Mejiro hatchlings

And there you go! Just this morning I peeked into the mejiro nest and saw the two baby hatchlings sleeping inside. Each time I moved in with my camera, one of the little guys would automatically (instinctively?) raise its head, beak wide open. A happy, sunny Tuesday to all.

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Mejiro nestlings... ahh, such is the circle of life. I am reminded of your previous mejiro post, this is the other side of it :-)

Hey, a lot of folks can learn about the different cultures in Hawaii and how they somehow learned and borrowed from each other. Didn't know you were crafty too, but I should have figured that from your photography and cooking.
JMom | Homepage | 04.30.06 - 5:06 am

What a couple of cuties--and hungry! Great photo of the mejiro birds! The purses, in the second post, are also really cute!
Jackie | Homepage | 04.28.06 - 4:05 pm

How sweet! What a wonderful picture of these little baby birds! Gives me an impression of spring, even if we've had rain for the last two days and the forecast doesn't predict anything positive... And I totally fell for the little purses you made, you're very talented, I guess you know that ;-)
Nicky | Homepage | 04.27.06 - 8:59 pm

Thank you so much for sharing this precious photo! It is really amazing, this tender reminder of life and its simple joys. And I love how the one chick looks like he's hugging that egg!
Tania | Homepage | 04.27.06 - 8:34 pm

Omiyage

The great thing about having so many diverse ethnicities in Hawaii is the fact that we can borrow on traditional customs {particular to each culture} and practice them as if it were our own. Omiyage, or the giving of gifts, originates from Japan and is something that no local resident would think of dismissing, especially if returning home from a visit to a neighbor island. The gift of choice? Foodstuffs — and if it is a well-known product famous within its place of conception, the more it will be sought after. Kauai Kookies is one such item.

The omiyage of this post however, is actually a crafting book by author Kumiko Sudo. She has lots of beautiful ideas for using scraps of fabric and I've been handstitching some of her creations during the lull periods at work. Craft Connection, an online fabric discount store, is where I purchased several "asian motif" pieces. The tiny purses above are just the right size for holding a small bottle of perfume, lipstick, or candies and look really cute as an evening wristbag against a little black dress. A good thing that my boss has no problem with my artsyfartsy-ness but I'm betting that one of these days he'll start calling me the Bag Lady!

Laulau weekend

Laulau ~ about 1/5th actual size

Making productive use of any spare time has become a priority ever since starting my temp job this month. There are so many "comfort foods" that I'd like to cook atleast once before leaving, and these ti leaf-wrapped bundles of spinach and meats ended up being a weekend project. The goal was to make 3 - 4 dozen, or atleast enough to fill the top freezer.


Traditionally, luau leaves (taro leaf) are used here but an allergic reaction necessitates the substitute of fresh spinach in my case. It really is the easiest recipe to put together and I like to add a little of everything in mine. Equal parts (about 2 oz. each) of cubed pork, beef, chicken, and 1 ounce of fresh salted cod or butterfish. The meats are seasoned beforehand with red alae salt before being mounded atop the salted fish and spinach leaves. The first photo shows two examples of wrapping and forming laulau — one as a space-saving packet and the other more like a purse. It's as simple as tucking the ends under or gathering them together at the top, inside leaf first, before tying with string or strips of ti leaf. A makeshift circular rack of about 2 inches in height (or perforated pie tin) goes into a large cooking pot along with water at the depth of about an inch or so. After snugly positioning the wrapped parcels, I set the flame on the lowest setting and allow everything to steam for 5 hours.

Ti leaf imparts a particular flavor and really does enhance the end product; laulau wrapped with foil just doesn't cut it in my opinion. To accompany the meal, lomilomi salmon (like a hawaiian-style ceviche), boiled purple sweet potatoes, sticky white rice and a generous serving of poi are definite "must-haves" in my book, but if you go to a local-style luau, the list of foods are never-ending!

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Gosh, this looks and sounds delicious. I'm curious to know what sort of flavor the ti leaves impart to the package. Corn leaves make nice-tasting tamales but for me banana leaves give an unpleasant flavor even though they're more beautiful.
Susan | Homepage | 04.24.06 - 1:57 pm

I remember the first time I had this with a friend on Maui; there are lots of local fiesta foods from Guam that I miss too---Funny story, one day in Seattle I went to a famous sushi place downtown. The sushi chef kept staring at me and usually when fellow Asians do this it's b/c they can't figure out what type of Asian I am. Well he asked me if I was Japanese, Korean, Thai, everything but Chinese. Long story short, I told him I was from Guam and he told me he had worked there for 7 years and even produced an old Guam drivers license. I was floored, then he asked me if I would like to taste some old island dishes, these were his own creation and off the menu. I squealed with delight as he made tropical ceviche and poki!!!! You are 100 percent right when you say you can't take the island out of the girl. I miss you!
gia | Homepage | 04.24.06 - 1:12 pm

That does look comforting and yummy. Though i've never had this particular dish, i agree with you about the leaves being necessary to infuse that final flavor that "wraps" it all nicely together on the palate.
ptinfrance | Homepage | 04.24.06 - 10:15 am

More mejiro eggs

First there was one, now there are four! Every morning since I've put up the previous post, Mama Mejiro has laid yet another addition to her growing family. Trying to snap a shot of the mejiro within her nest is another thing though; as if she doesn't have enough to deal with (since I'm always pointing a camera at her), just this morning I chased a chameleon out of the branches. Gotta love those little green guys but they will NOT get a chance at these eggs if I can help it.

