Ripe noni is soft and translucent. Daniel Lane photo
Noni fruit is a medicinal food that Polynesians have been using for centuries. In fact, it was so highly prized by the original settlers about 2,000 years ago, they brought it with them when they homesteaded in Hawaii. Noni is one of 24 plants brought to the islands, and these plants are known as canoe crops. Continue Reading →
Kendra Thornton’s Maui Onion and Sesame Seed Crusted and Seared Ahi. Kendra Thornton photo.
Kendra Thornton is the former director of communications for Orbitz. The long time travel expert has been traveling the world since she was three months old. “My passion for travel is only eclipsed by my passion for my three beautiful children,” she says. She’s been lucky to combine the two, and is often featured as an expert in family, luxury and adventure travel for FOX News, ABC, CBS, NBC, and CW networks.
Thornton has been to 28 countries on six continents, and has been quoted in the news about seasonal travel trends and destinations all over the United States. Now stepping out of the corporate spotlight she’s taking on her role of being a mother and wife where she mixes her passion for travel with the taste of authentic cuisine. After a vacation to Hawaii, Thornton was inspired to create this recipe, which she has generously shared with Tasting Kauai. Continue Reading →
Fresh kumquats from the Kapaa farmers market.
Kauai is fortunate to have an open farmers market 365 days a year. There are a lot of exotic fruit stalls at the farmers market in Kapaa. One fall day, I bought a huge bag of bright orange, golf-ball sized kumquats and made this recipe. Their sour tang is softened, and replaced by a bright, sweet orange flavor. You can use them in salads, on roasted pork, grilled chicken, in oatmeal, over creamy goat cheese, cheesecake, chocolate ice cream or enjoy them on their own.
4 cups of roughly chopped kumquats, roughly 1 pound
1 cup of water
2 cups of sugar
This recipe for candied kumquats will fill a 1-quart mason jar.
With a pairing knife, cut kumquats lengthwise. Discard any seeds that are easy to get to. They’re edible so don’t worry if you don’t get them all. Leave small kumquats whole.
Heat water and sugar over high heat until it comes to a boil. Simmer for 4 minutes. Add the kumquats and simmer for 10 minutes.
Drain kumquats through a sieve set over a small pot. Simmer syrup for 5 minutes to reduce. Add the kumquats and syrup to a jar and refrigerate. Can be stored for up to two months.
Opah and Apple Banana en Papillote. Daniel Lane photo
When I reviewed the cookbook, A Splash of Aloha: A Healthy Guide to Hawaiian Seafood, I decided to make a recipe that uses apple bananas. They are abundant in Hawaii, and everyone always seems to have a lot of them. There are so many, people with trees are only too happy to give away a hand, which includes about 20 bananas! I thought this would be a refreshing use of the firm, sweet bananas, which are usually folded into banana bread. This recipe is a little fussy because you layer the bananas on a ti leaf, place this fish on top, and fold it in parchment paper. It’s worth the trouble!
Opah, also knows as moonfish, has firm, flakey, white flesh and a flavorful and juicy bite. The high fat content makes it good for many cooking techniques including raw, sautéed, baked, grilled, or steamed such as in this recipe. Serves 4. Continue Reading →
Ahi Poke Burger with Wasabi Guacamole on Passion Bakery taro buns. Daniel Lane photo
When I reviewed the cookbook, A Splash of Aloha: A Healthy Guide to Hawaiian Seafood, I had to make a recipe using ahi. It’s the most popular fish here! I sent Dan to Passion Bakery for their soft, fat taro buns and got to work. The result is a delicious burger that’s tender and juicy. I didn’t have sesame seeds on hand so I used panko which makes an OK substitute. There is a whisper of heat in the Wasabi Guacamole, so add more if you like it hot! Serves 4.
The best Hawaiian Ahi, or tuna, is yellowfin or big-eye. Yellowfin’s flesh is a deep red color naturally, (a section in the cookbook goes over the practice of treating ahi with carbon monoxide to preserve and enhance the color in fish that is to be frozen), and turns light grey when it cooks. Big-eye tuna has more fat than yellowfin, and the best quality is found in Hawaii, especially during the winer season. Continue Reading →
