GREAT EATS HAWAII: October 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Hanging out at home for Halloween. Waiting for the 10 people who can make it up the hill and then down to our house. Not too many kids make this trek, but those who do are rewarded with some great full size chocolate bars.

SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE AND VEGETABLES

SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE AND VEGETABLES

DINNER AT HOME

Literally opened the refrigerator and pulled out any vegetables that we had. Half of onion here, celery, half of a tomato, bell pepper, carrot and some herbs that were just about to go bad. Sauteed them up with garlic and added them to some ground beef. Poured in two bottles of Bertolli Tomato and Basil Sauce that we got on sale for two for $5. In less than an hour dinner was on the table and everyone was happy. I love these simple, quick, cheap and pretty healthy meals that actually taste better than most restaurants. UPDATE: I use a lot of variations for this recipe. For example sometimes I use Ground Beef and Italian Sausage or Ground Beef and Pork. Also don't always use Bell Pepper and sometime add Mushrooms. Pretty much goes with what we have in the refrigerator at that time. After you sautés the vegetables, remove them from the pan and cook the meat/s. Then add the vegetables back in and then pour in the sauce. I simmer on very low heat for one to two hours.

SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE

COOK GROUND BEEF WITH GARLIC AND
ADDED TEASPOON OF DRIED OREGANO

CARROTS, BELL PEPPER, CELERY, ONION, GARLIC,
ITALIAN PARSLEY AND BASIL

SAUTE GARLIC AND ONIONS. ADDED SOME DRIED
RED PEPPER FLAKES TOO

REALLY GOOD SAUCE OUT OF A JAR WAS 2 FOR $5

ADD VEGETABLES TO GARLIC AND ONION AND SAUTE

COMBINE COOKED GROUND BEEF WITH VEGETABLES,
ONION AND GARLIC.

ADDED FRESH BASIL, ITALIAN PARSLEY AND BERTOLLI SAUCE

Sunday, October 30, 2011

GRAND WAILEA RESORT, MAUI HAWAII - THE POOL

GRAND WAILEA RESORT

THE GRAND WAILEA RESORT - MAUI, HAWAII

A stroll through the incredible grounds and pools at

the Grand Wailea Resort on Maui. This is one of the

best hotels in the world if you like to play in a pool.

KELI'S 2011 PIANO RECITAL

KELI'S PIANO RECITAL 2011

MINUET BY FABER

CENTRAL UNION CHURCH, HONOLULU, HI

BBQ AT HOME WITH FRIENDS AND FAMILY

BBQ AT HOME

Turned out a pretty good BBQ at home for family and friends. Enjoyed the very hot and spicy Stuffed Jalapenos, Fresh Ahi Tuna Sashimi, Kim Chee Tako Poke (Squid), Garlic Soy Beans, Smoked Marlin, Garlic Grilled Shrimp, Cole Slaw, Cucumber Salad, Baked Beans, Corn on the Cob, Ribs, Chicken and Burgers. Great variety and pretty good flavor if I do say so myself.

CHEESE STUFFED JALAPENO APPETIZER

GARLIC SOY BEANS AND KIM CHEE TAKO POKE

SMOKED MARLIN WITH RED ONION, CAPERS AND HORSERADISH

FRESH AHI (TUNA) SASHIMI

SHRIMP MARINATED IN GARLIC AND ITALIAN SALAD DRESSING.
GRILLED ON THE BBQ. SIMPLY DELICIOUS!

TONY ROMAS RIBS FROM COSTCO. THESE ARE THE BEST!

CORN ON THE COB WITH BUTTER, SALT PEPPER AND GARLIC POWDER

COLE SLAW FROM KFC SAVED ME TIME AND WAS GOOD

JAPANESE CUCUMBER, TOMATO, RED ONION, CILANTRO,
MINT AND RED WINE VINEGAR DRESSING

BAKED BEANS KICKED UP A NOTCH WITH SAUTEED ONIONS,
JALAPENOS AND BACON

BBQ CHICKEN COOKED ON GRILL

CHEESEBURGER WITH LETTUCE, TOMATO,
ONION, PICKLES AND KETCHUP

STUFFED GRILLED JALAPENOS

STUFFED JALAPENOS

COOKED ON THE GRILL

Had a friend who loves hot and spicy dishes over for a BBQ. Decided to light up his taste buds with a Stuffed Jalapeno Pepper. Mixed one package of Cream Cheese with a cup of Mexican Cheese blend consisting of Monterey Jack, Cheddar, Asadero and Queso Quesadilla Cheeses. Added in one packet of Italian Dressing Dry Seasoning and some Pimentos. Cored out the Jalapeno with a small spoon leaving a little of the side membrane for heat. Placed the cheese mixture in a plastic bag and cut off one corner so I could fill the peppers easily. Once filled, I placed the Jalapenos on a rack and set on the grill until the cheese oozed over the top and the sides were charred. My guest said the filling was delicious. I agree, but these little babies were hot. Really hot and spicy!

