by Rubber Slippers In Italy.

I did! I did! I did see a puddy cat!

Westie snow sculpture

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 20:55:00 +0000

Oh, I have a little brother, too. Kiss!, originally uploaded by Lilly.

The current snow situation in the chestnut forest is nothing compared to other areas in Italy, and my only concern is that it does not pose a problem when we split for the Trentino region on the 24th. If that be the case (don't know about you, but a blizzard would ruin the parade), I hope that we'll have enough snow to build lots of figures in the yard, possibly igloos if things get worse. I spied this Flickr image (her name is Lilly) and thought it fitting for the blog.

S'more Hello Kitty? ^-^

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Speaking only for myself, this is what happens when it's 28°F outside — an attempt at dark humor involving the world's most famous Kitty. I could never get it right where the Kitty head was on flame with smoke swirling around at the same time (the granulated sugar coating immediately turns black at the flame's touch, and I wasn't about to eat a bunch of burnt flops to get the perfect shot). Marshmallow Hello Kitty has a pleasant strawberry flavor. Meow!

Kalua goose, oven-style

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:31:00 +0000

Originally titled, No More Mother Goose Rhymes For You! An excess of fresh banana leaves from last month (they kept for a long time in the fridge) gave me the idea of an oven-style kalua goose roast. In Hawaii, kalua refers to the old method of cooking meats in banana leaves in a covered pit oven lined with super hot rocks, but naturally there also had to be an alternative to make things easier for the ambitious home chef.

Can you kalua a whole goose in your stove oven? Why of course you can, granted that you've got a big, covered roasting pan AND banana leaves. I purchased ½ a goose (the bottom half) and after making shallow cuts through the skin, rubbed the whole with red hawaiian salt and a few grinds of black pepper. The goose was then wrapped in double layers of banana leaves and aluminum foil, and the foil packet was given a few stabs with a knife at the bottom to give the fat an escape. I roasted it at 400°F for approximately 4 hours until the flesh was easy to shred from the bone. It was one ono-licious goose!

Vin brulé a day, keeps the cold at bay

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:35:00 +0000

30°F up next to my face is a wee bit inhibitive for doing anything outdoors, but the westie and the doxie were making such long, sad faces that I couldn't just sit there and do nothing about it. Small as they are, my "pack" is hardly what you'd call lap dogs, and I wish I could have captured the look on their mugs when I loudly mentioned the word walk. The reaction was an out-and-out explosion of wagging tails, spinning jumps and high-pitched barks.

Yip! Yip! Yip! I told you she would fold if we stared at her with sad puppy eyes all day long.

It occurred to me that I've never shown a photo of myself in full artic weather gear (laugh all you want, you people in harsh winter climates), and the reason why is because it's hardly ever a fashion statement when I climb into this outfit. The pieces were bought on different occasions for one specific purpose - to keep me warm - and the issue of color coordination, flattering lines and "does this make me look fat?" never, and will never, enter into the equation. Remember, I come from Hawaii, and all that matters is not freezing up like a frozen lollipop while I try to embrace the elements. Anyway, regardless of all that synthetic padding, you can tell that I'm obviously not in a chipper mood in the video. The nice thing is that an hour after our walk, the temperature went up by 5 degrees. Oh happy day...

Read, listen, learn, speak italian

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:53:00 +0000

There's been an increase in search inquiries regarding everything from word pronunciation, to how to say a particular sentence in italian, and on to what is the dialect term for ____ , so I'm going to make it a goal to post italian language entries more often using learning tools from ItalianPod101.com - Start Mastering Italian Today. I'm currently subscribed and actually find the lessons at all levels quite easy to follow, and I especially appreciate the ease of downloading their audio files for later playback at my convenience.

