OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE IN KIHEI, MAUI

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE in Kihei, Maui lastnight was killer. However the game was on, as in game 3 of the World Series.

Yes, the Dodgers lost a big one 5-3 to the Astros, big Nay! Being down 2 games to 1 with 2 more in Houston, totally Nay. But what made things happy was the food me and my buddy Ronnie ate. Now Outback Steakhouse is known for their steaks, ribs and chops. Also their Blooming Onion. But on this evening we didn't get any of the fancy onion appetizer, we just ate the Molasses bread, their famous brown roll that comes to the table on a cutting board with whipped butter in a ramekin, and the bread is warm.

Molasses Bread with whipped butter

Yours truly relaxing

Our waitress was cool, wasn't pushy like some might be. After glancing with intent at the different beef cuts, I decided to go for the grilled 22 oz. Ribeye with the bone in, done medium rare, bloody indeed. 

Me and the monster ribeye with bone in

This steak was perfectly cooked and seasoned, no sauces whatsoever. I mean it was perfect, tasty, and cuts easily with their huge steak knives. It came with a baked potato with the works, and some grilled asparagus. Totally Yay :)! No booze, just a tall iced glass of Coke. That's right, red wine would ruin this steak, but not a Coke!

An awesome 22 oz. cut of bone-in prime rib

Ronnie M. getting busy

Ronnie's 8 oz. prime rib, mashed potatoes, and ju

The only table seasonings you will need,

salt and pepper.

The beef is cooked to perfection, meaning you don't need all kinds of sauces to smother it with. In fact all you will need is salt and pepper. 

That was the blog folks, sorry I'm ready to sleep. Would I go back to this Outback Restaurant? Yes I will. Tab came up to less than $70.00. Was it worth it? Sure was!

Yay :)  or Nay  :(   Scale

Cleanliness: Yay :)

Friendliness of server: Yay :)

Comfort of seats: Yay :)

Quality of Molasses bread:  Yay :)

Quality of my Coke: Yay :)

Quickness of order: Yay :)

Quality of ribeye: Yay :)

Quality of prime rib: Yay :)

Quality of baked potato: Yay :)

Quality of mashed potato: Yay :)

Quality of asparagus: Yay :)

Quantity of televisions screens: Nay :(

So with only 1 Nay :(  out of 12, this is a Yay Yay :) place to eat steaks.

Until the next blog, take care!

© 2017

DOMINOS IN THE MAUI LANI SHOPPING CENTER

A couple of days ago, had some pizza with a buddy, just shooting the breeze, hanging out, and wanted to see the Eagles vs. Redskins game. The closest place was the Dominos Pizza in the Maui Lani Shopping Center.

OK, Dominos is not one of those gourmet brick oven pizza bars with fresh cut herbs, freshly sliced meats, however it's good enough you know? And it has air conditioning, and of course Monday Night Football on two television monitors. And the price is like right up our alley. I know there's pizza and fine food enthusiasts that will NEVER order a Dominos, or a Pizza Hut, or a Round Table, but hey man, I never did die eating it. 

www.dominos.com

We ordered a medium pan pepperoni and mushrooms pizza, and two 20 oz. Cokes. Yeah I know I gotta lay off the sugar, but you gotta have a nice cold fizzy Coke with a pizza, you can't have an organic ice tea, or some freaking juice. No, you gotta have a Coke. It's like going to Sunday mass and there's now wafers for the communion.

The medium two topping pizza

Pepperoni & Mushrooms

My buddy Yukio saying a little grace

before mauling his piece of pie

The Monday Night Football game is on

I'm smiling because the game is on

and it was on the eve of game one 

of the World Series, see my LA cap on?

I ain't no bandwagon jumper!

So how was this Dominos Pizza? Seriously?

The Yay :)  or Nay :( scale

Parking: Yay :)

Friendly service: Yay :)

Cleanliness of restaurant: Yay :)

Cost: Yay :)

Quickness of order to table: Yay :)

Quality of pan crust: Yay :)

Quality of sauce: Yay :) for a fast food place

Quality of cheese: Yay :)

Quality of toppings: Yay :)

Comfort of seats: Yay :)

10 out of 10 Yays :)

Dominos is a fast quick service pizza chain, again, it is what it is, and it's a good pizza. Now, I am not going to debate the GMO crowd for the love of God enough of that. It's not like they are putting Diazinon in the sauce, c'mon!

