Hosting a Hawaiian Party

Aloha!

I was lucky enough to visit the island of Maui and the Big Island in beautiful Hawaii for my honeymoon last November. To be honest, the vacation spot wasn't high up on my list of must-sees, but after a two week stay I was hooked. I'm the travel until you drop, walk through urban cities type of gal, but after over a year of planning my dream wedding, Hawaii's laid back attitude and varied natural and cultural features were very appealing.

Far beyond tiki masks, hula dancers, and pineapple, the islands of Hawaii have so much to offer, including beautiful beaches, ancient petrogylphs, Mars-like mountains, bamboo forests, and radiant waterfalls. And of course there's the fresh, locally-sourced cuisine. Let's just say both me and my husband have been yearning to go back since the moment we arrived back home.

Given that our post-honeymoon budget didn't include an impromptu trip back to the islands, I decided to bring the islands to us! How better than a party to share our experiences and our favourite, authentic dishes? Consequently, this summer became the setting for testing out a variety of Hawaiian entrees and desserts that were appropriate for outdoor eating. My husband and I tried, and ate at least one Hawaiian recipe every two weeks for several months. What can I say? I like to plan ahead... :)

Don't let my enthusiasm at pre-planning dissuade you from planning a Hawaiian party of your own. It's up to you how much effort you want to put into it. Hopefully I can provide some insight and make your party planning easier. I tried my best only to test out recipes that seemed authentic and reflect our food experiences from our recent trip, and I read up on Hawaiian cuisine and culture from various sources.

Beachside at the Fairmont Orchid Resort, Big Island

Sliding Sands Trail in Haleakala National Park, Maui

 

Hawaiian Cuisine

While in Hawaii, I was quite surprised at the diverse ethnicities represented in local dishes. In my research for the party I read up on the origins of Hawaiian cuisine, and learned that a range of ethnicities- including Polynesian, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and British- have a stake in the local Hawaiian food eaten today. Settlers arriving in Hawaii brought different foods and cooking techniques with them that have created a fabulous fusion of flavours, textures and ingredients in today's cuisine.

One of the popular local dishes we tried while in Hawaii was the plate lunch. I later learned that the plate lunch is a common meal eaten by locals that consists generally of protein, rice, macaroni or potato salad and often some sort of vegetable like salad or pickled veggies. On our trip, we sought out a well-reviewed beach-side food stand and tried a plate lunch of huli-huli chicken, macaroni (mac) salad, green salad, and rice. Delish! I later learned that huli-huli literally means 'turn turn' chicken, and is a local barbecue chicken. Driving along the highway on the Big Island and Maui it was very common to see off-road barbecue stands grilling dozens of chickens at a time.

During our trip we also attended a luau which consisted of a buffet containing some local Hawaiian delicacies and featured a spectacular luau dance show. We chose traditional pillow-style seating at a low table, which was located right near the dance stage and gave us amazing views of the performance. During the buffet we tried several new Hawaiian foods including Haupia, a traditional Hawaiian coconut pudding, often cut into small squares. Banana bread was also served, another dessert that we found common to off road stalls, particularly on the road to Hana on the island of Maui.

Watching the sun set from our room on the Big Island

Our Menu 

Our experiences were used as inspiration to plan our Hawaiian Party. Although we had it during the summer, I encourage you to try Hawaiian recipes at any time of the year! Here are some highlights from our menu:

Appetizers (Pupus)

Our stars of the show were featured in the entrees and sides, so we kept the appetizers simple:

• Maui Sweet Onion Chips
• Fresh vegetables

I was lucky to find some Hawaiian products at a local store featuring the Maui Sweet Onion. This is a vegetable very commonly used in local Hawaiian dishes. As a back up you can also serve taro or sweet potato chips, two other vegetables that are common, and are easier to find outside of Hawaii.

Entrees and Sides (Aina Ahiahi)

Taking reference from some of our favourite island foods we tried to recreate a barbecue-safe nod to the plate lunch:

• Huli-Huli Chicken Thighs
• Beef Teriyaki Skewers
• 'Mac' (Macaroni) Salad
• Green Salad with Guava Dressing

 

 

Dessert (Monamona)

The flavours used in our dessert menu reference some of our favourite flavours from the islands and some other tropical flavours:

• Haupia with Toasted Coconut
• Tropical Banana Bread (banana bread with pineapple and toasted coconut) 

 

 

Beverages (Inu Inu)

Our drink menu included favourite Hawaiian drinks and incorporated fresh juices we enjoyed on our trip:

• Mai Tais (Alcoholic drink with various rums, triple sec, orange juice, and grenadine)
• Mango Guava Coolers (Mango nectar, guava nectar, lime juice, and sparkling water)