The key to learning a new language is repetition, but visuals help a whole lot in remembering what's being repeated. In a salute to the last month of the year (please snow!), here's a winter video lesson. The MotH did one better by taking the italian terms and using them in sentences as an italian would speak/write it.

neve | snow
I miei cani amano giocare sulla neve.
My dogs love to play in the snow.

ghiaccio | ice
E' pericoloso passeggiare quando c'è ghiaccio sulla strada.
It is dangerous to go for a walk when there is ice on the road.

sciarpa | scarf
Proteggiti la gola dal freddo con una sciarpa!
Protect your throat from the cold with a scarf!
(Note the imperative use of the verb proteggere - proteggiti - in the sentence.)

guanti | gloves
Indossiamo i guanti e andiamo a giocare a palle di neve.
Let's put on gloves and play with snowballs.

sci | ski
Lo sci e' uno sport molto popolare, d'inverno.
Skiing is a very popular sport in winter.

pattinaggio su ghiaccio | ice skating
Attenzione a fare pattinaggio sul ghiaccio. Si rischia di cadere!
Watch out when ice skating. You risk falling!

freddo | cold
Quando fa freddo preferisco stare a casa.
When it's cold I prefer to stay home.
(Fa freddo literally translates to 'it makes cold').

cioccolata calda | hot chocolate
Una cioccolata calda e' quello che ci vuole, in una giornata fredda.
Hot chocolate hits the spot on a cold day.
(The phrase e' quello che ci vuole literally translates to 'is that what there wants', but is turned into hits the spot to better convey how great hot chocolate would be on a cold day.)

fiocco di neve | snowflake
Il fiocco di neve scende lentamente dal cielo.
The snowflake descends slowly from the sky.

Trieste: I'd return there in a heartbeat

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:35:00 +0000

I'm not much into architectural photography or sea towns, so it struck me as a bit odd that out of the whole trip, Trieste was my favorite. The heart of the city has a very dignified feel, everyone that we interacted with were very nice and helpful, and the woman at the tourism office wanted to give MotH a whole bunch of informational pamphlets, even if all we wanted was a map. Oh, and the dogs! A lot of canine pet owners in Trieste, who of course could not resist Maddie and MrB. The Mister didn't bite any shins but he wasn't into shaking paws either when we came across another wire-haired doxie.

I'm including this map as a general reference to where we were in the region. Trieste makes an ideal halfway point if driving over into Croatia, and a comment left on the previous food post reminded me to make written note of the cross-cultural influences found in this area's cuisine. I've added Croatia, specifically the Dalmatia region, on our travel list as I still have so much to savor in regards to eastern european dishes. All About Croatia covers a nice range of topics so this might be a link worth adding to your bookmarks. It's well-organized and written by a Danish expat living in Split, Croatia (seen on map), and is available in 7 languages.

A) Lecco homebase B) Gorizia C) Trieste | View large map

Can't help but love the look of a classic Mini.

Maddie and Mister B get their paws wet in the Adriatic.

Eating and drinking like the locals in Friuli

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 19:45:00 +0000

With only a day allocated for each major city we wanted to visit, I was very keen on seeing Gorizia and Trieste while the weather cooperated in our favor. The objective: why, food of course. Three summers ago I had the chance of tucking into some of the region's best dishes, so on this occasion it was an all out mission for heartier, heavier meals without worry of breaking a sweat in soaring August temperatures. Our mission included a couple of local customs that I knew we had to try for curiosity's sake. The first one - in giro per bicièri - is similar to the andar per goti pub crawl that had us falling in love with old Verona. Me and wine, food and me - hey, I was born for food and drink! The second - the buffets of Trieste - are actually symbolic of the city's old dining establishments. Typically the trattoria-buffet opens 8-9am and service is kept to the counter where a variety of fried, baked and grilled foods are set along the length of the bar. Pick and pay. Need to satisfy a rumbling tummy? Snub McD's and head to a buffet for coffee (or beer!) and a warm bite to eat. Just don't expect to be seated at a table at such an early hour.

I was immensely satisfied with everything that we tried, but must underline the locally-made prosciutto which was outstanding. Whether it was from the fact that it was hand-sliced to order (a whole leg of prosciutto is secured in a vise-like contraption) or perhaps because they just do prosciutto damn fine in Friuli, the pig did not die for naught in the making of these succulent cured hams. If anyone has tried italian prosciutto, do share your thoughts on hand vs machine-sliced. And if you know the italian word for that vise thingy...

