My Kitchen My Table

MKMT Cookbook Club ~ Canal House Cooking Vol.4

This summer, the MKMT cookbook club will be cooking from Canal House Cooking vol.4 by Christopher Hirsheimer & Melissa Hamilton, veterans of Saveur magazine who now have the pleasure of working together at their atelier devoted to “good ideas and good work relating to the world of food.” Their studio is an old red brick warehouse situated next to a canal, hence the name Canal House.

The way the story goes, the two meet in the morning and over breakfast tell stories of what they cooked for their families the night before. Then they spend the day cooking together and talking about food. Sign me up for that existence, can I be a guest visitor some day?

I first discovered Canal House Cooking Vol.2 last fall at Terrain. The authors were there the week before for a signing. Something about the shiny bronze cover caught my eye so I picked it up and it was love. From the stunning photography to the simple design, to the recipes; all seasonal and completely approachable. I snapped one up and read it cover to cover on the flight home dreaming up grocery lists and dinner party menus. I even made Sister Frances’ Potatoes for Christmas Eve dinner.

Vol. 3 is just as wonderful and when I saw Vol.4 had recently come out I knew it was the perfect cookbook for our next cookbook club. I am already counting the days when the first of my tomatoes will be ready to make the Tomato Tart and plan to get a box of apricots towards the end of the season to make some of Patty Curtain’s Apricot Jam.

The most brilliant part of Canal House Cooking is the publishing. Three volumes are published each year. In addition to being able to buy the books individually, an annual subscription is available. It is genius from managing print runs and costs as well as inventory. Vol.1 is no longer available so I suspect they publish for what they have subscriptions for plus early commitments from key retailers and a few extra then they are sold out which would instantly place a premium on volumes once they are no longer available.

Leave it to the founder of Saveur magazine to implement the magazine subscription model with cookbooks. But enough of the business behind the book… I’m off to find a blood roange to make that Pink Lemonade Granita.

Warm Goat Cheese Bruschetta

This Warm Goat Cheese Bruschetta recipe is my favorite new appetizer. Also from the Insalata cookbook, it is quick and easy and the spread can be made ahead – perfect for weeknight entertaining. The combination of herbs (now all growing in the garden) and lemon zest will have party guests asking “what are these interesting flavor combinations?”

1 lb Laura Chenel goat cheese, or use your favorite fresh goat cheese, at room temperature for 30 minutes
2 tbsp chopped sweet herbs – chives, chervil, tarragon and Italian parsley
2 oz extra virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Artisan bread, ciabatta or even a walnut bread.

Place softened goat cheese in a mixing bowl. Add herbs, oil, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Slice bread into 1/4 inch slices. If the loaf is large, cut slice in half. Brush slice with olive oil. Either on a grill with medium fire, or in a 375 oven, toast each slice until lightly brown.

Smear 1-2 tablespoons of goat cheese on to each slice.

The Perfect Summer Salad

There is no mistaking that for the past couple of days it has been summer in the city! Everyone is out and about soaking in the sun. Finding myself not particularly motivated to cook when it is 85 degrees in the loft, I decided that the Fattoush Salad I had recently made would be a good call for dinner.

Recently I was invited to be the special guest at a friend’s cookbook club. Her group was cooking from Insalata’s Mediterranean Table cookbook by Heidi Insalata Krahling whose eponymous restaurant in San Anselmo has become a staple in the Marin restaurant world for the past 14 years for both residents and visitors alike.

The cookbook is only available at the restaurant which is unfortunate, and inconvenient (I had to drive to the restaurant to pick mine up – but hey, I was the special guest visitor, it was necessary) as it is a wonderful book.

This is the recipe from the book. Heidi is very passionate about ingredients and flavors and throughout the book weighs in with tips and suggestions about how to make each recipe the absolute best it can be. A few additional recipes can be found on the Insalata’s website. I would encourage you to take a look and give some a try.

Use only the hearts of the romaine–don’t be tempted to use the tough outer leaves. Also, tear off the top of the heart if it seems limp and leathery.

Traditionally, Italian parsley is used in place of cilantro, but I like the flavor balance of the mint and the cilantro. The size of a bunch of cilantro or mint in the summer months is double the size than in the winter. So, if you have big bunches in the summer, use 1/4 of a bunch, instead of 1/2 of a bunch.

Splurge on French sheep’s feta or a good quality imported feta cheese. It’s rich with a nice salt and acidity balance. Don’t skimp!

Use fresh lemon juice, cumin seed and real Kalamata olives. Remember that the taste of the lemon juice varies through the year so use your buds and adjust accordingly. Adding a pinch of sumac to boost up the flavors of the lemons is one trick.

