HONU SEAFOOD VIDEO SHOOT

Wednesday September 18th, 2013 was another hot Lahaina day, and it was time for another video shoot at Honu Seafood and Pizza, Mark Ellman's place. So as we set up, Mark comes strolling in.."Hey guys how's it going?" we exchange pleasantries, we talk story about shark attacks and food. Then he tells his staff to get us some cappuccino which was nice, and of course filming Mark's chefs is the best part because we got to eat the finished products.

First off it was Chef Joel who works next door at Mala Ocean Tavern (Mark's place), and Chef Joel made us some Seafood Chowder, Clams with Black Beans and the Avalon Crusted Seared Ahi Sashimi.

Chef Joel

Joel: I went to the Maui Culinary Academy for only half a semester and decided to try the real world of restaurant work. I was also at the Westin, but I love working for Mark, I'm learning the real thing here that you can't get in school.

Joel is holding his finished dish.







Seafood Chowder

Clams with Black Beans

Avalon Crusted Seared Ahi Sashimi

Da Foodie Boodies Executive Producer Sascha Baml (left) and Chef Nick Cleveland (right)

After Chef Joel, it was time for Chef Nick Cleveland, notice in the photo he is wearing the Chef Cam on his head, which Chef Joel was wearing also. Chef Nick made us some Ahi Poke, Ahi Bolognese, and Ahi Sausage stuffed in Hibiscus leaves Tempura.

Ahi Poke

Ahi Sausage Stuffed Tempura in Hibiscus Leaf

Ahi Sausage Bolognese

All of the foods were made with fresh ingredients, nothing made with any packets or jars of stuff. Stay tuned we will put the videos up online soon.

COPYRIGHT 2013©

EPIC MEAL TIME

I came across these guys from a friend, Epic Meal Time is NUTS!

Check out this video "Fast Food Lasagna" 

The Epic crew makes lasagna out of fast foods, it looks gross, but it's an interesting take on cooking shows. Totally crazy!
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9FRSghXhDM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9FRSghXhDM

MARCO'S GRILL & DELI

MARCO'S GRILL & DELI
444 Hana Hwy. #M
Kahului, HI 96732-2315
808-877-4446

Italian style grill with ONO food!

Today was a good Saturday, my old buddy Pete Pao who sells restaurant equipment was on Maui teaching the new Safeway staff how to use their new kitchen equipment. Since he had to wait for his flight back to Honolulu later in the day, he treated me to lunch at Marco's Grill & Deli in Kahului.

The Rueben is what we ordered, grilled corned beef with sauerkraut, Swiss cheese & 1000 island dressing on rye bread.

A couple of wedges of lettuce with dressing and bacon bits.

And the Tiramisu, I was stuffed...for lunch? Shit I was stuffed!

But there's nothing like having a conversation with an old friend getting to know his profession of setting up professional kitchens, and talking about his family, that's all good stuff...work, food and family, that makes for good conversation.

The Rueben

All Marco's sandwiches are served with Pasta or a Garden Salad

FILET MIGNON ANOTHER REVIEW

I actually don't want to write about beef right now, but a buddy of mine who wants to do some killer stuff with good beef asked me what kind of cut he should get to impress his girl. So the first cut I thought of was the Filet Mignon (Fil ay min yon)..it comes from the end of the tenderloin that is the most tender of the meats. Most cattle produce like 5 pounds of it only, so if demand is up, prices rise. 

How do you cook it? Okay, I won't go into any culinary jargon, I'll keep things in simple speak easy. The best way to buy these, is to go to your butcher and have him sell you the round disk looking steaks labeled "filet mignon" and it is usually about 1 1/2 inches thick or so. I've seen one that was like 3". Oh well, whatever, those are the good ones.

So for 2 lovers, go buy two of those steaks, about 6 oz to 8 oz each, maybe smaller? Make sure you cooks some good starches like potatoes, fried rice, and have a salad and a few appetizers.

Okay these are the stuff you'll need to cook em.

