Broiled Shrimp with Watercress Salad

Broiled Shrimp:
I got this recipe from a skycap while working for the airlines in the 1980's. A simple recipe from a simpler time.

Shrimp (larger is better)
Wine
Garlic powder
Mayonnaise
Paprika

1. Cut the back of the shrimp to devein, but keep the shell on.
2. Allow the shrimp to sit in a little bit of wine while you get out the other ingredients.
3. Using your fingers, spread open the shrimp shell where the vein was removed on the back of the shrimp. Shake some garlic powder into the space. Add some mayo over the garlic powder. Shake some paprika over the mayo.
4. Close the shell a little and place shrimps on a foil-lined baking pan.
5. Broil the shrimps until pink then turn them over to broil the other side. Be careful or the mayo will fall out of the shrimp.


Watercress Salad:
This lemony dressing goes well with the shrimp.

3 cups watercress leaves/small stems (loosely packed)
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 tsp Hawaiian salt
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Black pepper
Parmesan cheese

1. Crush the garlic with the salt in a large bowl.
2. Add lemon juice.
3. Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the bowl while wisking with a fork to combine the ingredients.
4. Add the watercress and toss to lightly coat leaves with the dressing. 
5. Top each serving with black pepper and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Variation: Add chopped tomatoes or garbanzo beans to the salad.

 

Hawaiian Sweet Bread Pudding

My fav niece, Corinne, shared this easy bread pudding recipe that uses Hawaiian-style sweet bread. This dessert doesn't need a sauce because it is so creamy.

1 round loaf King's Hawaiian sweet bread (16 oz)

1 stick butter (half cup)

2 cups milk

5 eggs, beaten

1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar

1 can Comstock apple slices

1/2 cup raisins

Cinnamon to taste

1. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Optional: Line the greased pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper, too. You can use a light coat of cooking spray, but I just wipe the pan with the butter wrapper.

2. Pinch the sweet bread into one inch pieces directly into the pan. Add the apples and raisins.

3. Scald the milk on the stove or microwave. Add the sugar and melted butter. Stir until sugar is melted. Allow to cool.

4. Add the beaten eggs to the cooled milk mixture.

5. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread, apples, and raisins. You might have to stir it a bit to ensure all of the bread is coated.

6. Sprinkle cinnamon over the bread pudding to taste.

7. Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes and test for doneness with a toothpick. Bake for 10 more minutes if the bread pudding is too wet.

 

I cut the bread pudding into individual servings for a retirement mini-gathering for my dear friend, Elizabeth. I didn't know that she loves bread pudding!

Zippy's Vineyard is Open

After a 5-month renovation, Zippy's on Vineyard Boulevard has reopened. This location is open 24/7 and is especially convenient for those who work in downtown Honolulu.

The biggest change is the expanded take-out area, which now also houses the Napoleon Bakery counter. The service counter, lighting, and seating area are all new. Additional booths were added where the unused glass display cases used to be. The space is much more inviting and no longer looks like a haven for the downtrodden and disenfranchised.

The full service dining room has also been refreshed with new overhead lighting, fresh paint, new seating and tables. Gone are the dark wood trim and dusty artificial flowers that used to hang over the servers' prep station. It's great to see that most of the wait staff have returned, including Nancy and Jean. Thankfully, the restrooms were also completely renovated with brand new everything.

Zippy's Restaurant

59 North Vineyard Boulevard

Honolulu, Hawaii 96817

Phone: (808) 532-4211

www.zippys.com

New take-out area with bakery counter on the right

 

Take-out seating area



New exterior

Entrance area of the dining room



Some areas of the dining room didn't get new flooring

Karen's Chicken Karaage

- 6 chicken thighs, deboned and cut into two-inch pieces
- Canola oil for frying

Quick Marinade:
- 1/2 Cup Aloha Shoyu (soy sauce)
- 1/4 Cup sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, crushed
- 1 clove garlic, crushed
- 1/4 Cup green onions, sliced 

Coating:
- 2 Cups flour 
- 1/2 tsp black pepper 

1. Combine marinade ingredients and add deboned chicken pieces.
2. Pour the flour and pepper into a ziplock bag (gallon size).
3. Heat the oil in a frying pan. (Use enough oil so the chicken pieces are halfway submerged when frying.)
4. Remove a third of the chicken pieces from the marinade and add to the plastic bag. Shake the bag to coat the pieces with the flour. Shake off excess flour from each piece before adding the chicken to the hot oil. 
5. Repeat the steps in #4 above for the rest of the chicken pieces. Don't leave the pan unattended because the pieces will cook quickly. Keep turning the chicken until golden brown and crispy. Turn down the heat a little if the chicken browns too quickly.

Place cooked chicken on paper towels to drain. Serves 3-4

Highway Inn Kakaako is Open!

Craving ono Hawaiian (and local) food? Family-owned Highway Inn has finally opened their Kakaako location for lunch service! A long time institution in Waipahu, the Toguchi family has operated Highway Inn for three generations to the delight of Leeward Oahu residents. Hawaiian and local dishes made from scratch (and by memory) are now also readily available to those who live and work downtown.

