Category: Recipes

  • Popo’s Almond Cookies

    While delicious at any time of year, Chinese almond cookies are often made and shared during the Lunar New Year celebration. Symbolism plays an important role in the foods enjoyed during Chinese holidays; these round cookies are thought to resemble coins and signify wealth. Popo (grandma) made her Chinese almond cookies during other special occasions,…

  • A Labor of Love: Sweet & Sour Chicken

    This is one of my Grandma Goya’s recipes and one that my dad requests for Father’s Day or his birthday — it’s one of his favorite meals. My family loves eating this dish, as well. It is a labor of love because it takes a long time to make, but it sure is worth the…

  • Tennis Friends ‘Love’ This Spinach Salad

    This refreshing salad is so easy to make, especially when I bake the bacon in the oven. I usually double or triple the salad dressing recipe so there is plenty on hand for everyone to enjoy. While I can’t remember how I got this recipe, my family has enjoyed this salad for over 40 years.…

  • Homemade Matcha Mochi

    Matcha is a powdered green tea that is rich in antioxidant compounds due to its special cultivation method. Traditionally, the tea bushes are covered with bamboo mats to shade the leaves from direct sunlight, therefore producing higher amounts of amino acids, chlorophyll and theanine. Matcha is known for its vibrant color and unique, bitter taste.…

  • Shrimp, Cucumber & Avocado Salad

    A salad made with shrimp, cucumber and avocado is perfect for family gatherings because it’s delicious, hearty and makes even the pickiest of eaters smile.

  • Grandma’s Butter Crunch Jello Cream Cake

    My fondest memories of my late grandma, Shirley Ihara, are of watching her cook and bake in the kitchen. During the holidays, she would make her Butter Crunch Jello Cream Cake and it was one of my favorites. She actually taught me this recipe when I was a child, but I really didn’t make it…

  • Aloha Fried Rice

    Fried rice has long been a comfort food throughout the islands. Not only is this recipe a savvy way to repurpose leftover rice, it’s easy to dress up with vegetables and fresh pineapple. Serve it alongside meat or a hunk of grilled fish caught by one of our local fishermen, and you’ve got a Hawaiian…

  • Maui Sunset Lilikoi Bars

    There’s nothing better than sharing a perfect, tropical sunset with friends and family. The only thing that can enhance the experience further is sharing a favorite dessert. Here’s mine for Maui Sunset Lilikoi Bars.

  • Mom’s Date Cake – A 1945 Holiday Treat

    This satisfyingly sweet and moist cake makes up in 10 minutes and a small piece turns morning coffee or afternoon tea into a special occasion. At my home, the women sat down for tea before starting to cook the evening meal or when “the people” came to visit. Funny how a sweet treat triggers fond…

  • Crunchy ‘Ahi Toast

    This is a great appetizer because of its big, two-level crunch — first, the happy pop of the tobikko and then the satisfying crunch of the crostini. It’s perfect for afternoon gatherings with a favorite white wine or beer.

  • Mediterranean Roasted Veggie & Garbanzo Salad

    Mediterranean Roasted Veggie and Garbanzo Salad by Chef Michi from the August-September 2016 issue of Generations Magazine, Hawai‘i’s Resource for Life

  • Creamy, Lemony Pasta with Jumbo Shrimp

    A golden rule: no cheese with seafood in Italian cooking. But a little cheese does so well with this lemony cream sauce! Ingredients: 1 lb rigatoni or spaghetti, cooked 1 lb jumbo shrimp, deveined, shelled and baked Garlic salt to taste Juice and zest of two lemons 3/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup white wine…