Bi-Coastal - It's a Way of Life

Well, I suppose I'm not really bi-coastal. I have lived on one of the Easternmost places in the United States, being New York City, and I now reside in one of the Westernmost places in the US: Maui, Hawaii. But I've never lived on the west coast

So, how long of a trip is it from point A to point B? These days it is only accomplished with a stop on the West Coast, but in the days when I could get a direct flight from Maui OGG to Newark EWR it took about 11 hours non-stop. Now it's approximately a 5 + 5 hour plus layover time (barring any hassles, delays, annoyances, layovers, connections, etc.) And for what it is worth: I leave today and arrive tomorrow... because I am going against the sun. So I leave on Tuesday the 19th and arrive on the 20th bright and early in the morning. Dad's gotta be at the airport to meet me when I land at 7:30 AM. Don't worry... he'll eat REALLY well when I am there.

So here's the final post from Hawaii before I leave.

Pineapple

Green New Zealand Clams with Candied Ginger, Kula Tomatoes, Scallions, Red Pepper Flakes and Reisling; Sourdough Toasts

Yellow Summer Squash stuffed with Beans, Corn, Scallions, Goat Cheese

and Sourdough Bread Crumbs

Fillet of Opah Oven Roasted with Kula Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Scallions; Red Pepper Flakes and Black Sea Salt finish, Balsamic Vinegar

Salad of Red Romaine, Cucumbers, Garden Tomatoes and Kalamata Olives

Mini Maui Cattle Company Burger, Yellow Tomato and Lettuce

Oven Baked Steak Fries

My Week

How do you define wonderful, extraordinary and incredible? I'm sure for each of us there are a multitude of words one would use to describe these individual ideas... or are they simply defined by the experience themselves?

For me, as far as my week was concerned, it would be the latter. I cannot put into words what would properly express that which I would like to convey...

Okay, I lied. I could. But I think as much as I shall convey the meaning of my week, it most certainly will be something that is going to be a part of me for a lifetime, in memory and experience.

To recap (and put into words):

The anticipation of my meeting with the Maui Food Tech Center at first filled me with trepidation and then ended with being incredibly refreshing. It's been a while since I ventured into new territory and this time it wasn't and new hobby, or an off shoot of something I was currently pursuing, but this is something that could possibly alter my life, and for that reason I was a bit anxious and, prior to the meeting, couldn't focus on anything more than cleaning and doing a bit of filing.

So, you think you want to get into the food business, eh? Do ya? YEAH I DO! A lot to consider, but if taken in stride, with the focus and attention it requires to get all the information and necessary licenses, permits, approvals, contacts, batches of sorbet and gumption it takes to make the prospect of marketing and selling my product to retail establishments and venues on the island   happen - I sure as hell will try my hardest to give it everything needed to, at the very least, try and make it concrete. With the added dose of reality check to make sure I don't run pell mell into it, of course.

The sample sale / garage sale was a success on all levels. Connecting with friends and securing relationships, check! New direction and approval on a new design collection, check! Making the proper contacts by being in the right place at the right time check! That week, a few weeks ago, where nothing seemed to go right is just a (laughable) memory now. Am I ready to rumble? CHECK!

Am I rambling? Check! So now, I'll allow images so hopefully express the unspoken portion of my life:

Three images from the jewelry and fabric sale this past weekend:

Keri's beautiful batiks and hand-dyed embroidery floss (with Keri's arm on the left)

Penny's display of miniature Hawaiian Shirts and hangings with her elaborate wire trees and earrings

My new bestest friend Dina having her coffee before the rush of shoppers at the sale (she had earrings and braided bracelets - like the ones on her wrist - and necklaces)

Progress Report

Pineapple

Buddha's Hand: Look at all the the blossoms!