STUFFED GRILLED JALAPENOS

CREAM CHEESE, PIMENTOS, THREE CHEESE
BLEND AND ITALIAN DRESSING PACKET

CUT TOP OFF THE JALAPENO AND CORE
OUT SEEDS AND MEMBRANE WITH SPOON

JALAPENOS PLACED ON SPECIAL GRILLING RACK
PURCHASED AT WILLIAM SONOMA

CHEESE MIXTURE PLACED IN JALAPENO
WITH PLASTIC BAG WITH A SMALL CUT IN
THE CORNER

STUFFED JALAPENOS READY FOR THE BBQ

GRILLED TO PERFECTION

Monday, October 24, 2011

GRAND WAILEA RESORT - ROOM SERVICE

GRAND WAILEA RESORT

ROOM SERVICE DINNER

After a long day of meetings, it was nice to relax and get caught up on emails and the news. Ordered up room service. The Maui Onion Soup ($12) was mostly cheese. Not much onions and broth. Served with some french fried onions that were tasteless. The Vine Ripened Tomato and Mozzarella Salad ($16) was pretty bland too. Not much to rave about here. Just blessed to have this meal and spend another night at the Grand Wailea.

MAUI ONION SOUP WITH GRUYERE CHEESE

VINE RIPENED TOMATO AND MOZZERELLA

GRAND WAILEA RESORT - BALLROOM LUNCHEON

LARGE CONFERENCE LUNCH WORKING SESSION

GRAND WAILEA RESORT
BALLROOM LUNCHEON

CHICKEN SANDWICH WITH LETTUCE, TOMATO AND
CARAMELIZED ONIONS. SERVED WITH SPINACH SALAD
AND COLD NOODLE SALAD. ACTUALLY VERY GOOD!

Enjoyed a really good lunch today at the Grand Wailea Ballroom. Thick slices of perfectly cooked grilled chicken with lettuce, tomato and caramelized onions. Really good sandwich. Great Spinach and Noodle salad as sides. Both were delicious. This was a very good lunch. Better than the speaker!

HUMUHUMUNUKUNUKUKUAPUA'A

HUMUHUMUNUKUNUKUAPUA'A

GRAND WAILEA RESORT

WAILEA, MAUI

Was blessed to enjoy a magical evening with my girls on Maui. My girls did not want me to eat alone again so they changed their flight back to Oahu to be able to have dinner with Dad. We were given a $40 discount from the front desk if we dine at the Grand Wailea signature restaurant called Humuhumunukunukuapua'a. My daughter can say this without trying. I get all tied up trying to say it. According to my daughter this is the name of Hawaii's State fish. The restaurant is spectacular. Surrounded by water and overlooking a lagoon and the ocean. Does not really get much better than this in life. Truly amazing setting. The entire family was so relaxed and happy here. Just a wonderful love fest. Service was excellent with no drama or mistakes. The dishes came out within a reasonable time and all were good. We started with the Fresh Island Poke Appetizer ($21). Bright red fresh Ahi Tuna with a bit of Lomi Lomi Salmon at the bottom of the dish. This went down like cold butter. Simple and delicious. The Beet Salad ($12) included a very nice portion of beats and was topped with Goat Cheese and Candied Walnuts. A light dressing on the greens. Again, very simple and delicious. The Local Lobster and Filet of Beef ($52) was excellent. While the lobster was a bit dried from being cooked on the grill, the drawn butter helped to boost the flavor. The steak was about 5 oz. Perfect size for me. Cooked to a perfect medium rare and served with one of the best peppercorn sauces I have ever tasted. Sides of asparagus and mashed potatoes were included. The Rack of Lamb ($40) was charred to perfection and got two thumbs up from Keli. The Hawaiian Sea Bass stuffed with Crab ($34) was one of the best fish dishes my wife has ever tasted. She loved it and finished the entire plate. All this while overlooking a beautiful lagoon and the ocean. Truly a magical evening that I will never forget. Our family all knew how blessed this moment in time was for us. We savored it. We gave thanks for it.