A line of spectators get their feet wet in Kailua Bay at they watch the Ironman World Championship athletes compete. (Donna Goodale/Community Contributor)

Puttanesca, a classic Italian sauce made with tomatoes, garlic, anchovies, capers, and olives, offers bold flavor and comes together fairly quickly — perfect for a Sunday supper.

In our experience, most recipes for scalloped potatoes take hours of work yet still produce unevenly cooked potatoes in a heavy, curdled sauce. This version is faster than most and produces layer upon layer of thinly sliced, tender potatoes, creamy sauce, and nicely browned, cheesy crust.

This simple butternut squash soup is little more than squash, cooking liquid, and a few aromatic ingredients; it comes together easily yet is creamy and deeply flavorful.

There’s no better way to enjoy fall’s abundant apple harvest than in a towering deep-dish pie. Unfortunately, this dessert often yields unevenly cooked, shrunken apples swimming in an ocean of their own exuded juices atop a pale, soggy crust.

Mexican hot chocolate is a beloved beverage made from chocolate (yup, got it) and often cinnamon and another spice or two to bring up the heat. The combination of spicy and chocolate just plain works, and I wanted to see how it would translate into another beloved treat, the good old American brownie.

When people ask me “Why are you so weird?” I always look them square in the eye and say, “It is because I was raised without chicken and dumplings.”

Floating on the waves and hiking through the jungle are must-do activities on Kauai. But to better commune with the westernmost of the well-populated Hawaiian Islands, I also wanted to taste the local bounty.

Wanda asks: I have been growing vegetables and herbs on my property for a long time. I think I would like to save some of the seeds from what I grow to replant. Is this easy? If so, how do I do it?

Any day is a fine day for a drive wherever you live on our beautiful island. Rain or shine, your drive should include Panaewa Zoo.