Customs, Traditions and Celebrations - Local Style!

Customs, Traditions and Celebrations - Local Style!

Char Siu - some ono!

If you grew up Island style, your spring social calendar probably included:  New Years Day, Chinese New Years, Valentines Day, Mardi Gras, Shrove Tuesday, Girls Day, St. Patricks Day, Easter, Boys Day, May Day and so on.

While many of these dates have a cultural or religious significance, they also represent an opportunity to eat special foods and celebrate.  And no matter what your background is - if there's anything that brings us together - it's good food and kanikapila! 



Kalua Pig!



Baby Kaiona and Tutu Judy with her smash cake!

Chicken Long Rice

Recently, I had the honor to attend a baby luau for Kaiona Smith, the youngest of the Smith ohana of Jacksonville.  Proud parents Benjamin and Keawe hosted more than 100 guests to this very special event.  As a recap - in traditional Hawaiian times, infant mortality rate was quite high.  So for a child to reach their first year was quite an accomplishment and thus - the baby luau AKA, 'Aha Aina Piha Makahiki - Feast of the Fullness of the Year.


Spam Musubi

Poi

Lomi Salmon
 



Guava Chiffon and Chantilly Chocolate Cupcakes

In grand fashion, the food symbolized our melting pot culture - tossed and macaroni salad, spam musubi, assorted sushi, baked sweet potato, chicken long rice, lumpia, several kine baked chicken, paniolo smoked pork and ribs, char siu, poi, lomi salmon and kalua pig!  Of course we didn't forget dessert - can you say guava chiffon and Chantilly chocolate cupcakes just like the ones from Liliha Bakery?  How 'bout chocolate macadamia shortbread just like the ones from Big Island chocolates?  Suffice to say, elastic waistband pants were in order!  Mahalo to everyone who contributed - for the food, the decorations, the entertainment and mana'o (knowledge and wisdom). Check out the recipe tab for Tutu Judy Olmo's lomi salmon - she uses fresh salmon which she salts - brok' da mout! 


Who has room for dessert?

Noh forget on Saturday, Feb. 7 - the upcoming Ho'olaule'a in Fleming Island to benefit the Clay County Foodbank, being coordinated by Jet and Kristen Belleza and their extended ohana - bring some canned goods and a covered dish to share!

Ho'olaule'a to Support the Green Cove Springs Food Pantry!

Hauoli Makahiki Hou - Here's to the New Year and Starting it Off Right by Attending the Ho'olaule'a to Support the Green Cove Springs Food Pantry!

Mahalo to Jet, Kristin Belleza and their ohana (immediate and extended) for coordinating this!

 

Aloha Kakou! Come show your Aloha spirit & give back to the community!
We're hosting another Ho'olaule'a and show that will benefit The Food Pantry of Green Cove Springs for a great cause as we have done in the past. It will take place at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Sullivan Hall, 7190 Highway 17 in Fleming Island on Saturday, Feb. 7 from 11:00 a.m - 5:00 p.m.

 

The Food Pantry is a cooperative ministry supported by our church. Our goal is to provide emergency food for those in need in our area.

We welcome and honor musicians/singers and dancers to contribute and participate in our show. To sign up for the event, please visit their Facebook page: Ho'olaule'a (Gathering Celebration) for The Food Pantry.

 Please bring a potluck dish to share.

The cause is to benefit the food pantry by people bringing non-perishable goods/canned as a ticket for admission.

What To Collect:
The list of most needed items include the following:
Canned meats (Spam, beef stew, tuna, chicken)
Canned vegetables
Canned fruits
All boxed pastas
Peanut butter
Jelly
powdered milk
bulk rice and sugar

 

Okazuya Night!

It's countdown to Turkey Day and who wants to make a complicated mid-week meal?  With the overcast skies, nothing says comfort like Japanese okazuya style kaukau!  Whereever you grew up in Hawai'i  Nei - chances are there was a local Okazuya - or Japanese style take-out place nearby. The Okazuya grew out of the need to have freshly prepared food field workers could pick up first thing in the morning that could stay fresh and safe without refrigeration. Since many Japanese men came to Hawai'i without wives initially, some enterprising folks would wake up hours before dawn to prepare the meats, rice and vegetables for their obento (lunch box).
 