Use fresh cumin seed, and not the pre-ground powder. There is a big difference in flavor when you toast the seeds to coax out their oils.

And finally, don’t buy canned, pitted olives. Take the extra time to pit real Kalamatas yourself. I promise that you’ll be happy with the results!

Salad
3/4 cup vine-ripened cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup English cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced in 1/4 inch cubes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onions (about 1/2 of a small red onion)
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro (about 1/2 a bunch)
1/4 cup finely chopped mint (about 1/2 a bunch)
6 cups hearts of romaine lettuce (about 3 hearts), torn roughly by hand
2 pieces of pita bread
2/3 cup sheep’s milk feta cheese
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives (about 12 olives)

Lemon Vinaigrette
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic (about 1-2 cloves)
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
3/4 teaspoon toasted and freshly ground cumin (see below)
2 ounces olive oil
5 ounces extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Serves 6 as a side dish

To make the pita chips, preheat oven to 350. Trim edges off of the pita, keeping a circle shape, so that the pita can be split into two halves. Cut each half into 6 triangles and arrange on a baking sheet. Toast for approximately 12 minutes, or until the pita chips crisp up and are golden brown. Turn baking sheet halfway through baking. Set aside and cool. Break the chips into large pieces.

To make the vinaigrette, in a small saucepan over medium-heat, toast cumin until aromatic and light brown, approximately 3 minutes. Toss occasionally to prevent burning. Let cool and set aside. Grind in a spice grinder until cumin becomes almost like powder. In a medium bowl, whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, rice wine vinegar, cumin, extra virgin olive oil and olive oil. Season to taste with generous amount of salt and black pepper. Set aside.

To serve, toss romaine hearts, cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, mint, cilantro, red onions and olives with the vinaigrette in a large bowl, making sure that the leaves are well coated with the vinaigrette. Divide the salad among 6 chilled salad plates. Serve immediately.

Sidebar
Sheep are the most important dairy animal in the Mediterranean. In much of the Middle East, the sheep’s milk cheese of choice is feta. Look for imported sheep’s milk feta cheese which has been barrel aged. To feta aficionados, there is no comparison between artisanal-barrel aged feta and the feta produced in huge automated factories. However, given the expense and in some areas the unavailability of barrel-aged feta, feta cheese imported from Greece, France and Bulgaria are your next best bet.

Beef Tenderloin with Sherry Confit

This recipe was adapted from one found in the Dec 2007 edition of Gourmet Magazine. Preparation began 2 days in advance with making the tomato, sherry confit. Twenty-four hours before roasting, the beef was rubbed then refrigerated overnight. As a result, day-of preparation was minimal. All that remained was to roast the beef and simmer the confit. Making the confit in advance it gave the flavors time to marry and the additional simmering reduced it and intensified the flavor. The result was a rich, smoky sauce that complimented the beef. The left over confit was used as a pasta sauce a few days later. It could also be frozen and served with beef at another time.

Serves 8

For tomato sherry confit
8 large garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1/2 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
1/2 California bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1 cup dry sherry, divided
1/4 cup water

For the beef tenderloin
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/3 cup shallot, chopped
3 tablespoons thyme, chopped
2 teaspoons rosemary, chopped
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 (6- pound) trimmed beef tenderloin roast, tied

Make the confit:
Two to three days before roasting, make the confit. Cook garlic in oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-low heat, turning occasionally, until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Add tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, sugar, and 1/2 cup sherry and briskly simmer, stirring frequently and crushing tomatoes with a silicone spatula, until tomatoes start to break down and oil separates slightly, about 1 hour.
Mash garlic into tomatoes with spatula, then stir in 1/4 cup sherry. Discard bay leaf. Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate.

Marinate the beef:
Combine garlic, shallot, herbs, olive oil, salt, and pepper, then rub thoroughly all over the beef. Place in a large bag or wrap in saran wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
One hour before roasting, remove from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature.

Roast the beef:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle.

Place beef in a 17- by 11-inch shallow heavy baking pan and roast until meat thermometer inserted into center of thickest part of meat registers 120°F, 45 to 50 minutes.
Transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil, 15 to 20 minutes (temperature of meat will rise to about 130°F, for medium-rare).

While beef is roasting, remove confit from the refrigerator and pour into a sauce pan. Bring to a soft simmer until beef comes out of the oven. Once beef is removed, add water and remaining 1/4 cup sherry to the baking pan and deglaze over medium-low heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute. Once deglazed, stir into tomato confit and continue to simmer until beef is ready to slice.
Remove and discard string from beef, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Serve with confit on the side.

MKMT Brunch Cookbook Club Re-Cap

The MKMT Brunch was a winner. The new time and different format was enjoyed by all and everyone out did themselves with sweet and savory dishes. It was intriguing to see the selection of cookbooks and recipes that were selected by the group and the variety from Bloody Mary’s to muffins to savory Griddle Cakes.