 

Ambiance and Decor

As always, I kept the decor simple and classy. We stayed clear of anything that didn't seem authentic, particularly avoiding the paper cut outs found at party supply stores. On our trip we saw beautiful orchids everywhere, and were lucky enough to also receive orchid leis at one of our hotels! For our guest tables, we found mini orchids and mini vintage Hawaiian posters to create the right mood. Of course, I also spent some time creating a great playlist with both traditional Hawaiian music and upbeat classics like the Beach Boys... To get our guests into the correct atmosphere, we greeted them all with an 'Aloha', a flower lei, and a beverage with an umbrella skewer garnished with a piece of fresh pineapple. I also created cute mini food menus and drink menus! The delight is in the details!

I hope this has brought a bit of Hawaii to you, and has inspired you to try your own Hawaiian dishes :)

Mahalo (Thank you) for reading!

Rosemary Pound Cake

Summer is finally here! It's hitting the mid thirties lately, after many long months of low teens. My recent project has been my back yard, where I have been learning how to garden. I have a little plot of land dedicated to flowers, and a few planters for fresh herbs. How amazing is it to just pop outside and grab a sprig of oregano, thyme or rosemary? Beyond words exciting.

Although I am happy that it is finally time to ditch the long sleeves, the heat has made it incredibly difficult to act like a human for us individuals without central air (cringe). It's too hot to move, and yet, I had the itch to try out another baking recipe during one of the hottest days so far. Hey, when you gotta bake, you gotta bake.

Actually, my motivation was my colleague from work who just had a beautiful baby boy! In honour of the new little Italian bundle, I decided to bake a savoury rosemary loaf (my first one!) and make some rosemary honey to boot.

I was very excited to try this Rosemary Pound Cake, because I was able to use fresh rosemary from my garden!

This Rosemary Pound Cake is courtesy of Martha Stewart's Cakes book and is a real crowd pleaser! Buttery and slightly crumby, with a fine balance of fresh rosemary, and glazed with fresh rosemary honey, this pound cake is a great addition to your afternoon tea recipes, and is a lovely gift!

As a gift, I had to figure out how to wrap the loaf and honey to meet the grandness of the occasion! Once cooled, I wrapped the loaf in plastic wrap, and then wrapped the centre with a piece of wrapping paper, and loosely tied a bow around it (be careful not to squish the bread)! If you are gifting this bread, I would suggest just lightly glazing the loaf with the rosemary honey and giving the majority of it in a nice mason jar to be used while eating. I found a cute vintage looking mason jar and tied it in a bow. The delight is in the detail! :)

Rosemary Pound Cake with Rosemary Honey

Makes two pound cakes
Requires: two 9x5 inch or 10x5 inch loaf pans

Ingredients

Pound Cake

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (plus extra for greasing pans)

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (plus extra for flouring pans)

1 cup cake flour (not self rising)

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/4 cups sugar

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 large eggs, whole

1 large egg white

1 cup milk (I used 2%)

Rosemary Honey

1 cup honey

5 rosemary sprigs, about 3 inches long each*

*You can keep the rosemary on the sprig so it can be easily removed once the honey is cooled. Alternatively, you can finely chop approximately 3 tablespoons of rosemary and keep it in the honey for a stronger taste. 

Instructions

1. Make the Rosemary Honey by bringing the honey and fresh rosemary to a simmer in a small pan, and let it cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the honey from the burner to cool in the pan for approximately 45 minutes. Once cooled, remove the springs of rosemary if you want a more subtle taste. 
2. Preheat the oven to 350˚F on the baking rack. Butter the two loaf pans and then line them with parchment paper, which should overhang the pan on both long sides by an inch. Butter the parchment and sprinkle with all purpose flour. Tap out the excess flour.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together both flours, baking powder, and salt.
4. Using an electric mixer on a medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, chopped rosemary and vanilla until pale and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.
5. Add all of the whole eggs and the egg white one at a time, beating well after each is added. 
6. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the dry ingredients and milk in alternating turns, in two or three batches, and ending in flour. Beat until just combined.
7. Divide the batter between the two loaf pans.
8. Bake the loafs and rotate halfway through until deep golden brown and a cake tester or toothpick comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached. 9x5 inch pans should take approximately 50 to 60 minutes. 10x5 inch pans should take approximately 45 to 50 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
9. Remove the cakes from the oven and brush the rosemary honey on the top of each using a pastry brush. Use approximately 3/4 cup of the honey between the two cakes. If you're gifting one of the cakes you can brush less honey on top (because it's sticky!) and put it in an air tight jar for serving instead. 
10. Once the honey has been added to the tops of the pound cakes, place the pans on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.
11. Remove the pound cakes from their pans by lifting out the parchment paper using the 1 inch tabs. Let the cakes cool for another 15 minutes.
12. If eating right away, serve the cakes warm and drizzle with honey. If gifting, let the cake cool completely before wrapping with plastic wrap.