So yes, Dominos will work for us working dogs that love Monday Night Football, and pizza. Located in the Maui Lani Shopping Center in Wailuku, Maui, Hawaii, across the Baldwin High School. Look it up on Google.

© 2017

HALLOWEEN PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIES

More Halloween treats for the kids and the big kids in all of us. This post will be the filled dream called PUMPKIN WHOOPIE PIE

This is not a hard one to make, in fact anyone can make this. Imagine people in the late 70s or early 80s, plucking weed, separating leaves from the sweet sticky buds. OK, maybe you weren't a stoner listening to Led Zeppelin or Pink Floyd... never mind what I was saying is that it is easy to make. Turn up some tunes in your kitchen and rock away folks!

Ingredients

2 cups turbinado sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups of packed pumpkin puree or 1 15 oz. can will do

2 large whole organic eggs

3 cups of organic all purpose flour

1 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 tbs. of ground cinnamon

3/4 tbs. ground ginger

1/2 tbs. ground cloves
--------------------------------------------------------
The filling

1 egg white organic

3 tbs. whole milk

1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

3/4 to 1 cup shortening

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg. F. & grease some cookie sheets with butter.

2. In a bowl, mix the oil and turbinado sugar. Then mix in the pumpkin puree and eggs, beat it well. Then add in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, 1 tsp. vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger and the cloves, mix it all well.

3. Place a large heap of a teaspoon of the dough on to the prepared baking sheets. Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Now let the cookies cool. Now to the filling.

4. Filling for the Pumpkin Whoopie Pies. Beat the egg white an mix with the milk, 1 tsp. of vanilla extract, 1 cup of confectioner's sugar. Mix it well then beat in the shortening and the remaining cup of confectioners' sugar. Beat it until it is fluffy.

Now spoon some filling in-between each cookie, like an Oreo only better!

Photo is taken from Google

Sambrano 2017

PUMPKIN BREAD

It's that time of the year again, Harvest season, the fall holidays, the winter holidays, and the new year. Man time is flying!

These are the times we need to start reflecting on what the hell happened so far this year? I like to do this now, instead of waiting until 2018. The news is horrible, it seems there's so much hatred going on, it's insane! So let's all do good things, like make a few loaves of pumpkin bread for our family and friends. This is easy.

INGREDIENTS

Wet ingredients
1 15 oz. can of pumpkin puree (why make it when you can buy it?)

4 whole eggs, organic would be nice

1 cup of vegetable oil

2/3 cups of filtered water

3 cups of white cane sugar

Dry ingredients 3 1/2 cups of A.P. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat your oven to 350 deg F, and take (3) 7"x3" loaf pans and grease the bottoms with butter, or some Pam. Sprinkle some flour on each bottom.

Mix the wet ingredients in a stainless steel bowl, and do the same in a separate bowl of the same material for the dry ingredients. Once mixed, add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and blend but do not over-blend. Then pour into the pans evenly.

Place the loaf pans on to the center rack and bake for approximately 50 minutes. To see if it's cooked stick a knife or toothpick into the center of each loaf, when you remove it, it should be dry, if not it has to bake a little longer.

Enjoy!

© 2017

BEEF CHOW FUN @ Mike's Hong Kong Bistro

Lunch time in Wailuku, Maui. What did I want to grine? I wanted some chow fun, and being on Maui, it really ______ ing sucks! Food is lacking in variety here. Nothing like Chinese food in Honolulu, or San Francisco. But the best we can muster up is Mike's Hong Kong Bistro in Wailuku.

There's like different kinds of chow fun noodles, some are steamed rice noodles that comes in sheets, originally luk funn, and sliced in widths according to the chef's specs. To be quite honest, I had no idea what kind of chow fun noodles me and my buddy was eating. It was OK, not the greatest but it was tasty. 

Here's a few pics.