Nasturtium Flowers from the garden which usually end up as garnish on my plates

Cherry tomatoes from wild tomato seeds

FOOD

Braised Baby Bok Choy

Dry Fried Noodles with Sizzled Garlic

Raw, Unhulled Sesame Seed Crusted Steelhead Salmon Fillet, Spicy Mayo

Grilled Artichoke with Shrimp Butter-Whole Grain Breadcrumbs

 Grilled Rosemary-and-Mint marinated Lamb Chops

Spice Rubbed Wild Marlin Fillet, Roasted Tomato Bread-and-Butter Pickle Tartar Sauce

Ratatouille

Cornbread Stuffing 

Previous Post 11 Days Thence

It's been a week and a half since I last posted, and I dislike it when I know I have done much since that time yet cannot seem to break it down into individual moments. It's all a great big blur.

The sun has just set behind a low-lying layer of clouds and the West Maui mountains. The sky is turning shades of coral, purple, lavender and steel blue-grey. It's the prefect time to write on the computer as it's just dark enough that there's no glare, yet still light enough to move about without any lights on.

Follow up to the Maui Ag Fest food competition is that I get two hours of consultation with a food specialist who'll go over the basics of what it takes to bring my sorbet to the marketplace. We're already planning on a couple of tastings at local retail establishments, with the hopes that the buyers might pick up my product and carry it in the frozen food section of their stores. I'm also coming up with a few flavors to introduce with the Mai Tai sorbet, and those fortunate enough to be coerced into being my guinea pigs will be eating a lot of ice cream and sorbet over the next few weeks. 

A new collection for Michael Miller has been approved, so there's new fabric in work, and I hope to soon be approving and merchandising the collections "Tiki-tini Lounge" and "North Shore" for the July release. As soon as I can, I'll be previewing them!

 A few images taken over the last week and a half, starting with the full moon Easter Sunday

 Free-range brown eggs; too nice in their natural shades not to show them hard-boiled before becoming an appetizer...

The lovely eggs turned into a tray of deviled eggs topped with furikake (dried seaweed, sesame seeds, bonito flakes and seasonings) with heirloom cherry tomatoes from Hana

 Wild raspberries from the garden; they have very tiny seeds and are fragrant - almost like jasmine - in flavor as opposed to berry-tart

 Pineapple up-date: about 8" from stem to top of the crown

Buddah's Hand: obviously loving it outside in the back where it's going to get full sun for most of the day now that the sun is tilting for the summer months

Aloha!

This week was a bit less demanding design-wise. I finally completed the "Never-Ending" pattern, and started and completed a second by the end of Friday evening. Two designs in under three weeks... I supposed that's a good average... Right? I would have to say yes... ONLY because with each new design I start and complete, it is accomplished with more learning and less trial and error of how to use, manipulate and design in Photoshop.

Other than that, it was a quiet week - and most certainly a quick one (you know what they say: Time flies when we're having fun, and I'm certainly having fun!)

I saw the hen and her chicks foraging in the back yard a couple of days ago - cute as can be except that I only counted five scuttling behind here and I know the first time I spotted the clan, there were a lot more peepers behind her... :(   There are two cats that patrol the property and keep it pest and rodent free - I'm not saying it was Sebastian or Ariel but anything is possible I suppose. I hope not but I guess it's all just part of life and natural selection.

A few weeks ago I put the Buddah's Hand out back on the patio with the Kaffir Lime, Starfruit and Banana trees, and yesterday I noticed it's getting some new buds... hopefully after almost two months in Haiku it has climatized itself to my location and the new flowers will produce fruits that will hang on and mature.

Pineapple week #5 - Is it ready yet? 

~  ~  ~

A cute little guy (miniature horse) at the Haiku Ho'olaule'a & Flower Festival 03/31/12

~  ~  ~

"Pencil Grass" Asparagus grown in Makawao, washed, trimmed and oiled for the grill 

Hibachi Grilled Lobster Tail with Dried Black Mission Fig Bar-B-Que Sauce

Grilled Upcountry Asparagus

Red Winter Wheat Berries, Caramelized Maui Onions, Baby Shiitake Mushroom Caps, Toasted Walnuts

Grilled Steelhead Salmon, Hawaiian Honey Teriyaki Glaze, Slivered Scallion FInish

Japanese Eggplant in Sweet-and-Spicy Garlic Sauce, Unhulled and Black Sesame Seeds, Red Pepper Flakes

Fried Rice of Wild and Brown Rice and Mixed Legumes, Fresh Garden Veggies

Hope you had a great weekend! 

