My culinary throwdown: Breadfruit!

Late last month I was doing my Sunday morning Farmers’ Market run when I found breadfruit on the table of one of the regular vendors. I got really excited and stopped in my tracks. It was the first time that I can recall seeing breadfruit for sale, although I see a couple of trees here and there, and read an article in the Advertiser about 5 years ago now about cooking with it. I love breadfruit, except I don’t really know how to cook it. If I cooked it successfully while on my own in St. Lucia, I sure don’t remember how I did it. I stared at it for a minute, and then challenged myself to a culinary battle a la Iron Chef. Cook that breadfruit!
I didn’t have a clue what breadfruit was until my Peace Corps time. After all these years, I still can’t believe my luck. I was randomly picked to stay with one of the best families on the island for eight weeks and Tidou, my homestay mom, was one of the best cooks on the island. True! Her sons proudly told me this, and it was later backed up by friends who loved her cooking, too. But the real proof of course, was getting to sample her food. Let’s just say that to this day I still miss it! (One of my other favorite culinary experiences? The Rasta shack on the road by Castries Harbor. 100% vegetarian and infused with Jamaican and Caribbean flavor. My my, I’m swooning just thinking about it. Oh to have been blogging back then – I would have pictures to share.)
I stumbled upon a Hawaiian produce magazine online that had a breadfruit article. Here’s something interesting about breadfruit ('ulu) history in the West Indies: History buffs will recall that the HMS Bounty was transporting ‘ulu from Tahiti when Captain Bligh’s crew, upset with conditions on the ship and unhappy about playing second fiddle to the 1,015 plants that crowded the vessel, staged the famous mutiny. Less well-known is that Bligh was commissioned to collect ‘ulu a second time and successfully introduced almost 700 trees to the West Indies in 1793.
Back to my challenge. I brought the breadfruit back home and put it on the counter for a few days. When I got around to cutting it open, it was soft and mushy. Not at all like I remember it. This wasn’t starting off well. I looked at a few Internet recipes and decided I would peel, cut into large cubes, and boil for 15 minutes like potatoes. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Challenge result? Fail. My cooked breadfruit was gooey, starchy, and barely edible. Not at all like the “al dente” breadfruit that I remember in stews and as side dishes. Through Facebook, I’ve been able to reconnect with my homestay family. I think I need to ask Tidou for a few of her recipes. Or just go visit and never leave her side while she cooks.

Pizza night

Friday nights are usually pizza nights here. But oh no, no - NOT a cardboard delivery! This is what I made for myself last night: homemade dough, marinara sauce, fresh mozzarella, local Roma tomatoes, and basil. I baked it deep-dish style in an 8-inch round cake pan. For the boys, I make a standard size, thin crust cheese pie. Thankfully they like my pizza, unlike some of my other vegan/vegetarian fare I try to get them to eat. (We're making progress though! Robbie likes my vegan pesto on spaghetti.) I use a bread machine I received as a Christmas gift in 1994 for the dough. So they do make some things "like they used to" after all.

Poor Boo

This was our big-little girl Brady (Brady-girl, Brady-boo, or Noel's fave nickname for her: Chumba Rumba), one week ago tonight. She was not doing well. After an expensive day at the vet on Wednesday, we were told that she had a strained neck and to keep her on "crate rest." Well, crate rest wasn't going to work, but she usually managed to find a corner to herself and stay pretty immobile on her own. I was really sad to find her here on Friday night, in the bathroom closest to the sliding glass door. I think she was looking for refuge from the boys and the noise, and couldn't get very far. On Saturday morning she woke me up barking like a seal, within inches of my ears. You can't get mad at her...she was just in a lot of pain.
A follow-up call from the doctor on Sunday revealed to us that an another technician looked at her x-rays and thought she might have a slight herniated disk. (I think. I normally need these updates in writing...or to write them down...to get them right. I was running out the door and didn't grab a pen.) Ouch! Not good...and can potentially get worse, yes?
I'm happy to report she rebounded quickly after we got a couple of days of pain meds and prednisone in her and is now doing well. Along with her neck strain, her chronic eye and ear problems flared up, but with a lot of attention we can get those under control. She is high maintenance! Good thing she's so sweet and much loved.

It's official!

Robbie started kindergarten today! We went in late last week to meet his new teacher and drop off school supplies. I think it helped this morning's hand-off go very smoothly. He knew where to sit, plus without any other kids around, the teacher
was able to accommodate his request to have a red pencil caddy at his desk. They have short days all week, then next week will begin the full 7:45 to 2:00 PM days.
We tried to think of something fun to do this weekend to celebrate the milestone, or his last weekend of freedom, whichever way you want to look at it, but drew blanks and just spent a late Sunday afternoon at the pool.
Teachers request that all supplies brought in are labeled, even each individual crayon. Here's what else we did this weekend!
I'm not the first, nor will be the last to say this, but the transition from pre-school to K might be harder on the parents. His teacher sent home a few more notes in the backpack that weren't covered in orientation, including this: If your child does not know how to tie shoelaces, have him/her wear shoes with Velcro. Teachers do not have time to tie children's shoelaces throughout the day.
Harsh new world.

Waikiki Pano done not-quite right

I'm relaxing in Waikiki today, enjoying "Mangoes at the Moana." It's a mango-themed event, with everything from fruit sampling and cooking demonstrations to sessions about growing mango trees in your backyard (note: it's a lot about the pruning!). Stepped outside the Moana Surfrider Hotel during a break to snap this Pano picture. Makes Waikiki look kind of like a bay and you can't make out the very crowded surf break. Not so good. But can't fault the colors. The blues are accurate. Makes you want to dive right in.

Hawaiian Monk Seals on the web

I think everyone can guess that I read Monk Seal Mania pretty religiously. If you haven't clicked through yet, I urge you to! A great daily read. :) Here's another good read: An Earthsky link to an online story (found through the monk seal blog) that provides a quick, clear summary of what is happening with the Monk Seal populations in the main Hawaiian islands as well as the Northwest Hawaiian islands. It also touches on the volunteer efforts to work with local and tourist beach goers to keep the seals protected.
This picture is one from my personal archive, err, iPhone Media Library. Poipu Beach, Kauai, back in March.

Family Sunday fun day

OK, so I know I'm not alone in the world in enjoying getting up early on a Sunday morning and going to the Farmer's Market. But I'm alone in my own family! I was going to make my usual run to Mililani and pick up our produce for the week (and be back by the time Noel and the boys stirred) but Noel and the boys wanted to come along. So we chose a market destination I've been meaning to check out - the Haleiwa Farmer's Market on the North Shore. And good news for us- this market opens a little later, and stays open until after lunch so we weren't so hurried. I checked out their website on Saturday night and decided to give it a try. Honestly, they had me with the picture of the carrots! I had to go and try to find them. I'd make the drive every Sunday if they had carrots!
Noel warned me it might not be as good as Mililiani in terms of produce vendors, variety, and volume. He didn't want me to be disappointed. It's probably for the best he tried to lower my expectations, but it was still pretty good. I couldn't find those elusive carrots, but I did manage to buy enough that I needed to make a run to the car mid-shopping and unload my heavy bags before continuing. I especially liked these onions with the "tops" still attached. I will say I haven't seen that in Mililani. One vendor mistook me for a tourist. "This is the best pineapple you will ever have!" Oh trust me, I know.