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The nest looks so fine, almost as though it were spun out of gossamer. Hard to believe something so delicate looking can support and shelter 4 eggs and a mother bird. Lovely!
Tania | Homepage | 04.20.06 - 8:23 pm

Rowena, those are so beautiful! And I'm totally loving your "play-by-play" of the mejiro and the eggs she's laid. I hope you keep us updated. This is so inpsirational... and talk about perfect timing. With Spring just here it's like the new life just represents how it really is a time for a new beginning.

A good friend of mine is going through similar experience. A Canada Goose has laid 5 eggs in a huge pot that they have on their patio. While they would normally be cleaning out the pot now and filling it with soil for planting, instead they're babysitting a Canada Goose and her 5 little eggs!
Ivonne | Homepage | 04.18.06 - 5:20 pm

That is such a cool picture Rowena, of a deja vu but with 4 eggs now! Such a nice way to observe Nature! Love it! I wish I could see that. What season or temperature are there outside?
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 04.16.06 - 1:16 pm

Rowena - that's so exciting - and they are so beautiful! Just in time for Easter too! I know between you and the mama bird, those little eggs are going to be just fine.
Cathy | Homepage | 04.16.06 - 5:46 am

The Mejiros are back

In the past three days I've been taking great delight in observing a pair of mejiros building a tiny nest amidst the branches of a potted ficus tree in our backyard. This tree is adjacent to the one that I had written about before in The Mejiro and I cannot fully express how happy this makes me because today I discovered a wee little egg in the completed nest! I've tried to photograph the mejiro when she is sitting within her humble sanctuary of woven grass and leaves, but when I get too close, away she flees to a nearby shrub, obviously distressed from the intrusion.

The egg is not much bigger than my thumbnail... truly an amazing tribute to the wonders of Mother Nature. I'm hoping to be able to photograph the newborn when the grand day arrives.

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And since I was poking around the trees in our garden, here's a photo of a papaya tree and surinam cherry tree in an unabashed, wanton embrace(!). The surinam is beginning to yield some fruit, but at the rate that I'm plucking and eating them, there won't be enough to be used in making jams. To give an idea of the dimensions, the fruit is about ¼ the size of the one in the image, or 5/8th's of an inch in diameter. A little on the tart side (as I couldn't resist the urge to taste), but my dad says they are really sweet if allowed to ripen fully.

Lost & found - One Plant Man

For about a week now, my temp job at a resort restaurant has turned some of my day time into "paid time" as taking dinner reservations tops my to-do list. It is not a challenging work in the least bit (I get to read books and embroider while on the clock), but I do enjoy the social interaction that ensues when guests stop in to inquire about the menu. "Miss Aloha" just comes naturally and I can't say which is more pleasant — sharing a bit of my love for Kauai or getting to wear flowers in my hair everyday. I could see myself as a hotel concierge.

Still, this island paradise is not without its blemishes as one elderly man pointed out to me the other day. He walked in and asked to be led to an outdoor dining area where a couple of large potted plants were sitting in a corner. Surprisingly, even with the excessive rain that we've experienced in the past month, those plants were dying from thirst and I was then directed to find a receptacle to fetch him some water.

Now I had never seen this guy in my life and I thought that yeah, well maybe he was some sort of CEO of the company, going about 'incognito' in an aloha shirt, shorts, and sandals to personally inspect the property. The air of authority about him wasn't open to skepticism, especially when he set two dollar bills in front of me and said very clearly, "Here you go miss, I want to thank you for helping me water the plants. You're a good hostess, and I also want you to promise me that you will water those plants once a week." After I promised to do so, out the entrance he went.

I took this small event to be something of no significance. I mean, just a visitor concerned over our drooping foliage, right? Well not more than half an hour later an elderly woman marches in and asks if I'd seen her husband. She seemed pretty exasperated and began describing him, but it wasn't until after was I able to put 2 and 2 together. "The plant man!" she exclaims. "My husband is going around everywhere wanting to water people's plants. If you see him again, please tell him that his wife is looking for him!!"

Patele Stew

My idea of a one-bowl meal
Patele (or pastele,) is Puerto Rico's answer to the mexican tamale and there's a clue* in the photo which hints at what necessary ingredient is needed to make this much sought after dish with local Hawaii diners. The image shown is actually the stew version, but what goes into it follows the original banana leaf-wrapped bundles that are so popular as plate lunch items here in the islands. Making them is quite an undertaking as it's a lot more productive to turn these out on a large scale with the help of family members and friends. Pork (typically hefty sections of pork butt), is chopped into small pieces and cooked in achiote oil with garlic, onions, tomato sauce, black olives, cilantro, and seasonings, then tucked within a mixture called masa - grated, green bananas flavored with achiote oil. After being wrapped in banana or ti leaves, they are put into a large pot with enough water to steam until done.
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*The clue was the banana leaf in the background, so if you guessed bananas, and green ones at that, then you are definitely keen to Puerto Rican cuisine!

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Sounds delicious! I've never eaten cooked green banana, although I've had it raw in a salad while in St. Lucia (or was that raw plantain in the salad? Hmm...) Anyway, it sounds very good and very filling!
Tania | Homepage | 04.04.06 - 10:41 pm

Pasteles!!! Que chevere! Mmmm....Reminds me of all those Puerto Rican restaurants on Division St. in Chicago (and in El Barrio in NYC). How great is that that you can make pasteles without all the "tamale"-style fussing! So, did the Puerto Rican (im)migrants to Hawaii also bring Tostones, Mofongo and Asopao?
Susan | Homepage | 04.03.06 - 10:43 am

One bowl foods are favorites of mine. I actually own a cookbook called Bowl Food, to show you how much I like this kind of foods. Looks very interesting, all the more as I had not heard about it before.
Bea at La Tartine Gourmande | Homepage | 04.03.06 - 3:29 am