Trattoria-Gostilna Alla Luna

Via Oberdan 13, Gorizia | Closed Sunday evening and Monday | €€

Someone or some ethereal being, must not look too kindly upon the idea of imbibing on a Sunday. Every address I had in hand was closed - chiuso - so we strolled central Gorizia as a large market was in full swing. By chance I happened to look into a restaurant window and noticed the Slow Food sticker - always a good sign in my book - and they seemed to have just opened! A few people were at the counter toasting glasses, and it became clear to me that they must be in giro per bicièri, or having a glass before heading home. We had it in mind to do the same but with what I intended to order, decided that a table would be a better idea.

The interior is what some might call a tight squeeze, but I found it to be cozy, inviting and festive with all of that warm color. The women working there are dressed in traditional slovenian costume which makes the whole experience that much more authentic.

A plate of local montasio cheese, walnuts and honey. Dee-licious!

A plate of their own housemade prosciutto and frico croccante, a crispy cheese basket with salty olives within. Even though it's hard to tell in the photo, hand-sliced prosciutto is much thicker, and feels like ham heaven on your tongue. Slightly salty, rich, sweet, yum!!!!!

Beans and sauerkraut never tasted so good until they were married into a liquid meal. Jota (YOH-tah) is a thick soup that is very popular in this region. The tang of the sauerkraut is only mildly discernible. I've seen some recipes where pancetta and/or pork is also added, but this one here did not have any of it from what I could see.

Gubana is a sweet yeast bread filled with a mixture of walnuts, raisins, dried figs, prunes, candied fruit, chocolate and bread crumbs. It is traditionally served with slivovitz, a distillate made from prunes.

Gibanica is a moist, delicate layer cake of poppy seeds, cottage cheese and apples. I'd like to recreate this for xmas eve, but with more layers. See wikipedia link: Prekmurska gibanica.

Buffet Birreria Rudy

Via Valdirivo 32, Trieste | Open Monday - Saturday from 9am to 1am | €€

Trieste is a handsome city nestled on the Adriatic coast that deserves more time than what we could allow, and I wish we could have actually stayed at least a night. The buffet that we stopped in (top image) had all manner of tempting foods beckoning behind glass displays (2nd image), but again, we decided that a table would be best especially with doggies in tow.

Bad focus job, but I was so impatient to dig in! This antipasto plate included liptauer, a type of cheese spread with roots in slovenian cooking. A whole variety of seasonings go into the mix, but the only one that sticks in my mind is capers. Spicy paprika was sprinkled on top and this was totally different in comparison to what I'm accustomed to eating in Italy. Loved it though! An assortment of locally cured meats rounded out the rest of the plate with a basket of plain and caraway seed bread.

A mixed plate of boiled pork, from wiener to jowls to tongue. Spicy mustard and fresh, grated horseradish to dip everything in, with sauerkraut and patate in tecia (background) - a side dish of cooked potatoes mashed with lard and onions - filling in as carbs. There was also a dish of gulasch with potatoes. Meat!! Add to that large mugs of beer and there was no room for anything else except coffee. Great meal to continue the day in shopping...

They came without warning — the Krampus of Tarvisio

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:40:00 +0000

It is said that long ago in times of famine, the youth of small mountain villages disguised themselves with pelts and feathers from the skins and horns of animals. Thus being unrecognizable, they went around terrorizing the inhabitants of nearby towns, looting necessary supplies for the winter season. [translated source from Wikipedia]

Smoke, heavy chains and menacing cauldrons of fire - these were but a handful of props to accompany the nefarious creatures that marched through the town of Tarvisio. Yes we saw the parade of the Krampus, a diabolical creature that, despite its macabre appeal to tourists and spectators alike, maintains an element of old culture in pre-christian alpine tradition. So what if it was under 40°F out. We had a great time witnessing what will probably never make it on the Disney channel! And while the Krampus of today are more like Santa's grotesque helpers (good kiddies get treats and bad ones get coal), you really have to wonder at how desensitized today's youth have become. Or perhaps too wise to anything in a mask walking down main street. Even with the brooding music and absence of light, the Krampus, from what I could tell, was just another cool dude from the 'hood. Gimme a high five!

