Tonight’s dinner is a sorta carbonara with crab and bacon. Sautee onions and garlic in butter, add crab and bacon, italian seasonings and then parmesan cheese. Some people add lemon and parsley. I sometimes make it with a ricotta sauce. Tonight, it’s a lighter sauce. Well more of a topping for pasta. Toss it all together if you want and serve. Or you can pile it on top of the pasta and just eat. Whichever you feel like.

Now my mother grew up poor, a child of cane field labourers in Hawai’i. It’s not a bad life but it is one of sacrifices made by families and stretching of food to feed a huge family. It also means growing up around a diverse cultural mix, which then of course means different types of foods. I’m not sure where this one came from but it was a standard in my mom’s kitchen. We all make a version of this. Usually it has more egg but can have bread crumbs. It tastes bests with green onions and well, ketchup.

Do NOT JUDGE THE KETCHUP. It’s one of the few things I eat with ketchup. *grins* And of course, rice. *grins*

Canned salmon, green onions, garlic, salt and pepper, beaten eggs and bread crumbs to firm up the patties if you want them to be more patties than omelettes.

This is a variation of Italian Sausage and Peppers. I use merlot to deglaze the pan after browning the sausage, onions and garlic. Served over bucatini. Parmesan cheese to thicken and finish.

That’s one of Neko’s “babies” behind my dish.

 

I come from a complex and mingled cultural stew. Being a poi dog / hapa kid, various ethnicities are fairly strongly represented in my family. One of these is Portuguese.

There are several Portuguese varieties, each coming from different regions. My grandmother’s family is Northern Portuguese (more Gallic) where as my grandfather’s side is Southern, more Moroccan influenced. Add to that mix, the Asian and Hawaiian and sometimes you get a food variance that is well… unique.

Hawaiian Style Portuguese Sausage is one of these. Like the mainland Portuguese sausage, it’s made of pig’s blood but the spices are a bit stronger, with more garlic and a hefty dose of all-spice. Oh, and my mother has a very heavy hand with the Hawaiian Tabasco peppers so it’s pretty hot.

But it’s a taste of home. It reminds me of a very simple time sitting with my grandfather and his cronies as they drank beer in the pavilion of Kaiwiki Park. So today, I share with you a piece of my childhood and culture.

A Mixed Grill of Steak and Grilled Lamb with a side of Brussels Sprouts. (The butter hasn’t melted on the sprouts yet).

Made s’mores last night for dessert. Don’t mind my screen saver. Can’t eat more than one of these. But damn I love burnt marshmallows.

Tonight’s Dinner: Cornstarch dredged tilapia (garlic, pepper, salt, italian seasoning), rice with shiso furikake, peas & carrots.

Leftover steak, onions, garlic, broccoli, shoyu over rice.

Comfort food.  Sorta.

I used to make these for my Grandpa. I was 6 or 7 when I first made him these. Before then, well, I had a failed omelette. With everything he liked… green onions, ham, cheese, hot cocoa powder, coffee (grounds) and ketchup.

I’ve gotten a little better since then.

Damned if he didn’t eat it though. THAT’S how you know your grandfather loves you.

Mind you, I also made him coffee. THAT came out much better. I might have put too much sugar in it. I can’t remember.

Tonight’s Dinner: Ramen, miso and shrimp broth, gobo tempura fishcake, tamago (egg omelette.