Mark

First Day of Spring

Happy First Day of Spring!


So, one advantage to living in Hawai'i is that I am 6 hours behind the East coast and 3 hours behind the West, so technically although most of you won't read this until tomorrow, I did post this to make it on the First Day of Spring.


As I mentioned in a previous post, I am working on a new design, and it's just one of those things that one can never anticipate the amount of time it will take to complete a project. I started designing the essential parts in Photoshop a week ago Monday, and although I've really only worked diligently on it during "working hours", I did put in some time this weekend. And even before I could dare to consider proceeding too far, I had to check the design with the printing mill engraving technician to make sure that would be able to print the design on fabric... (and I was told yes!) Hmmm... why do I complicate my life so? It's so I can bring fresh and exciting fabric for your to work with! ;)


I started tomatoes from fruits I picked from wild plants along the roadside and they're doing incredibly well... the Buddah's Hand unfortunately lost all of the fruit which started to develop mainly because, as I am told, it's going through an acclimation period of adjusting to the new environment of Haiku. 


As you can see, the pineapple is looking more pineapple-y... and unless this plant is perhaps going to go to seed or something, I never knew pineapples bloomed before the fruit matured and ripened... Live and Learn!!!

And as it has become customary, here are some new culinary creations from this past week, complete with home-brined corned beef for St. Patrick's Day! 

 Shellfish Pasta

(Clams, Mussels, Shrimp, Top Shell Snail)

Miso-Lemon-Soy-Olive Oil Sauce with Garlic and Anchovy

Grilled Line Caught Hawai'ian Blue Marlin with Nasturtium Flower-Lemon Butter

Grilled Corn-on-the-cob, Japanese Eggplant with Miso and Roasted Heirloom Tomatoes

Home-brined St. Patrick's Day Corned Beef

Spices measured out for the brine, including Organic Raw Maui Sugar, Kosher salt, garlic, Blood Orange-rind rose, "pickling spices" of cardamon, bay leaf, black pepper, mustard seed, allspice berries, cinnamon stick, fennel and other spices

 The spices are toasted in a dry pan to release the fragrant oils

 Along with filtered water, the brine had a can of Maui Brewing Company "Big Swell IPA"

 The organic grass-fed beef brisket from Whole Foods

 The brisket immersed in the brining liquid

 The cured brisket after brining for 4 days and after rinsing

 A side dish: Russian Kale in a Roasted Garlic-Cocoanut Stout Cream Sauce with

Toasted Macadamia Nuts, Kiawe Smoked Hawai'an Salt, Cracked Black Pepper

Sliced Corned Beef, Purple Carrots, Yukon Gold Potatoes, Local Green Cabbage

Side of Mark's Cole Slaw, Stone Ground Horseradish Mustard (prepared) and Whole Grain Wasabi-Miso Mustard (home-made)

A hui hou! (Until we met again!)

03/05-12 Week in Review

Another week... another...?

Well, more progress... the pineapple is beginning to take shape (see how it's beginning to "crown" on top, and how the purple flowers are more visible...?) This is the 3rd week of photos, and the 4th week since the bud started to appear; at this rate it's going to be several months before a fully-grown, ripe and mature pineapple develops. That's okay -- I'm patient!

Whilst preparing the meal below, I was readying the hibachi. There was all this peeping close by. I looked around to discover a hen and her brood. She would scratch in the dirt - then peck - and the chicks would scramble eagerly to the exposed patch of earth to mimic their mother.

Very cute and entertaining until it started to downpour! Then they took cover in the bushes.