As you can see it looks really fresh, I mean it came out steaming hot, just the way any wok stir fried food should be. The beef was thinly sliced, and flavored, with hints of oyster sauce, sesame oil, and ginger. With thin sliced veggies. It was good, don't get me wrong, it was totally edible, but not the greatest chow fun in the world, however Mike's did good. In other words, it was OK, enough for me to buy it again, and again.

So if you want some local style Asian, not necessarily all Chinese, MIKE'S Hong Kong Bistro is OK, they have a small spread where you can pick what you want like fried rice or chowmein noodles, as your starch, and as much as 3 entree selections. These include, roast pork, kau yuk, teriyaki meatballs, teri chicken, sweet sauce pork and shrimp, roast duck and other stuff. And the fresh to made menu consist of hamburger steaks, kalbi ribs, ramen, won ton min, and other popular Chinese and Asian local fare.

OK, that's it, because I'm still stoked that the LA Dodgers just one the NL Pennant, and we are 4 games out of the Word Series Championship!

© 2017

RON'S STEAK SANDWICH

Ron's (me), Steak Sandwich is all about being as freeking juicy as can be! I mean, this is going to mess you up, it will make your white dress shirt stained with food stuff, oh yeah baby!




Ever went to your local Subway and was disappointed? You don't have an awesome deli nearby that has juicy hot sandwiches, so you settle for that toasted stuff. Well if you are not lazy, let's do this.

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. of chuck steak (you can make one huge sandwich or make two)

2 tbs of vegetable oil

2 tbs of sea salt

1 tsp. of coarse black pepper

1 tsp. of garlic salt

1 tsp. of onion powder
Mix all of the salt, pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder in a mixing bowl, then dredged the steak on both sides. Let sit at room temperature for a few minutes.

----------

1 foot long Italian loaf, cut in half, buttered with real butter and toasted for a minute or two under the broiler.

These are your toppings, add whatever you like, but I like this stuff. 
Mayonnaise to your liking

Dijon mustard to your liking

Creamy Asian blended salad dressing (store bought)

Shredded lettuce

Thin sliced red onions

Thin sliced green bell peppers


Directions

Over medium high heat, set a large stainless steel pan, and add in the vegetable oil.

Place the steak on to the pan, and sear each side for about 2 minutes each or longer if you like, I like my steak somewhat red.

When done, place on a cutting board let sit for about 5 minutes, then using a sharp knife, slice it thin.

Place the sliced meat on to the buttered bread, and top it with all of the ingredients in whatever order you want.

Bon Appetit!

© 2017

LILIKOI BUTTER SAUCE

Here's a simple recipe for Lilikoi Butter Sauce. It is no doubt a sweet rich sauce, one can use to spoon over any food item really. Such as fish, chicken, steaks, or desserts.



Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

Pinch of cinnamon

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/3 cup freshly strained lilikoi juice 

4 eggs, beaten

5 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Using a small stainless steel saucepan over medium heat, mix the sugar, lemon juice, and lilikoi juice; stirring the sugar until sugar is dissolved. Gently whisk in a small amount of the lilikoi mixture into the eggs to temper it, then return the whole mixture back to the saucepan, stirring constantly over medium-low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the spoon. Remove from heat, add butter, and stir until melted. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. Makes about 1 1/2 cups. Refrigerate after it cools down. Ideally I like to use this after it is cooked because it is a fast sauce to make. 

© 2017

NEGRONI

It's time to brush up on some mixed drinks, do some mixology chops if you will. All you alcoholics unite! Just kidding. Seriously, if you have a drinking problem, turn the page.




The Negroni, is a simple drink to make, all you will need is three bottles of liquor. Gin, vermouth, and Campari. And some ice to be stirred, and a strainer a COUPE GLASS and an orange peel for a garnish. Easy.

Directions

1 oz London dry gin

1 oz sweet vermouth

1 oz Camapri

Pour all ingredients in a mixing glass with ice, and stir for 20-30 seconds, then strain into a coupe glass, and garnish with an orange peel.

THE FINISHED PRODUCT

over ice

According to what I've read online, this drink was concocted by this dude named Count Negroni. He was a Count, like Count Dracula I guess. But he went into some bar, and told the bartender "Hey man, I want this drink stronger, put some gin in here!" Or something like that.

