It took forever to grow from seed, but there is finally some things that resemble broccoli appearing in our garden.
This is our first attempt at growing the kids favorite vegetable, so I hope to continue seeing more buds show up and getting it to the dinner table.
I’ll keep you posted.
So what the heck does a guy who enjoys pork belly, a good steak, chocolate, and a cold beer know about good health? That’s a legitimate question and one I asked myself as I was invited to join the HONOLULU Family team of bloggers a couple weeks ago. What could I really bring to the table? What could I share that other families would care about? Afterall, I’m not a gym rat, not as athletic as I once was in high school and college, and not nearly as active outdoors as one who lives in Hawaii should be.
But all of that aside, and after consulting Kelly and some friends, I decided to accept the challenge of writing the weekly Good Health blog for the magazine’s website. Why? After really thinking about it, good health has many different meanings. It not only has to do with eating smart and physical activity, but also mental and emotional well-being. All things that we as a young family are dealing with and striving to get better at on a daily basis.
Going back to the original question, “what the heck do I know about good health?” Well, you’ll have to read along each week to find out. I’ll be sharing personal stories and experiences about our home garden, eating sensibly, keeping the kids (and ourselves) active and mentally stimulated, and practicing good hygiene to name a few things. I’ll also be reaching out to family and friends and interviewing them about their tips and best practices for all things related to good health.
Needless to say, I’m excited and humbled to have this opportunity. But even more excited for the chance to learn from others along the way on this journey. I appreciate your honest feedback offline, comments online, and support!
Here we go!
“Dad, my favorite tonight was the spaghetti…it was so delicious!,” exclaimed Ensen, my 5-year-old son, following our family dinner at PRIMA in Kailua this past Friday. This statement came after he devoured two slices of heavenly prosciutto rucola pizza which I thought for sure was going to be his choice of the night. But I should have anticipated this answer since he ate close to half the bowl himself. And after having this twice now at PRIMA, I don’t blame him. It’s one of my favorite dishes on the menu.
Why? For one, porky guanciale never hurts to be included in any dish as far as I’m concerned. But the perfectly cooked pasta tossed in a rich and flavorful tomato sauce with a little red onions and guanciale (did I already mention this?) is the kind of dish that wraps its arms…err…noodles around you and makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It’s “broke da mout,” elevated Italian comfort food with a local twist that one can enjoy in a casual setting while wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and slippers. A great neighborhood spot for a quality meal where you can bring the kids (our 2-year-old Avery enjoyed as well) and have a great experience.
Built by chefs/owners Alejandro “Aker” Briceno and Lindsey Ozawa, PRIMA has been getting a lot of well deserved attention since it opened last September. Yes, they source most of their ingredients locally. Yes, they take pride in working with local farmers and ranchers. But the main priority of the team, including Chef de Cuisine Kevin Lee, is putting delicious, creative, and well-executed food on the table for customers to enjoy. And they do that exceptionally well with handmade pastas and ravioli, arguably the best kiawed fire pizzas on on the island, via their treatment of vegetables like Brussels spouts and broccoli, and what I consider “mad-scientist” approach to their flavors of sorbetto and gelato. Here’s a few other dishes from our meal that night.
Tandoori Pear – yogurt, grapefruit, cilantro, mint
Spicy Poke Bowl Soup – congee, spicy ahi and tako
Monchong - local vegetables
Roasted Brocolli - prosciutto, bordelaise
So, the next time you’re in Kailua town, consider stopping at PRIMA Kailua for dinner. They’re located in the strip mall off Hekili Street that’s also home to Big City Diner, Foodland, and Baskin-Robbins. As their website suggests, it is quite “A Dining Experience!”
PRIMA
108 Hekili Street, #108 (next to Baskin-Robbins)
Kailua, HI 96734
Phone: 808-888-8933
Hours: Monday – Sunday, 5-10 p.m.
Follow them on Twitter and Facebook
Make reservations on OpenTable
Happy Friday the 13th. May today be less scary than the day our family encountered this situation in the old Don Quijote in Kailua a couple years ago. Simply terrifying!