Cooled cakes can be stored at room temperature in plastic wrap for up to three days.

The Rosemary Honey can keep for approximately 1 week at room temperature in an air tight container.

Enjoy!

Heavenly Hot Cross Buns

I have been trying to expand my baking repertoire over the past several months and have taken a particular interest in bread. I made a beautiful brioche star bread this past Christmas and was amazed by the final result. Since then I have been looking for new bread recipes to incorporate into my collection.

Easter is around the corner, so several weeks ago I began a quest to find a bread recipe that could meet the occasion. I searched through my cook books until I found the perfect Easter bread, Hot Cross Buns.

When I was a kid I would often see Hot Cross Buns in the springtime at the grocery store with my mom, or on the special occasion, peering into a bakery window on the west part of town, nose pressed against the glass. I remember the excitement of seeing and smelling the special Easter buns with their shiny glaze, delicate icing crosses and dried fruits. When opening one of many recently gifted cookbooks, Canadian Family Cooking circa 1986 (I'm not one to diss baking archives), I  found a recipe for Hot Cross Buns from Nova Scotia that I was incredibly excited to try it out. East coasters know bread.

This recipe does not disappoint. It is fairly straight forward, but as with all bread, you need a little patience. Waiting for it to rise is the hard part, almost as difficult as trying not to eat them all when finished! This bread is slightly sweet, with a hint of spice and lovely currants that amount to a soft, sweet bun, with icing crosses on top to finish.

This recipe has received rave reviews by my fellow tasters, including my husband who has requested them again for Good Friday. Although these treats are typically associated with Good Friday and Easter, they would be perfect at any time of the year for breakfast, or with a cup of afternoon tea.

Don't they look heavenly?

Heavenly Hot Cross Buns

Makes 1 dozen large buns
Time: 4 hours and 15 minutes, including rising

Ingredients

Bread
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (15 ml)
1 cup warm milk
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted (plus extra for greasing)
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup currants

Egg Wash
1 egg yolk, beaten
Approx 1 tsp of milk

Icing
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
2 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

1. Dissolve 1 teaspoon (5ml) of the total 1/2 cup of sugar in the warm water. Add yeast and let it stand for approximately 15 minutes, until foamy.
2. Stir together the milk, eggs and butter. In a large mixing bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour with the remaining sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Stir in the milk mixture, followed by the yeast mixture, and then the currants until well mixed. With your hands, gradually work in enough of the remaining flour to make a thick dough (ensure all flour is sifted). Move the dough to a floured wooden board or a floured piece of wax paper and knead it for approximately 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. You can also use the dough attachment of your stand mixer. 
3. Place the dough in a greased bowl (I used unsalted butter), cover it with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let it rise for approximately one and a half hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
4. Punch down the dough and shape it into 12 buns about 1/2 inch thick. Place them on a greased 13 x 18 inch baking sheet (I used unsalted butter), about an inch apart, and cover them tightly with a clean tea towel until doubled in size, approximately 30 minutes. 
5. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
6. Mix the beaten egg yolk with the milk. Add a little more if required to thin out the egg yolk. Brush the buns with the glaze. 
7. Bake the buns for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden. 
8. While baking, create the simple icing by mixing the icing sugar and warm water. Add more icing sugar if the icing is too runny, or a bit more water if too thick (1/2 tbsp at a time). 
9. Take the buns out of the oven and let cool slightly. Once warm (but not hot), decorate the buns by spooning or piping the icing in a cross shape over top. I found it easiest to create a continuous line of icing across all buns in one direction to prevent the icing from spreading unevenly in one spot.

These buns should be stored in a seal proof container at room temperature. They are best eaten within 2 days.
Enjoy!

Luxurious Lemon Loaf

I know. It has been a long time. It has been an eventful year. In the past year I have planned a bridal shower (my own, of course, and to my specifications), was married to the love of my life, and went on a fabulous Hawaiian honeymoon. I also moved into to an amazing townhouse with a kitchen any foodie would be proud of. I haven’t stopped cooking and baking, but I just haven’t had the time to blog about it. I have been living in the world of 'Adulting 2.0', which involves a lot of meal prep and mini dinner parties (and pre-dinner parties, just to practice). I haven't forgotten about you and have been making mental notes of blog worthy material.