Ingredients:
2 filet mignons steaks (rounded)
1 tbsp kosher salt
white pepper to sprinkle
vegetable oil to put in pan
1 cup of red wine
1 tbsp. of cold butter

1. Preheat your oven to 450 deg. f
2. Preheat a stainless steel skillet over high heat with a little vegetable oil.
3. Sprinkle some salt and pepper over both steaks, when oil is smoky, place the steaks inside the pan, and let it sear causing  a good brown. Do not mess with it, let it sit turn heat down to medium high, and sear for about 1 1/2 minutes, then flip it.
4. Place pan into the oven for 7 minutes.
5. Remove pan, carefully. Rest steaks on separate plates. Return pan to stove top over medium high heat. Add in the wine, scraping the bottom of pan, reduce to about half a cup, remove from heat, stir in butter and whisk.
6. Spoon some sauce over both steaks evenly, plate with favorite starches.

* Make sure your pan is all stainless steel including the handles
* Prepare your appetizers, starches, salads first, you don't want to cook the steaks first and do the other stuff later, your steak will get cold and suck.

This is just a basic how to. Watch the Food Network, Youtube has many videos with different ideas. Good luck, now leave me be!!!!! Thank You. :)))

© What's Cooking America

©2013 ®

PERSONAL CHEF IN-HOME SERVICES

On a recent personal chef gig, I was hired to cook for one person. The dish? Stir Fried Chicken with Veggies. It was an easy gig, and what I am experiencing is that not only do the rich and beyond wealthy hire personal chefs or cooks, but even every day hard working folks. One dish only? That's what I was hired to do.

8 oz. of chicken breast, bone and skin removed
Garlic and ginger, lots of it
Semi hot green peppers
oil for stir frying
Sesame oil
Soy sauce
Bok Choy Cabbage
Mushrooms
Carrot
Cornstarch
Salt & Pepper
Served with rice.

© Chef Sambrano

"Cooking for people simple foods out of a wok is right up my alley. Sharing thoughts on life as I cook for my clients is the best part of my job. I love that part, more than any job I've had. It allows me to enter other people's worlds." Ron 

©2013

BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA RIBS- DREAMLAND BBQ

Sitting at No. 1 BBQ in Lahaina, Maui, which by the way is more of a Korean BBQ joint or an Asian plate joint, I met a couple from Birmingham, Alabama. And we began to talk about Maui, and where to go and all that stuff as usual.

I finally asked them, "If I ever get to Birmingham, what should I eat there?"

"Hands down Dreamland BBQ," says the husband. "Man they have awesome ribs, you'll love that if you love meat."

"Yes sir, in fact I don't eat anything non-animal."

"Dreamland is great, you got to go there," confirms the wife.

Alright, to the internet I go, but first before I start to Yelp and Google, I gotta call them up and really, really see if these guys are still in biz, you know? I do, and of course they are in biz. "Hey come on in, we're located on 14th Avenue South," says a perky woman on the other end. Only thing, I'm on Maui, and unless I fly over there today no dice.

But as I Yelp and Google them, yes they must be good, they have 5 locations in Alabama, and 1 in Georgia. Must be good, and being down in the south eastern conference, ribs must be good, after all southerners know them some ribs, like how Hawaiians know poi.

So my friends from Alabama told me more about this place, the guy said he likes the Pork Quesadillas, the Half Slab, the Big Daddy Pork sandwich, the Baked Beans, Potato Salad, and the Banana Pudding.

Man, he likes a lot of stuff there. So I wrote down what he ate there, and I'll go look up the prices.

Pork Quesadillas $7.95
Half Slab Pork Ribs $10.45
"Big Daddy" 1/2 lb. Pork Sandwich $7.45
Baked Beans single $1.45
Potato Salad single $1.45
Banana Pudding single $2.00

Fact: The founder John "Big Daddy" Bishop opened the first Dreamland Cafe in Tuscaloosa the same year the Paul "Bear" Bryant started as head coach for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football program. Big Daddy, had to choose either opening a mortuary or a cafe, he prayed to God, and guess what, God told him to open a cafe and the rest is BBQ history.

In the beginning, Big Daddy and wife Lily sold sandwiches and postage stamps.

If I go there, I'm getting me exactly what our friend from Birmingham said he eats, I mean those prices are pretty good, I mean on Maui, those prices would be slightly higher, we ship a lot of food in, and the cost of transportation kills!
Rib Maniac!

Sauced faced kid

Dreamland cook

Now this cook looks like he knows what he's doing in the kitchen, that's a look of a man that is serious about ribs. And by just looking at the man, I dare not ask him, "Hey bro is this place any good?" I'd hate to have him give me whack upside my head, I dare not piss him off my friends, ooooo no sir, I will not mess with him, no sir!