Remember kids (and mature adults) don’t do crack in private and especially not in public.
Have a great day!
If you’re a sucker for boiled peanuts like I am, then you’ll love the giant, juicy, and flavorful ones from Patty’s Peanuts. I discovered them by chance after we moved to Pearl City and visited the Momilani Farmers Market (at Momilani Community Center on Fridays from 3-7 p.m.). I bought a couple of bags of the giant sized boiled peanuts (she also sells the regular size, dried and soy beans in various flavors) for $5 each. As soon as she handed them to me, I could smell a strong aroma of star anise permeating the bag and it was evident these things were gonna be juicy.
We dove into a bag as soon as we got home. As I cracked open a shell, the cooking juice came running out and in front of me were three perfectly cooked, succulent, and incredibly delicious peanuts ready to be devoured. It was a pretty memorable first bite. The peanut as a slight crunch and a salty, anise flavor just as I had anticipated. It paired perfectly with my cold beer.
If you have a chance to get some of Patty’s Nuts and Beans, I highly recommend it. A quick search on Google revealed no other information about the business or other locations which she sells these delicious legumes. Best bet is to call the number in the photo below or come on down to the Momilani Farmers Market held every Friday.
These days, I’ll take any advantage I can get when it comes to growing veggies and fruits in our home garden. So when I came across this Jiffy Greenhouse kit (pictured above) at Walmart on Sunday, I stopped to read more.
Directions: Simply add water to expand the peat pellets, then sow the seeds you want to grow, cover and place indoors out of direct sunlight, and wait for sprouts to appear. I tossed in some cantaloupe, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, cilantro and broccoli seeds, then crossed my fingers. Seemed simple enough to me, but would it work?
YES! And efficiently. In just a two days, the seeds started to sprout.
And two days after that, nearly all had emerged from the peat.
So stay tuned for what happens next. Hopefully these seedlings continue to grow positively to the point where I can put them all in the ground outside.
Grow baby, grow!!
Always a good time and now held at one of the most beautiful locations on Oahu. Just going to Kualoa Ranch itself is a treat. Have a great time!
Update 7/29/12:
Got confirmation from former He’eia Kea Pier General Store and Deli Chef Mark Noguchi that the pier will be featured on the Monday, August 6 episode of DDD.
Update 7/30/12:
Saw Camille Komine, chef/owner of Camille’s on Wheels, post to Facebook that she’ll be featured on the Monday, July 30 episode of DDD titled “Coast to Coast Chow. There’s also a viewing party at The Grove in Kailua at 7 p.m. Get out and support!!
I was excited to read in Erika Engle’s column (Honolulu Star-Advertiser) today that Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives with Guy Fieri will be featuring Oahu’s Jawaiian Irie Jerk Restaurant in tonight’s episode “Dynamic Dishes.” Not because of the food since I’ve never been there. But because I’m a fan of the show with a soft spot for seeing anything Hawaii featured on national television. What can I say, it’s the destination marketing/PR guy in me.
The article mentions the other Oahu restaurant locations are top secret, but those following The Match Cut Crew production company on Twitter during their time here know exactly where they filmed. The crew would tweet the location after wrapping. I won’t spoil the surprise entirely, so go back to their April tweets if your curious. They did manage to get to one of my favorites, Heeia Kea Pier General Store and Deli. I was fortunate enough to be invited by my pal chef/owner Mark “Gooch” Noguchi to be one of the “fake customers” and got to meet Guy. Cool stuff.
Hats off to the Oahu Visitors Bureau and my PR colleagues at Stryker Weiner and Yokota Public Relations for getting Guy back to the islands to explore more of the diverse culinary offerings Hawaii has to offer. It’s great inspiration for travelers heading this way. It’s great for the destination. And it’s really great for the small businesses that reap the benefits of the priceless exposure. I’ve heard from others who have been on the show that business goes through the roof once they are seen on Triple D. The brand is strong!
Okay, and I saw them pull into Fresh Catch in Kaneohe right after they finished up at Heeia Pier. But that’s all I’m telling you.
Check your local listings and enjoy the show!
