It is culture, it is past history, it is the surroundings, the people, the place. All these influence a person, a people. Food, is a part of everone's lives, and on Maui, it is no different from a family that lives in Kentucky, New York, or some small town in Texas. Maybe the types of foods that are cooked has different seasonings, but in reality, we are all pretty much the same. Since the shipping industries were set up, we here in the middle of the Pacific can get almost any kind of produce, from any part of the United States, even if it gets to the islands and it's not as fresh, we are capable of utilizing vegetables and fruits that are not native to the islands.
So what do families prepare here on Maui you may ask? Well, our cultures are diverse, it is a stew pot, that has some really good stuff getting tender and juicy. We are exposed to foods from all cutures, Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, Indian, Filipino, Tongan, Samoan, French, German, Italian, Ireland, African, Cuban, Mexican, and the list goes on and on and on.
Families here try and keep it simple, the economy is bad still, and people are trying to save all that they can, and that's not much these days. Facing possible layoffs, or terminations at work, is all too real these days, it really is. But for those blessed with some kind of income, the meals are kept simple, usually it is a one pot meal, soups, or stews. Or roasts, braises, anything that can be purchased in bulk, and cooked, and stored for a couple of days, in other words, cooking foods that will have leftovers. And stews and soups fit the bill.
Joselyn is a 25 year old mother of 2, her husband got laid off as a construction worker, and she does retail, and her hours are cut as well. Between her husband's unemployment check, and her small pay checks, the best they can do for food, is cook at home, and that is cooking and making sure that the cost will be low, and the meals will be there for 2 or 3 more dinners.
"I buy lots of frozen chicken when it's on sale, those 5 pound boxes sometimes are cheap enough, I'll stock up the freezer, our kids are little, 3 and a 2 year old, so they don't eat much, my husband loves to eat, but since we have such a smaller income now, shopping wisely makes sense. I'll make chicken in the oven, or chicken stew, chicken anything and freeze the leftovers." Joselyn also believes that since going to a local church has helped in their faith and hope for a better future. "With no hope, it would be hard, with faith comes patience and understanding, I got mad because my husband isn't working, my anxiety was acting up, but it's just a tough tough time. Making the rent, and truck payments? We are behind big time, thank God for family. But we can't depend on them forever. But our landlord understands, he's a nice man, and his wife is so special, she brings us bread and juice for the kids." Joselyn continues by stating that she had to let go of her favorite dog, one she had for years, a Golden Retriever, "My doggy is gone, we couldn't buy him dog food, it was like do we feed the doggy? Or feed our babies, pay the truck payments, gas, and rent, or we keep doggy?" She let the dog go, but sees a bigger picture. "Without the dog, it's hard he was family, but another family has him, now we're just trying to inch by each day, and food is such a big part of life, we eliminated beer on weekends, this past super bowl, we did not go anywhere, because if we went, we'd have to buy stuff and bring it, we decided to just chill at home, we did just that."
But for food Joselyn is an example of what locals are going through and how they focus their food shopping, she like many will purchase big at one time, and Costco is a big local spot for bulk shopping, Joselyn also pointed out that not only is the food expensive, but also laundry detergent, soaps for bathing, shampoos, personal hygene items are just as expensive. "I go to Costco and buy everything there, or Wal Mart, I don't care what people say about supporting mom and pop shops, if mom and pops sold me laundry soap for an inexpensive price, I'll go there, but there's nothing like Costco or Wal Mart to get lots of soap, and other items for cheap."
Right now it doesn't matter where you live it seems it's expensive everywhere, shopping wisely is imperative, and learning to cook basic dishes is also a plus.
So what do families prepare here on Maui you may ask? Well, our cultures are diverse, it is a stew pot, that has some really good stuff getting tender and juicy. We are exposed to foods from all cutures, Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Malaysian, Indian, Filipino, Tongan, Samoan, French, German, Italian, Ireland, African, Cuban, Mexican, and the list goes on and on and on.
Families here try and keep it simple, the economy is bad still, and people are trying to save all that they can, and that's not much these days. Facing possible layoffs, or terminations at work, is all too real these days, it really is. But for those blessed with some kind of income, the meals are kept simple, usually it is a one pot meal, soups, or stews. Or roasts, braises, anything that can be purchased in bulk, and cooked, and stored for a couple of days, in other words, cooking foods that will have leftovers. And stews and soups fit the bill.
Joselyn is a 25 year old mother of 2, her husband got laid off as a construction worker, and she does retail, and her hours are cut as well. Between her husband's unemployment check, and her small pay checks, the best they can do for food, is cook at home, and that is cooking and making sure that the cost will be low, and the meals will be there for 2 or 3 more dinners.
"I buy lots of frozen chicken when it's on sale, those 5 pound boxes sometimes are cheap enough, I'll stock up the freezer, our kids are little, 3 and a 2 year old, so they don't eat much, my husband loves to eat, but since we have such a smaller income now, shopping wisely makes sense. I'll make chicken in the oven, or chicken stew, chicken anything and freeze the leftovers." Joselyn also believes that since going to a local church has helped in their faith and hope for a better future. "With no hope, it would be hard, with faith comes patience and understanding, I got mad because my husband isn't working, my anxiety was acting up, but it's just a tough tough time. Making the rent, and truck payments? We are behind big time, thank God for family. But we can't depend on them forever. But our landlord understands, he's a nice man, and his wife is so special, she brings us bread and juice for the kids." Joselyn continues by stating that she had to let go of her favorite dog, one she had for years, a Golden Retriever, "My doggy is gone, we couldn't buy him dog food, it was like do we feed the doggy? Or feed our babies, pay the truck payments, gas, and rent, or we keep doggy?" She let the dog go, but sees a bigger picture. "Without the dog, it's hard he was family, but another family has him, now we're just trying to inch by each day, and food is such a big part of life, we eliminated beer on weekends, this past super bowl, we did not go anywhere, because if we went, we'd have to buy stuff and bring it, we decided to just chill at home, we did just that."
But for food Joselyn is an example of what locals are going through and how they focus their food shopping, she like many will purchase big at one time, and Costco is a big local spot for bulk shopping, Joselyn also pointed out that not only is the food expensive, but also laundry detergent, soaps for bathing, shampoos, personal hygene items are just as expensive. "I go to Costco and buy everything there, or Wal Mart, I don't care what people say about supporting mom and pop shops, if mom and pops sold me laundry soap for an inexpensive price, I'll go there, but there's nothing like Costco or Wal Mart to get lots of soap, and other items for cheap."
Right now it doesn't matter where you live it seems it's expensive everywhere, shopping wisely is imperative, and learning to cook basic dishes is also a plus.
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