Salmon Tofu Patties w/lemon dill sauce
 

Tonight, I took a slight twist to some old faves - first salmon tofu patties - traditionally prepared with canned salmon, tofu, green onions and egg. I added some capers, dill and a touch of Dijon mustard.  On the side, I created a lemon dill dipping sauce made with a greek yogurt base.


Furikake Fried Tofu
 

Next - fried furikake tofu.  I first coated the tofu with mochiko (rice flour), dipped them in an egg/shoyu mixture, then tossed them in panko furikake crumbs and quickly pan fried them - ono!



Cook up some rice, add some pickled or stir-fried  veggies and you are all set! You can find these recipes on the recipes page - brok' da mout!

Netane Poly Pride - Performing for Polamalu Benefit Luau in Pittsburgh Tonight!

 

Several of our prolific FB ohana have been posting about a trip up to Pittsburgh for the Troy Polamalu Benefit Luau.  They're braving the cold, a plane ride with out food or beverage service and long practice hours - for no pay!  But according to Musician Extraordinaire Elika Kaiwi - it's all worth it - see his post below:

 

Aloha sis, no pilikea. I work for Netane Polynesian Production out of Orlando. We call ourselves the Hawaiian Rhythm. Fiji is performing as well as Spawn Breeze. This is our second performance for Troy Polamalu. The last time was in 2012. This is a benefit to support the children in Samoa to get supplies for sports and education. We are not getting paid for our performance or practice. We get travel room and board and meals. Honestly it's more of an honor to help support his cause, but meeting him in person and getting to jam again with him and Fiji after the event is awesome. Love and hugs, Elika

 

Here are a couple of links if you would like to kokua - mahalo to the Netane Ohana for supporting such a great cause! Polamalu Benefit Luau Make A Donation

Hoike Hawai'i Fall Workshop Starts Tomorrow

Aloha and Hauoli middle of the work-week!  I hope you took a moment yesterday to remember the brave men and women soldiers along with their ohana for the personal sacrifices they made to keep our country strong.

Still working out the kinks of this blog-stuff, so mahalo to all who provided helpful feedback.  I removed the galley of events...if anyone knows of a calendar of events gadget that I could add to this site, that would be very helpful!  And apologies to Mac - I couldn't find a way to re-orient the photo below!

In the meantime, the Hoike Hawai'i Fall Workshop starts tomorrow - you can register at the door.  If you've always dreamed of learning or improving your skills - this is the place to be.  And the kanikapila can't be beat!  If you're lucky - you might even find a manapua or local grindz - just remember to share! 

I''ll be posting some pics from the Makaha Sons and Friends concert that was held in the Villages.  A special mahalo to Dave and Mac Freeman for their underwriting of the concert, as well as all our Florida ohana who shared their talents thru-out the show!

http://www.hoikehawaii.com/

Hauoli Makahiki Season!

We made it to November - already?  Next thing you know it will be Christmas - then New Years...which means another year has gone - it's true what they say about getting older...time flies so much faster when you're going downhill!

The Hoike Hawai'i Fall Workshop is coming up - if you've never attended - you are missing out! Can't sing or dance - no problem - you just think you can't!  The kupuna who lead our classes are very patient and supportive. If you've always wanted to try your hand at traditional crafts, you can learn from a Master Craftsman.  In addition to founding Hoike, Uncle Hank Ohumukuni became a Master Craftsman after years of apprenticing.  We are so honored to have him sharing his mana'o with us.

Tonight is the Makaha Concert in the Villages - special kudos to Mac and Dave Freeman for underwriting and handling all the logistics for this event.  It will be a special evening.  For those attending - hope the traffic and weather are trouble-free! 

Ahui ho, hugs and aloha, lei