Let’s Talk Food: Chili Crisp

Some foodies say that chili crisp may replace sriracha as the next condiment as it is more complex. Chili crisp incorporates aromatics and other ingredients that are fried until they are crunchy.

Quick Fix: Mushroom Chili is a quick, smokey veggie dinner

Savor this light, “meaty” mushroom chili made without any meat. It’s a quick vegetarian dinner. I added smoked paprika to mushrooms, pinto beans and crushed tomatoes to create a smokey flavor. For easy preparation, buy sliced mushrooms; any type will do. This chili keeps well. You can double the recipe and have it ready for another meal. The heat of the chili is up to you. Add 1/2 tablespoon more of the chili powder if you like it really hot.

Gretchen’s table: S’more pie, please!

S’mores have been a much-loved summer treat ever since the official recipe for the sweet but simple combination first appeared in a 1927 Girl Scout guidebook, “Tramping and Trailing with the Girl Scouts.”

Volcano Watch: Legends of eruptions past

Active volcanoes tell us their stories through earthquakes, deformation, gas emissions, and lava flows. We interpret those stories through myriad scientific instruments and record them in journals and news reports for generations to come. But what if a volcano isn’t active and hasn’t been in hundreds or even thousands of years? How can we learn their stories when now they slumber?

Boosting Soil Fertility with Plants

Earthly Delights is an eight-acre organic farm in South Kona where Bonnie and Bacci Perata have employed as many sustainable practices as possible during their nearly twenty years on the farm. They are dedicated to composting and mulching as well as growing some of their own fertility to limit their off-site inputs. Growing nitrogen fixing plants is an excellent way to add nutrition to the soil in small gardens as well as on farms.

Many plants from the Southern Hemisphere thrive in Hawaii

It seems bizarre that many plants from some of the most ancient geological regions of the world readily adapt to Hawaii’s young volcanic soils. Some in Hawaii are from Australia and ancient islands like Madagascar and New Caledonia. When it comes to strange animals and plants, Australia is in the lead for its share of the unusual to unique. This ancient mini continent has mammals that lay eggs to the marsupials that carry their premature babies in pouches. Recent fires put many in the animal kingdom at risk and the plant kingdom as well. Some Australian ecosystems will be altered for centuries and some may never recover.

Quick Fix: Tortilla strips a colorful addition to taco salad

Here’s a new take on one of America’s very popular Tex-Mex dishes: the taco salad. It has the flavors of a handheld taco but with a new twist. Instead of using tortilla chips, I use tortilla strips. When I found multicolored ones ready-made at the market, I decided they would make a colorful, crunchy addition to a salad. A dressing made with salsa mixed with yogurt adds a little extra spice.

Quick Fix: Pork Scallopini with Mustard Sauce and Sauteed Kale features layers of flavor

This sweet and tangy mustard sauce goes perfectly with these pork scallopini slices. The scallopini is made by pounding slices of pork tenderloin to about 1/2 inch thick. I find that without any fat, the tenderloin or bone can be very dry. This easy sauce takes care of that. The sauteed baby kale mixed with a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar adds another layer of texture and flavor.

Volcano Watch: Explosive Eruptions from Halemaʻumaʻu in 1924

May 2023 marks the 99th anniversary of a sequence of explosive eruptions from Kilauea’s summit that occurred over 16 days from May 11–27, 1924. During this eruption, about 60 explosions occurred from Halema’uma’u with fragments ranging from volcanic ash to large blocks the size of cars falling around the summit caldera.

Living plants and flowers make great Mother’s Day gifts

Every day is Mothers Day but officially this year, May 14th is Mothers Day If you forgot any of those favorite women in your life, you are in real trouble! Trying to wrack your brains for just the right last minute gift can be frustrating. Now let us consider some last minute gift ideas. This weekend is a great time to visit garden shops and nurseries to take care of those last minute gifts. Plants make the perfect gifts for those special friends and relatives.

How to prepare for your first meeting with a designer

Working with a designer is an exciting opportunity to take your design dreams to the next level. A designer’s role is to help you think outside the box and arrive at a design destination that you might not have otherwise traveled.

Design Recipes: Modern country

From slipcovers to painted floors and reclaimed wood, no clear style may define what some consider “country-inspired decor.” But infusing country elements with a modern edge is becoming more popular in the design world. The result is furniture that is often handcrafted by artisans as well as decorative elements that are often vintage or even salvaged.

Waimea Bon-yu Kai Bonsai Club exhibition coming in May

Waimea Bon-yu Kai Bonsai Club (which translated literally means “Bonsai Friendship Club”) has begun to settle back into its normal operations. Last year, after a 3 year hiatus, they were able to hold a small exhibition at the Waimea Community Center (Route 19, next to Waimea Park). This year it will be a little larger. Saturday and Sunday, May 27 and 28, 2023, 9a.m. to 4p.m.