My husband and Daughter #1 accompanied me for lunch today at Highway Inn Kakaako at the former location of Little George's Mustache on Ala Moana Boulevard. The décor is new but has an "old" feel with picnic bench seating and a few barstools at the counter. We sat at the counter and looked at the menu, which was a printed on a sheet of paper attached to a clipboard. The selections are a little different from the Waipahu location, but the same Combination Plates that Highway Inn is known for are on the menu. However, I was sad that my favorite Hamburger Steak plate didn't make it. (Refer to my June 2013 post about Highway Inn's original location in Waipahu.)

Both my husband and daughter ordered the Stew Combination Plate which included stew, poi (or rice), pipikaula, lomi salmon (or macaroni/potato salad), and haupia. I ordered the Fried Fresh Fish, which was a whole fried akule (about 7 inches long) with rice and macaroni/potato salad. The fish was indeed fresh, lightly fried and lightly salted. It was delicious, but akule is a very bony fish so I had to pull out the bones with my fingers. Not a problem, though, because this restaurant is very casual. I even licked my fingers between bites as I ate my food from a take-out container.

The restaurant's busy, open-format kitchen is in full view of diners as well as the take-out counter on the side of the dining room. Our entire bill came to less than $37.00 - not bad at all! Breakfast service will begin on November 4th with dinner service starting November 11th. Call ahead for the restaurant's hours or just to listen to their hilarious phone recording. Highway Inn also offers island-wide catering service from their Waipahu location.

Highway Inn - Kakaako

680 Ala Moana Boulevard #105

Honolulu, HI 96813

Ph: (808) 954-4955

www.myhighwayinn.com

Stew Combination Plate

 

Fried Akule

 

Counter seating in the Dining Room

  

Take-Out Counter

Review: Candy Art Hawaii

I heard that there is a local company that will create custom lollipops out of sugar right in front of your eyes. I was thrilled to find that Candy Art Hawaii had a vendor table at the Downtown Decadence fundraiser at the YWCA last night.

 

Trained in Japan, candy artists Nathan and Chika have mastered the art of molding hot melted sugar to create "amezaiku" - traditional Japanese candy art. For a modest donation of $5, event attendees selected an animal shape and color from a list and watched while the candy artist created custom-made lollipops.

 

My husband was intrigued as he watched Nathan create a yellow cat for me out of a hot, shiny, ball of melted sugar. He asked Nathan and Chika for a butterfly and a dragon for our daughters. As Nathan rolled the hot candy between his palms, he shared that Candy Art Hawaii is often hired for small parties and events such as children's birthday parties.

 

Once the sculpture is created and placed on a pop stick, it is hung upside down for a few minutes to cool. Each lollipop is then carefully placed in a clear cellophane. I must admit that I was tempted to remove the cellophane to get a taste of my cute little candy cat. Nathan said that most children forgo the cellophane and eat their candy art as soon as it's handed to them.

 

Check out their website at www.candyarthawaii.com or contact Nathan and Chika at candyarthawaii@gmail.com.

 

Review: Kit n Kitchen - Pearl City

I just happened to notice a small sign advertising Kit n Kitchen's Pearl City location on the back of a new-ish building near Walmart. My husband was happy to have another dining venue on the Leeward side and was eager to try it. Parking was a bit tight at the small strip mall that also houses a Starbucks. We parked at the far end of the Walmart parking lot instead and walked the short distance to Kit n Kitchen.

There used to be a Mexican bar/restaurant at this location and Kit n Kitchen kept the dark tables and dark interior. Despite this, the interior was nicely decorated including a brightly painted wall over the bar. Iced water was served in nostalgic metal cups. I haven't seen those since the 1960's. I didn't even look at the regular menu because the lunch specials seemed enticing. For $9.99, you have a choice of a half dozen dishes including Chicken Chimichurri, Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs, or Mixed Mushrooms Spaghetti with a choice of tomato veggie soup or house salad.

My husband ordered the Chicken Chimichurri with rice (he was given a choice of rice or spaghetti). The regular price for this dish without the salad is $10.95. I had a hard time deciding between the Spaghetti with Homemade Meatballs and the Mix Mushrooms Spaghetti. I opted for the later prepared with oil and garlic instead of tomato sauce, cream sauce, or creamy pesto sauce. It was nice to have a choice of sauces for my entrée. We both opted for the house salad with Caesar dressing.

The house salad is the same salad that is served at their university location, comprised of carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, daikon sticks, and canned corn on lettuce. (Unique, for sure!) Both of our entrees were topped with toasted garlic bits, which was too strong for my husband's taste, but I loved it! I thought the chimichurri sauce was outstanding, but it was bit too spicy for my husband. I kept picking at his food to "help" him finish his dish.

My dish was a huge portion of shiitake, button, and enoki mushrooms over spaghetti. I was afraid the garlic oil would be too rich, but there was a lot of liquid from the mushrooms to dilute the oil. It would have been nice to have some Parmesan cheese to sprinkle over my pasta, but the waiter seemed to be relatively new and didn't check back until we were nearly done eating. The regular price for this dish without the salad is $11.95. Our entire bill for our two-course lunch with table service in an air conditioned restaurant was $20.83. Not bad!

The restaurant has only been open for a couple of months, but there seemed to be a steady, although light, stream of customers while we were there. The Pearl City location is open for lunch and dinner, 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily.

Kit n Kitchen
1029 Makolu Street
Pearl City, Hawaii 96782
Ph: (808) 294-5888
http://www.kitnkitchen.com/

House Salad

Chicken Chimichurri on rice

Mix Mushrooms Spaghetti

Interior shot

 



Kit n Kitchen Pearl City is located next to Starbucks