So go ahead and click on the link to Dreamland BBQ, and have a look yourselves, it's nice to meet folks from all over the world here on Maui, Hawaii. And one of these days, I will make it to Alabama, hopefully during the football season, and try to watch a Crimson Tide game, leaving my Hawaii Warriors cap at home of course.

Bama Fans

http://www.dreamlandbbq.com/Birmingham.aspx

copyright ©2013

SOUTH DAKOTA BURGERS

Here I am in Lahaina, Maui- talking to visitors here on an August warm or hot depending on your tolerance to heat, summer's day. And I run into a family from South Dakota. Wow! "Why are you guys here?" dumb question.

"We're here on the last leg of the kids' summer vacation," says the elder woman as she rubs the heads of her two little boys."

"Where are you from?"
"We're from Brookings, South Dakota," said the elder man, also rubbing the heads of his to young boys. Rubbing head, is this a South Dakota thing?

So of course I'm a foodie, and I did my usual getting to know what they were doing already on Maui, like what excursions they did, where they stayed etc., but I cut to the chase after I told them where I eat on Maui, which is home. I'm too poor to afford some restaurant food right now, I do have some lawsuits against some major corporations, I figure at the end of the year I should be awarded $10,000,000,000,000,000.00. Vegas Baby!

This is where they said to go, and it's another burger joint- what? Is everyone I talk to into burgers? I don't care, I love me some burgers all of the time anyhow.

Man: (Excited) Go to Nick's Hamburger Shop! They got these great hamburgers, just tasty, and you can't eat just one, they make em kind of small, so I bet you could eat more.

Me: (Thinking) Hmm, you calling me a pig?
Me: (Talking) No kidding Nick's huh?
Wife: Yeah, the boys love em, it's real simple kind of like In N Out Burgers, small menu but very good, the kind of place where you can smell the burger in the air.
Me: Hmm, thanks guys.

Okay- as usual, I make a call to this place on my T Mobile phone, a lady answers and I ask her what time they close, she tells me 4pm, great, it does exist. So I go on Google and Yelp to see what people have to say besides this family that loves to rub heads from Brookings, South Dakota.

Okay I look at Yelp, and yeah people love em, but... where's all the pictures? I need to rip off some photos guys. Not much but here's what I found.

The building looks like this

I like the looks, old school, almost south westernish, and cowboy sort of. It looks like a mom and pop doesn't it? 

I can just imagine a gang of Harley riders going in here, "Let's git some burgers!" And as they enter the shop, the cops are there trying to rid the riders out of Dodge.

Okay I get it, it does look like little burgers, but simple is always delicious. I'm just looking at those 4 burgers and I know I can eat em all! But, no french fries? What? Are you kidding me!

Now, now Nick's, listen here...and I may not be a restaurant owner, but let me say one thing, "Are you guys nuts? Hamburgers you claim to be great but no fries? C'mon man! Just buy some Ore'Ida's or something, if you don't wanna cut your own potatoes, buy them frozen ones man!

Aw, now I don't know if I want to go to Nick's if I ever visit there...no fries? It's like going to Foot Locker and buy a pair of Jordan's and want to buy socks and the guy in stripes says, "Sorry but we got ah...some towels."



Okay, never mind that, I'd go there I was just kidding, maybe if there's a Mc Donald's close by, we'll drive through there and then get our burgers from Nick's. Let's look at the menu.

WARNING: NICK'S DON'T SERVE FRIES!!!!!

MENU

Burgers:

Hamburger

Double Hamburger

Cheeseburger

Double Cheeseburger

Burger Toppings:

Mustard

Ketchup

Relish

Onions

Pickles

Chips

Homemade Pie

Drinks:

White or Chocolate Milk

Coke

Diet Coke

Mello Yello

Sprite

Rootbeer

Orange

Mr. Pibb

Coffee

Ice Tea

Shakes:

Vanilla

Chocolate

Strawberry

Pineapple

Cherry

* They do take credit cards...since they don't serve fries (just kidding).

www.nickshamburgers.com

Nick's Hamburger Shop

427 Main Ave

Brookings, SD 57006-1935

605-692-4324

Hours:

Monday-Friday 11am-7pm

Saturdays- 11am-4pm

Sundays- Not there went fishing or something.

Visit there website for more info, my hands are tired of typing!!!!! Oh yeah they're on Facebook too.

©2013