The Garden Lately

Cherry Tomatoes are in full swing! They grow in clusters of 5 or 6 and veeerrrry slooowly ripen into a bright red color. Nature’s rainbow:

Fresh picked Manoa lettuce and tomatoes will garnish a potato salad tonight.

The basil… has… won. No amount of caprese salad or pesto sauce can help me now. I… give… up.

‘Ama ‘Ama at Aulani Resort

On a recent outing to Ko Olina, we enjoyed lunch and a stroll through the impressive grounds of Disney’s newly built Aulani Resort. It’s no theme park, but with a waterpark-like pool area, cheery cast members and the occasional Mickey Mouse sighting, you can still feel a bit of Disney magic in the air.

‘Ama ‘Ama is a beachfront restaurant combining breathtaking views, a laid-back retro interior and standard but tastefully done menu offerings. As soon as you enter the restaurant, your eyes are guided straight through to the panoramic ocean blue:

For lunch we enjoyed a fun presentation of Kahuku Corn Chowder ($9.00): the potage is poured into a bowl over bacon powder, lomi salmon, and taro chips, to be stirred together.

Chargrilled Vegetable Sandwich ($12.00): portabello mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini on focaccia with basil aioli. Served with field greens.

Today’s Hawaiian Sustainable Catch (Fish) Tacos, $19.00, with slaw and salsa, served with sweet potato fries. This was refreshing and light, with fresh cilantro. The sweet potato fries were addictive.

Grilled Sirloin Steak ($24.00) with sauteed mushrooms and sweet potato fries.

Lilikoi Meringe Mousse with Caramelized Bananas ($10.00): this was delicious and just the right size!

Spacious Ko Olina Resort is a nice escape from the usual where you can experience a neighbor island feel without having to hop on  a plane. Whether you go for lunch or for the weekend, you’re sure to go home feeling refreshed and relaxed.

MENU: View the menus on their website
PARKING: Complimentary self-parking for up to 4 hours with dining validation (minimum $35.00 purchase)

‘Ama ‘Ama
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa
92-1185 Ali’inui Drive
Kapolei, HI 96707
808.674.6200

Breakfast 7:00a-11:00a
Lunch 11:30a-3:00p
Dinner 5:30p-10:00p

Beginner’s Bread

We eat a lot of bread. With a loaf of decent bread costing five, six dollars these days, it makes bread baking all the more gratifying. I have a go-to recipe that’s delicious as is, but also works as a great base to add mix-ins and toppings to like caramelized onions & mushrooms, cinnamon sugar & raisins, rosemary & parmesan, whatever. You can shape it as a loaf or cut into individual rolls.

What initially attracted me to this recipe was, well, its promising name: “Super Easy Bread for Beginners”. Well, I’m happy to report that it is indeed super easy and comes out great every time!

Click here for Super Easy Bread for Beginners Recipe from About.com

My notes:

• I always end up using about 3 and 1/2 cups flour total for a dough that’s not dry but doesn’t stick
• I don’t knead on the counter. I start with a large bowl and knead and punch right inside the bowl. It beats wiping up flour from all over the kitchen counter and floor.
• From start to finish when it goes in the baking pan, I only use the one bowl. When you don’t have a dishwasher, you learn to streamline.

My favorite kitchen gadget these days? My iPad. There’s no longer the need to go back and forth to the computer to double-check or print out recipes. The internet is a fantastic resource for inspirations and my iPad literally allows me to cook while consulting the internet. The bonus:  being able to Skype with my family while washing the dishes!