Quick Fix: Easy one-pot lamb recipe a family pleaser
Here’s a warm and comforting meal that can be made in minutes using only one pot. For this easy dinner, tender lamb cut for kabobs and fragrant spices cook with canned lentils. It’s a family pleaser.
Island Life: Lava in the sky
A gorgeous sunset lights the sky off Kona.
Quicker croissants: Buttery, crispy pastries in hours, not days
I said that I had seen some recipes claiming you can make croissants in just four hours. I scoffed, dismissively. Everyone knows the best croissants take three days to make.
Soy marinade makes weeknight steak simple
A perfectly grilled steak requires more time and finesse than we can afford most weeknights.
Skiing Santas back to shredding Maine slopes for charity
NEWRY, Maine — Santa is back to “sleighing” it on the ski slope.
Island Life: Shaping the reef
An ornate butterfly fish eats coral in Kahalu’u Bay.
Christmas can be nuts depending on where you live
In years gone by, if you lived in North America or Europe, the traditional nuts found at Christmas would have been walnuts or hazelnuts. Pecans would have been the choice in the southern states. Now, we may find nuts from all over the world at the local markets. For example in Haiti, you might find tropical almonds roasted and made into a confection similar to peanut brittle. This is actually Terminalia catappa known in Hawaii as false kamani. In the Philippines, you might find the pili nut or one of its relatives. The pili nut has over 600 species in the family Burseraceae and may be found throughout Southeast Asia. Even the Macadamia has close relatives in tropical Asia, so depending on where you live,you may find local nuts as well as exotic introductions included in the regional cuisine.
Plant of the Month: The majestic ‘ulu
A grove of ‘ulu about half a mile wide once stretched across Kona from above the modern town of Kailua-Kona to as far south as Honaunau, at an elevation of about 800 to 1,200 feet elevation. Breadfruit was an important food source for native Hawaiians and the trees also yielded products for cultural and medicinal uses. Today, many people plant ‘ulu trees to enjoy their breadfruit as well as to provide shade on their property. Though breadfruit trees are usually large, some varieties are a bit smaller and all can be pruned to control size. Consider gracing your landscape with one of more of these lovely Hawaiian heritage trees.
From paper place mats to trivia, hosting hacks to make your next holiday gathering easier
BALTIMORE — It’s safe to say Kathi Gromacki knows a thing or two about hosting holiday dinners. The owner of Nest on Main says she has held about 20 Thanksgivings at her home over the years. And her shop in Bel Air, Maryland, is brimming with everything an aspiring host — or guest — could need for a party, from luxurious hand soaps for the guest bathroom to a new gadget that you can use to grate garlic cloves.
Island Life: Send in the clouds
Cloud formations hover over a languid Kiholo Bay.
Island Life: Unfurling on its own time
A fern unfurls in Kona.
Island Life: Take five
An oleander hawk moth rests on crownflower and pentas in Kailua-Kona.
Island Life: Sunset silhouette
A couple watches from the coastline at Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park as the sun nears the horizon.
Island Life: Watch your step
A Jackson’s Chameleon walks along a line to a birdfeeder.
Quick Fix: Crunchy chicken tenders, quick coleslaw a perfect match
You don’t need a fryer or air fryer for these crispy, fried chicken tenders. They bake in minutes in your oven. The secret is to place them on a roasting rack over a baking tray so air circulates around all sides. Chicken tenders or tenderloin are part of the chicken breast and are attached to the underside of each chicken breast. They’re small and moist and are sold in most markets.
Island Life: Uniquely colorful
A uniquely colorful hibiscus blooms in Kona.
Cadets raising funds to support Wreaths Across America
Civil Air Patrol Cadets of the Kona Composite Squadron are raising funds to support Wreaths Across America, a tradition of placing wreaths on the headstones of our nation’s fallen heroes at Arlington National Cemetery and hundreds of other veterans cemeteries across the country during the holidays.
Prep School: How to reverse sear steak
Before I talk about the “reverse sear,” I should talk about the regular sear.
Cured: What you need to know about salumi (including salami)
The word “salumi” ( or its singular, “salume”) seems to be popping up more on restaurant menus, Instagram feeds, even at some deli counters. Maybe you’ve been wondering what exactly salumi means, as opposed to salami, or charcuterie, or….?
Poinsettias a must for holiday color
Although we have been seeing Christmas decorations in some stores, the holidays don’t seem real until our Thanksgiving leftovers are thoroughly digested.