We didn't stay long to see what else was going on in the town square because my rumbling tummy directed our attention to the fragrant smells of vin brule and Krampus bread which quickly caught my eye. It's enough to say that we are looking forward to another encounter with the Krampus in one of the many events that take place in this part of Italy and also in the region of Alto Adige. Care to join us for a Krampus sighting next year?

The only blue-eyed beauty of the bunch.

Front and center stage in a window display at a fine home furnishings store.

Coffee, tea, or Krampus? Mask not for sale. Next year I'm making a bunch of these for the boys at MotH's office, complete with twig-birch thingy for spanking naughty lads. For parade information, wikipedia's italian link gives more detail. http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus

Gingerbear meets the Krampus

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 21:23:00 +0000

Gingerbear meets the Krampus, originally uploaded by Rubber Slippers In Italy.

I'm exhausted. Too much of a good thing is never enough in my book, and with all that we ate and saw and drank...it's fair to say that I'm feeling rather Kramp-ish? Just know that I'll be having a good night's sleep after some camomille tea and gingerbear cookies.

Hope you have a beary good weekend

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 16:39:00 +0000

Molasses, some would argue, is what makes gingerbread truly gingerbread, and to leave it out means you're either stuck with ginger something or spice something. Are you following me? So anyway, I mix some gingerspice dough, bust out the cookie cutters, bake, shake, and set the tray to cool outdoors (38°F you Hawaii folks!). The bears were a done deal.

Well it seems that molasses is also the x-factor in keeping your cookies all on one tray. Must be the sticky quality. It keeps your cookies...uhm...stuck. Not more than 2 minutes passed chilling on the picnic table when I heard a bit of a commotion going on. Apparently not all bears are created alike. Some are content to be dunked into milk and eaten. Some are more than happy to make the long voyage who-knows-where to a lucky recipient. And some, like this guy, figured that there was a whole world waiting out there. Kinda reminds me of myself when letter-writing and penpals took me beyond the confines of a small island in the middle of the Pacific. Come to think of it, I've always hated molasses.

First snow of the season

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 07:44:00 +0000

It's going to be a great weekend, originally uploaded by Rubber Slippers In Italy.

Unless MotH makes a huge ruckus trying to look for milk and cookies, I rarely get up before 7am. Well, this morning it was different, because when he announced that it was snowing, the wheels started turning in my head.

Oh gosh! That's the signal to get moving on baking cookies!

Funny thing is that last night MotH mentioned something one of his colleagues told him just the day before. "At one time your wife used to make cookies..." I guess I should take that as a hint, huh? I'll be back later with some gingerbread bears.

Pink Lady struts in David Chang's apple salad with kimchi

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:27:00 +0000

An apple today keeps the turkey away? Anything's possible, and to think that I was going to treat myself to leftover turkey soup from last night. Not! I was sent an NPR link by someone who obviously knows how much I ♥ David Chang, and after realizing that I had quite every single ingredient available in my fridge or in the garden, set out to put together this peculiar salad of apples, kimchi and bacon. That's right, apples and kimchi and bacon. It was great!

Sweet, salty, tart, tangy, sharp, spicy, smoky, strong, crunchy, creamy...in other words, this ain't no salad for chickens, or turkeys for that matter. I appreciated the range of textures involved, from the crisp Pink Lady apple to the crackle of oven-cooked pancetta (bacon) which I cut into thick strips. Pink Lady is the trademark name for Cripps Pink, and I really do prefer them over the Fuji that Chang lists in his recipe. Pink, hearts...a gal has her tastes.