With the rain came a drop in temperature and it was nice to have a blaze of charcoal heating the cast iron grill. When finished, this is what I had prepared...

Hibachi Kona Coffee-and-Spice Rubbed Sirloin Steak

Grilled Scallions and Maui Gold Pineapple Wedge

Dry-Sauteed Blackened Green Beans, Toasted "Rough Chopped" Skin-on Almonds,

Blood Orange Segments

Hawaiian Black Lava Sea Salt

Fresh Raspberry-Ruby Red Grapefruit-Hawaiian Honey Sorbet

Meyer Lemon "Cup"

Pineapple Update and Food 02/27-03/03

Here's an update on the pineapple... much growth in one week... beginning to look a lot more like a... pine cone?

I also noted (if you look closely, on the bottom right) there is a small purple flower.

Sauteed Free-Range Turkey Breast Cutlet

 Homemade Guacamole; Sonoma Jack Cheese; Lite Sour Cream

Roasted Sweet Yellow Pepper, Maui Onions and Hamakua Cherry Tomatoes

Mashed Pinto Beans and Baked Flour Tortillas

~~~~~

 Line Caught Wild Hawaiian Blue Marlin Roasted in Ti Leaf Wrapper with Red Miso and Olive Oil Mayonnaise

Sushi Rice Pancakes

Sauteed Button Makawao Mushrooms with Garlic and Roasted Yellow Peppers

Tomato Rose Garnish

~~~~

Organic Turkey Burger seasoned with Oyster Sauce, Water Chestnuts, Scallions, Toasted Sesame Oil on a Toasted Komoda Bakery Bun; Homemade Wasabi Ketchup; Seaweed Salad

Bean Sprout and Carrot Slaw; Miso-Sesame Dressing

Marky, Marky... Don't be snarky...

How does your garden grow?

Have you ever seen a pineapple? -- well of course you have... But have you ever seen one grow? We have a few pineapple plants on the property, and they have started fruiting... so I have decided to take a photo of the development of the pineapple, once a week, and share the progress with you. In my opinion, it's absolutely fascinating...

In all honesty, this looks like something from an ALIEN movie, that's going to thrust out on a long, appendage-like stalk and bite you with all of its sharp, needle-like teeth.


But it's only an immature pineapple...


I am working on my next group of fabric, but it's too soon to even let you in on what it is... but I'll let you know it's something I'm having a lot of fun working on, involves developing "characters", and it is geared to the 'Tween and Teen markets... As soon as I get the approval to send the designs to print, I promise to share some imagery!


In addition, I have decided to do my gourmet cooking on the weekends, so I'll have some culinary creations to share as a regular part of my Sunday post. Following are a few dishes I recently concocted...

Grilled Line Caught Wild Hawai'ian Blue Marlin

Big Island Ohi'a Lehua Blossom Honey-Oyster Sauce Glaze

Freshly Squeezed Meyer Lemon Juice, Blood Orange Oil

Grilled Apple Bananas

Panko Crusted Colossal Shrimp with Habanero Coconut Sauce

Whole Wheat Spaghetti Tossed in Deconstructed Guacamole

(Backyard Avocado, Hamakua Cherry Tomato, Maui Onion)

Toasted Nana's Dried Bananas and Banana Chip Finger-Banana Bread

Fresh Kula Raspberries

Minted Sesame-Miso Butterscotch Sauce

Hibachi Boneless Pork Ribs Glazed with House-made Chinese BBQ Sauce

Sprouted Brown Rice-Red Winter Wheat Berry "Fried Rice"

(Oven Dried Tofu, Kula Carrots, Maui Onions, Sweet Petit Peas, White Corn)

Grilled Apple Bananas

Baked Organic Free-Range Chicken Breast

Stuffed with Spinach, Maui Onions, Surfing Goat Dairy Chevre,

Shiitake Mushrooms and Panko Bread Crumbs

Low-Sodium Au Jus

Steamed Sushi Rice with Dehydrated Garden Vegetables