What’s new with you all? I hope you are staying warm in this cold season. It has been on and off between cold and polar vortex and we’re trying our best to stay positive. We are hopeful that spring is trying to break through. In the meantime we stay inside our cozy kitchens, drink tea and bake lovely cakes. Or at least I do. Hubby and I find our favourite time together is when we bake.

There is a new little addition to our extended family- a baby cousin in law that is bringing joy to all. This little baby girl is melting all of our hearts and distracting us from the cold winter weather. I don't know about you, but I love babies, and I love buying things for babies. I could blame this on my short lived career at Baby Gap during university, but it honestly goes back to my childhood helping my mom babysit, and the fact that as an only child I loved being around other kids. In honour of the new arrival, I decided to crack open my Martha Stewart's Cakes book- an essential for any aspiring baker- to try an elegant lemon loaf cake to celebrate her arrival.

Let's be clear that I didn't choose a simple loaf cake, like a normal person. I chose lemon, thinking it was an easy classic. As I reviewed the recipe I found that the loaf cake was a bit intricate, but worthy of a celebratory bake. Don't let me scare you off. It is not a challenging recipe, but be prepared to spend some time. This cannot be made in a rush. To simplify things I completed the loaf over two days, making and cooling the cake one afternoon (steps one through seven below) and glazing on the next morning before serving.

This lovely lemon pound cake uses lemon in as many ways as it can- zest in the batter, lemon syrup to soak in the cake once out of the oven, a sweet lemony glaze for the top, and slightly tart candied lemon slices to balance the flavour. Lemon is used to elevate a simple loaf to an extraordinary bake that your grandma would be proud to serve with her tea.

Who says lemon is boring? Martha knows what she is doing.

Lemon Tea Loaf

Makes two loaves, using 9x5 or 10x5 inch pans

Time: 3 hours, plus cooling (includes preparation and letting the glaze set)

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature, and more for greasing pans

2 cups all-purpose flour, and more for pans

¾ tsp salt

½ tsp baking soda

2 tbsp finely grated lemon zest (approx. 3 lemons)

2 ½ cups granulated sugar

6 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

Candied Lemon Slices and Syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

2 lemons, sliced very thin, seeds removed

½ cup fresh lemon juice (approx. 3 lemons)

Glaze

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

4 to 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (approx. 2 lemons)

Instructions

1. Prep all of your lemons. Zest lemons for the cake, juice lemons for the glaze and lemon garnish, and cut and remove the seeds for the lemon slices. Set aside.
2. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter and then flour your loaf pans, and tap out the excess flour. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, and lemon zest.
4. Using a stand mixer bowl (or a large bowl), beat together granulated sugar and butter on high speed until pale and fluffy, approximately 5 minutes. Add the eggs in one at a time and beat until combined. Mix in the vanilla. Reduce the speed to low and add flour in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of sour cream. Ensure the batter is well combined. Scrape down the sides with a silicone spatula if needed.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake the cakes on the baking rack for approximately 60 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean. Be careful that the cakes don’t brown too quickly- I tented the cakes loosely with tin foil halfway through to minimize browning.
6. While the cakes are cooking, make your candied lemon slices and syrup. In a medium saucepan, mix together the granulated sugar and water, and bring to a boil until the sugar is dissolved. Then add in the lemon slices, trying to minimize overlapping where possible. Reduce the heat to bring the mixture to a simmer. Cook for approximately 35 minutes, swirling the mixture in the pan occasionally; the slices should be translucent. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the lemons to a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Using wax paper will ensure that the lemons retain the lovely syrup. If making the lemons the day before, let the lemons cool on the sheet, cover with plastic wrap and leave them out at room temperature. Make sure to keep the remaining sugar syrup, and add in the fresh lemon juice a bit at a time until you are satisfied with the taste. You don’t want the syrup to be too sour!
7. Once finished, remove the cakes from the oven and move the pans to baking racks. With the cakes still in their pans, poke a few holes in the tops of the cake using a toothpick. Set aside ¼ cup of the lemon syrup and pour the rest over both of the cakes. Let the cakes cool completely in their pans for approximately two hours, while soaking up the syrup. Once cool, place a parchment lined baking tray below the cakes and remove the cakes from their pans.
8. Brush the remaining syrup on the cakes. Any additional syrup will drip on the pans. If the ends of the cakes are shorter, use less syrup to ensure a more consistent level of sweetness inside the cakes.  Let the cakes absorb the syrup for at least 15 minutes.
9. Make the glaze. Whisk together the confectioner’s sugar and 4 tablespoons of lemon juice in a small bowl. Add additional lemon juice as required until the glaze is thick but easy to pour. If the glaze is too thin it will dry slightly transparent. Let the glaze set for approximately 30 minutes and garnish with the lemon slices.

Serve with tea and enjoy!