What is gin? 

Gin is a spirit, acquiring its predominantly flavors from juniper berries.

80 Proof in the United States

40% ABV

London Gin is obtained exclusively from ethanol of agricultural origin.

Distilled Gin is redistilled ethanol of agricultural origin.

What is Sweet Vermouth?

Used in mixed drinks, it is generally speaking a fortified wine.

What is Campari?

It is a aperitif, generally it is served before a meal, it has a bitter, spicy, and sweet personality.

20.5-28% ABV

Served popularly with soda water and or with a citrus juice.

WARNING: This blogger is not responsible for any hazards this drink may cause the reader if the reader makes this drink and consumes it and gets drunk.

© 2017

CHICKEN SOUP- A SIMPLE FROM SCRATCH TIP

Back to basics on soups from scratch. The cheapest cuts of meats, chicken, fish, seafood, and scraps of vegetables can create an inexpensive but rather filling soup. With a creative artistic mind, the presentation can be éclat.

The cooking revolution is in full swing, I mean home cooks are that much better period. Thank you Food Network, home cooks are kicking major ass. Look at all the different cuisines that are promulgated on television these days it is amazing. Italian, Indian, Pac Rim, Hawaiian, Southern, Asian, it is endless! So for those of you that want to quit using the instant mixes for soups I'll go over some tips that can make you keep up with your counterparts that are becoming self proclaimed master home chefs. I'll post a few Youtube videos for you too. But let's get into some basics.


Chicken Soup

Tools- sharp knife, medium size stainless steel stock pot, slotted spoon, wooden spoon.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 whole chicken, 3 1/2 - 4 lbs. (Legs, wings, breast removed) But keep all parts it will all go into the pot
Kosher salt
2 inches of fresh ginger chopped (optional)
3 large round onion, peeled cut into quarters
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
6 stalks of celery chopped
Water to cover the entire pieces of chicken (Filtered)

Directions:
1. Take your pot at least 6-8 quarts, place it on the stove over low heat. You want to prime the pot, low heat gets it going as you prep.

2. Using a knife that's sharp, remove the legs, separate the thighs, and drumsticks, remove the wings, and cut off the tips, remove the breast and cut in half, save the back bones.

3. Put the vegetable oil into the pot, turn heat up to medium high.  In home cooking, there's not need to use super high heat you will smoke out your house, and possibly ruin your cookware.

4. When hot, toss in the ginger, round onions, carrots and celery, cook for about 10 minutes really melt that down, so all of that flavor comes out.

5. Add in the chicken pieces, sprinkle generous amount of salt, then cover. Sweat out the chicken juices, cover for about 20 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn heat down to medium low, or low. 

6. Uncover pot, add in room temperature filtered water to cover all of the chicken pieces, leave about 3 inches of room from the top. Cover again. TURN UP HEAT TO HIGH AND BOIL, then bring it down to low and simmer over low heat for about 2 hours.

The Finish

Once the simmering is done, uncover pot, let cool completely. Remove all of the chicken pieces and shred them into-shreds and set aside, remove skin an bones, save meat, this will go into your serving bowls. Remove all vegetables and toss it out.

To prevent food poisoning, once the pot is cool to the touch, cover the pot again, and place in the refrigerator overnight. Soups are usually prepped a day before, or even a few days before.

So what is in your refrigerator?
Shredded chicken meat & The liquid (broth/stock)

Are you ready to serve soup?
OK, now the fun part, you are ready to serve soup to your family. Take out the shredded chicken meat, keep covered, set aside.

Take out the pot, you will notice that there is a lot of stuff at the top of the soup pot, well this is all that scum, not good, lots of fatty stuff, and pieces of bones an flesh. Use the slotted spoon to remove all of this into the trash. What's left should be a clear pot of broth.

Get your serving bowls out, let's say 4 people. Put about 4 oz. of shredded chicken meat on the bottoms of each bowl.
You can have fresh vegetables cut, or herbs. Such as watercress, cabbage, scallions etc. whatever you can get.