The napa cabbage kimchi that I have has been sitting in the fridge at least a month. Me likes it strong and potent. As for the ingredient labne which appears as a small plop on a plate, wikipedia clarified that it also goes under the more common name of strained yogurt. Sweetened with a bit of maple syrup, it hooks up the aforementioned trio in a way that no persistent matchmaker ever could. It had me moaning. Apples, kimchi, bacon. Who woulda thought? Thankfully, the bite of arugula brought everything down back to reality. Whew!

Recipe: Fuji Apple Salad With Kimchi, Smoked Jowl & Maple Labne
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114289124

Krampus beer??? I want!!!!!

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Birrificio del Ducato Krampus 2008, originally uploaded by Bernt Rostad / CC BY 2.0.

I may as well let the word out that it looks like we'll get to see Saint Nick and the Krampuses (is that the correct plural?) this weekend! Yes we are going to Friuli Venezia Giulia as it's been way too long since I've done any exploring on the italian culture and tradition scene. You should've heard me squeal when I found this Krampus beer (made by a Parma brewery) on Flickr - wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Now if I can only remember to pack the camera. I've got the Slow Food restaurant guide and a LIST of typical foods that I must eat while I'm there. Must walk the dogs for two hours each day until we leave.

Thanksgiving Saturday: the Day After

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 14:56:00 +0000

Well actually 2 days after, because if I had been obligated to post on Sunday, you all might've been treated to another photo of the Krampus. Six hours ago I waved goodbye to the last of our visiting guests, and the big question of course, is how did our Thanksgiving go? It seems like the most commonplace, mundane thing to ask each other and we do so every year, but for us, or at least for me, it is a question where I can happily say that I was able to enjoy it with a whole bunch of people under one roof. The Thanksgivings that I remember in Hawaii were always outdoor affairs; buffet tables and makeshift seating set up in the garage or in the backyard patio; an uncle making pulehu (barbecuing) on the grill; coconut trees swaying in the breeze; CHOKE food (that means lots of food). It was an event where you could savor dishes from nearly every ethnic group in Hawaii as each family has their own "melting pot" of relatives: filipino, chinese, japanese, portuguese, puerto rican, korean, caucasian, hawaiian and italian! It was also an event that I had been too gutless to try to pull off until now.

Minus a couple of glitches in the kitchen, everyone got to eat the 14½-pound turkey and some laulau that I had made earlier in the week. I know it was insane to host 15 people at ours, but when it comes to parties I tend to lose count. In the end we were 13 in total. Sorta like the Last Supper? I made the usual mashed spuds, sweet potatoes, baked stuffing casserole and cranberry sauce. A couple of friends who stayed for the weekend contributed with a wonderful vegetarian lasagne. On the hawaiian end of the menu, I made lomi lomi salmon to go with the laulau, and served maki sushi and rainbow roll sushi for apps. The plan for fufu drinks went out the door as there simply wasn't enough space or time to be going tropical, yet with the amount of wine and alcohol that came presented to us upon each guest's arrival, we had more than enough to sing Tiny Bubbles if we had wanted to. Sorry, no hula! Not this time anyway.

So that leaves me with the photos, and perhaps you've already wondered where the heck are they, but now is the time where I'll admit to having dropped the ball BIG TIME because I really have none to share. I forgot to ask someone to photograph the event, and the only picture I managed to take was the sweet potato pie right after it came out of the oven. The turkey photo comes borrowed from last week's Thanksgiving hosted by Slippah Time authors. Just as well, because their turkey was much more beautiful than mine anyway!

Thanksgiving Saturday countdown: the Booze Essentials

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 19:15:00 +0000

Pele's Crater, originally uploaded by Subspace.

Lava Flows, Chi-Chis, wine for the winos and beer for the kamaainas. Coca-Cola for the designated drivers. Oh yes, and a little sake tasting thanks to Kat. The plan is to "loosen up" the guests so when it's time to do the hula, no one is going to complain of arthritis.

On a different subject, I came across a 2008 Hyatt Kauai dessert menu and... Holy Cannoli! Tiramisu, Amaretto Zabaglione, Panna Cotta di Cioccolata, Gelato del giorno, and Cannoli for 14 dollah$$$ a serving? I'll have to get a hold of one of my girlfriends who works there. It really should be Panna Cotta al Cioccolato.

Thanksgiving Saturday countdown: Laulau with banana leaves

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 11:18:00 +0000

In Obama's words, “yes you can!” But I am going to dispense with all of the detailed steps because there's a good chance that if you've arrived here via google web, the answer to your search has just been resolved. Anybody who's anybody knows that hawaiian laulau - bundles of meat, fish and lu'au or taro leaves - are wrapped and steamed within ti leaves to achieve the real thing. Unfortunately these particular leaves aren't readily available everywhere in the world, and sometimes you need to make do with what you have. In this case, banana leaves from Thailand, shipped in and sold at a filipino food market in Milan. What can I say? Don't carbon footprint me, these laulau are for a special occasion because I'm doing a little bit of both american and hawaiian-style for our Thanksgiving in Italy.

Pre-video prep

It goes without saying that if you're lucky enough to have banana trees in your yard, select the young leaves that aren't torn or overly rigid. Wash them well and split down the middle, removing the stiff central rib. Cut the whole leaves into sections approximately 13 inches wide and gently heat the undersides over a low flame to soften. The color of the leaves will turn a bright, glossy sheen. When ready to fill, place the banana leaf glossy side down. Here I've used fresh spinach as lu'au leaves are not only impossible to obtain, but I also have an allergic reaction to them. Chunks of pork lightly seasoned with red hawaiian sea salt and a piece of swordfish (typically butterfish or pesce burro if you can find it) goes on top. I've given two examples using just leaf and string, and using leaf with foil. Either way works well but I find that when using foil, packing them for the freezer is less of a mess, especially when you want to give some away as gifts. Cooking time: 3 hours steamed in a covered pot over low simmer. Serve with lomilomi salmon, rice and poi (if get).

Very cool post on how to wrap laulau in a more authentic way.
http://maona.net/archives/2005/12/laulau_wrapping.php

I'm feeling like Krampus this morning

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:26:00 +0000

Image source: Wikipedia. This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0.

We all have our weaknesses. Apparently the indulgence of a couple of small but very potent Mai Tais on an empty stomach was not the wisest idea, followed by two Budweisers. What a party last night! The last thing I remember was MotH saying it was time to go home, but in my mind, it sounded like the most absurd statement ever. Home? Whaddya mean home? Right now we're supposed to be taking a short break, or in true island-style, going moi moi (sleeping), then commence kau kau (eating) turkey and stuffing in another round of helpings. That was always standard procedure where I come from - stuff your face or die trying. Eerily apropos, given the chosen image...

Edited update: in case you thought I was hallucinating again...the proof is in da turkey.

It's Aloha Friday

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:55:00 +0000

Six more days until Tday (8 for us since we're celebrating on Saturday) and I was putting together a playlist for island tunes when I came across this. Book 'em Danno!

When the postman comes ringing

rowena@hawaiistories.com (Rowena...) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:13:00 +0000

Because I like to keep score when it comes to snail mail...

That missing package in transit finally did make its way to our doorstep over a week ago, but we were out. So it took another 2 days of waiting ('cause our post office closes after lunch on Saturday) and by my calculations...let's see...if it was sent on the 27th October and got here 7th November, then I waited another...oh forget it. Let's just leave it as I got my salame and cheese (muchos gracias Jonzie and Marti) and for now, the italian postal delivery system is still doing its job, albeit not as quickly as we'd all like. I cannot complain. Being without internet for the past 2 days...now that's something to get all pissy about.

The above is a rare occasion when the dogs get to run loose, wild and free in a deserted location without us worrying that A) one will become so happy to see a stranger that she runs up and pees all over them and B) the other runs up too, but in full defense-mode, will bark and ward the intruder/s off, getting in a good nip to the shin just in case they didn't quite comprehend that he meant business. To think that he was the runt of the litter.