For other seasonings you can use more salt, peppers, etc. hot sauces, soy sauces, sky is the limit, have it at the table.

Heat up the cold soup over high heat until it boils, then turn off heat. Safely spoon hot broth over the chicken shreds in each bowl. Voila! Soup.

This is just the general rule for making soup, once you get the method down, practice with different flavorings, and be creative. Watch a lot of Food Network, find cooking blogs online, and you'll be set for being the next Soup Nazi.

Here's a Youtube video on basic chicken soup making

What I wrote is just how I do things, by all means use

other's advice too. We are all learning. :)

© 2017

HONU SEAFOOD & PIZZA FOR FRESH FISH

The date October 3, 2017, a day that will live in euphoric phenomena. Whatever that means, I was trying to be like one of those documentary writers. Ah, what the hell, life goes on. OK, it was a good day on Maui WTF right?


The day started off at 7:00 am, I got into my nieces' Durango and headed out to the Kahana Mc Donald's. OK, not the best of foods for breakfast but you got to understand, logistically speaking that's the only______ ing restaurant open close to the Kapalua airport. My bro Peter Pao, owner of Prime Sandwiches was flying in at 8:30am. I got some time to drink a coffee and eat a high fatty high caloric Sausage Mc Muffin with egg. Which I did. It was alright. Not bad. I read some parts of the Maui News, you know the carnage in Vegas with that mass shooting. Then a friend stopped by my table to talk. Next thing I know, it's like 8:10am, I used the restroom and headed up the hill to JHM. 

I parked the car, and in a minute Pete's plane lands, and the first order of business was for me to take him to the new Monkey Pod restaurant located in the Whaler's Village in Kaanapali. He had to service some equipment in there. He also services and sells restaurant equipment. After that we head to Lahaina for another service call at Captain Jack's. Same stuff as Monkey Pod, a combi-oven needed some servicing.

Then it was close to lunch time. We decided to head to Mark and Judy Ellman's Honu Seafood and Pizza for lunch. We had a cool local brother from Lanai, Nick as our waiter. Peter ordered a whole deep fried Nabeta. Nabeta is a Japanese term for Peacock wrasse. It is a very good fish for deep frying. Nice and crisp, hell you can leave the scales on too. 

Peter saying grace? I mean what was he doing?

C'mon Peter grine brah!

Peter lays the fish on its side, you can see the slits the chefs

cut into the fish and the golden crisp meat.

Nick brought him some dashi, and it had a huge

ramekin of black bean sauce.

I was ready man, I had the Mahi Fish n Chips

Look at this, man was I a blessed man!

And of course always a pleasure when the man himself

Chef/Owner Mark Ellman stops by.

Woooo! What a day folks at Honu Seafood & Pizza. Check out the website www.honumaui.com

© 2017

Escargot The Edible Land Snail

Snails. Not what one may think of as a delicacy, unless you are a gourmand. Escargot is not a garden snail you see slugging around your backyard. Not all land snails are a good eat. Well maybe if you are starving on some island, and that's all there was.

I've tried this once, but no matter how good the aroma is that is the sauce for this snail, I just can't enjoy it, it's all mental. It's a snail. One dude told me, "You eat raw fish." True. "You eat that Filipino cow stomach lining stew." True. So what the heck is my problem? Mental. It's like balut. The Filipino duck egg with the fetus inside. I tried that once too, and I can't eat it. I mean if I had to, I would, but if I don't have to, I'll eat the boiled peanuts until I get to the next BK or KFC.

A lot of European chefs love to cook this, I've seen all kinds of styles, the French with the butter, garlic, herbs, and wine. To the Italian style, tomatoes, herbs, cheeses. Sky's the limit with any food really. However, the escargot is very popular, and just because I don't like it because of my mental state, I'm not trying to dissuade you from trying this. For me, I just don't see snail as a delicacy. 

You can purchase escargot at your local gourmet shop.

Frozen Retail

Fresh out of the oven escargot

As for the nutritional value, escargots are high in protein and low in fat content. If cooked without any butter or sat fats, you are looking at 15% protein, 2.4% fat and about 80% water.

© 2017