Some of the cookbooks included…
Baking From my Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten
Cranberry Harvest Muffins
Homemade Granola
Fruit Salad with Limoncello

Bruce Aidell’s Complete Sausage Book
several homemade sausage recipes

The Bacon Cookbook
Savory Griddle Cakes with Maple Syrup and Molasses Maple Syrup

Chocolate for Breakfast by Barbara Passino
Breakfast Budin (a.k.a. Mexican Green Lasagne)
Chocolate Brownie Macadamia Nut Waffles with Bellini Peaches
Ricotta Ice Cream

A Table in the Tarn by Orlando Murrin
The Raynaud Smoothie “lipstick-pink goodness”

Tuesday Recipe by Tori Ritchie
Roasted Tomatoes
Ham & Cheese Strata

And what a better way to start the brunch than with Bloody Mary’s and smoothies.

The Bloody Mary’s were some of the best ever. Here is the foundation to Pat’s secret recipe. You will need to tinker with the last 5 ingredients to find your own perfect balance, but that’s part of the fun, right?

1 46oz can V-8 juice
1 ½ cups Vodka
1 cup lime juice
Worcestershire Sauce
Hot Sauce
Pepper
Dill
Celery Stalks

Pour the first three ingredients into a pitcher. Add remaining ingredients to desired taste and serve with a celery stalk or two.

A Table in the Tarn

Shortly before the brunch cookbook club, I purchased the cookbook, A Table in the Tarn. More than just a cookbook it is an account of turning a modest country farmhouse in the southwest of France into a luxury boutique guesthouse and gastronomic destination.

As much as the recipes throughout the last two-thirds of the book have been enjoyed, it was the first 90 pages that I found to be most intriguing. They were full of the tales and foibles of the two year transformation of the farmhouse and its gardens and made for engaging reading. I was completely absorbed in the process, the artisans and the local characters that helped with the transformation. While reading, I coveted the adventure and spirit of the gentlemen from the UK who left their conventional world behind and fantasizing about my own escape to the French countryside.

Such was my curiosity of Le Manoir that I tried to book a night to stay there during last October’s trip to France. It didn’t work out logistically in the end and I figured that with all of the sensational publicity of the guesthouse and publication of the cookbook I would go the next time I was in France. Sadly, there won’t be a next time, shortly after inquiring about a visit, an email came bidding adieu from the staff at Le Manoir. Yes, Le Manoir had been sold and would become someone’s private residence. Quelle horreur!

It doesn’t add up. After rave reviews and seeming successes, why was Le Manoir sold? There must be something greater going on – a back story as to why what appeared to be the perfect place ended up being sold by the proprietors who spent 2 years turning it into their dream.

Whatever the case, all best wishes to the future endeavors or Orlando Murrin and Peter Steggall; I’ll be on the look out for their next adventure and hope to have an opportunity to experience what ever it may be. In the meantime, the cookbook remains a fine tribute to what was.

Here is the smoothie recipe I made for the brunch CBC. I used mixed berries instead of straight raspberries and love the description below of the “lipstick-pink goodness”!

The Raynaudes Smoothie

At Raynaudes we serve the sort of breakfast we would like to eat if we were on holiday: fresh, light, and indulgent – plus almost invariably, a surprise. One of the best surprises has to be our smoothie – an icy cup of lipstick-pink goodness.

Makes enough for 6

2 ripe bananas
2 tablespoons honey
2 cups plain yogurt
½ cup apple juice
2 cups raspberries, frozen
(or mangoes or other fruit)

Whiz everything in a blender till smooth. (Powerful as a food processor is, its blades work in a different way from a blender, and you get a much smoother effect with the latter). Taste and add more honey if necessary, and more fruit juice if too thick. Serve at once though it will still be delicious half an hour later.

Granola and Fruit for Brunch

Both of these brunch recipes are from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. The Homemade Granola was adapted by Ina Garten from Sarah Chase’s Open House Cookbook. The granola was so good that since the cookbook club brunch I’ve been keeping it on hand as a staple. I like to change it up each time by adding different nuts and dried fruits. If there isn’t yougurt in the refrigerator granola is great with milk – I usually have it with non-fat but it’s always a treat to splurge with whole!

Homemade Granola
Makes 12 cups

4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups sliced almonds
¾ vegetable oil
½ cup good honey
1 1 /2 cups small-diced figs
1 cup dried cherries
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup roasted, unsalted cashews

Preheat oven to 350°

Toss the oats, coconut, and almonds together in a large bowl. Whisk together the oil and honey in a small bowl. Pour the liquids over the oat mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until all the oats and nuts are coated. Pour onto a 13×18 inch baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally with a spatula, until the mixture turns a nice, even golden brown, about 45 minutes.

Remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool, stirring occasionally. Add the apricots, figs, cherries, cranberries, and cashews. Cool and store in an air-tight container.

Fruit Salad with Limoncello

7 oz Greek yogurt, plain
1/3 cup lemon curd
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups sliced strawberries (1 pint)
1 cup raspberries (1/2 pint)
1 cup blueberries (1/2 pint)
2 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons limoncello
1 banana, sliced
Fresh mint sprigs

For the lemon yogurt topping, whisk together the yogurt, lemon curd, honey and vanilla and set aside at room temperature.

For the fruit salad, carefully toss together the strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, sugar and limoncello. Allow them to stand at room temperature for about 5 minutes to let the berries macerate with the sugar and liqueur. Gently fold the banana into the mixture.

Serve with the granola or on its own.

Ham for the Tailgater

The day after Christmas my football team – Go Trojan’s! was sadly in the Emerald Bowl. The only redeeming part of this equation is that the Nut Bowl is blocks away from home. With rain threatening I decided to host the pre-game tailgater in the loft instead of in the parking lot. What better than to have civilized cocktails and fill up on food other than hot dogs and ten dollar beers before braving the storm and heading to the stadium?

Since everyone had been gorging on food for the past 2 days, I wanted to keep it simple with a dose of comfort. Ham was the call. It could be sliced to serve in sandwiches or fly solo with mustard and the reduced glaze on the side. Best of all, prep would be minimal.

After sticking a bunch of cloves on the top and pouring the glaze over it, it simply cooked for 90 minutes and voila – perfection, so succulent, it received three cheers and won fans from both sides of the game.

12-14 lb smoked ham
several whole cloves – enough to cover the top and around the sides
6-8 oz jar of mango chutney
1/2 cup smooth Dijon mustard (I prefer the spiciness in the smooth vs. the seeded but you could use either)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
4-6 garlic cloves

Pre-heat oven to 350°

Put the ham in a deep baking dish or Dutch oven. Put the cloves in the top, about 3/4 inches apart. In a blender or using an immersion blender, add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth then pour over the top of the ham so it runs down all sides. Heat in the oven for 60-75 minutes until the top is golden and the ham is warm.

Remove the ham and let it rest for 10 minutes before slicing. While the ham is resting, pour the glaze and juices from the pan into a sauce pan and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Serve along side the ham to drizzle over the top.

Once the ham has been devoured, be sure to keep the hock and make split pea soup.

MKMT Cookbook Club – Ad Hoc at Home

On February 21st the MKMT cookbook club will cook from Ad Hoc at Home - the acclaimed (and out of stock until the beginning of February) new cookbook from Thomas Keller. Touted as an “accessible” cookbook for the “home cook”, Ad Hoc At Home features 200 recipes for family-style meals inspired by the eponymous restaurant in Yountville.

I confess that I am skeptical about how accessible a Thomas Keller cookbook can be after The French Laundry and Bouchon, - both stunning books but more for coffee table viewing and fantasy land vs. rolling up the sleeves and cooking for family and friends.

So in the spirit of living life outside of the comfort zone, the cookbook club embraces the challenge at hand and gathering at the table to serve up classic American food Chef Keller style.

One of the recipes that we have to look forward to….

From Ad Hoc at Home: Buttermilk Fried Chicken

If there’s a better fried chicken, I haven’t tasted it. First, and critically, the chicken is brined for 12 hours in a herb-lemon brine, which seasons the meat and helps it stay juicy. The flour is seasoned with garlic and onion powders, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. The chicken is dredged in the seasoned flour, dipped in buttermilk, and then dredged again in the flour. The crust becomes almost feathered and is very crisp. Fried chicken is a great American tradition that’s fallen out of favor. A taste of this, and you will want it back in your weekly routine. –Thomas Keller

Ingredients
(Serves 4-6)

Two 2 1/2- to 3-pound chickens (see Note on Chicken Size)
Chicken Brine (recipe follows), cold

For Dredging and Frying

Peanut or canola oil for deep-frying
1 quart buttermilk
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Coating

6 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup garlic powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon cayenne
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Ground fleur de sel or fine sea salt
Rosemary and thyme sprigs for garnish

Directions

Cut each chicken into 10 pieces: 2 legs, 2 thighs, 4 breast quarters, and 2 wings. Pour the brine into a container large enough to hold the chicken pieces, add in the chicken, and refrigerate for 12 hours (no longer, or the chicken may become too salty).

Remove the chicken from the brine (discard the brine) and rinse under cold water, removing any herbs or spices sticking to the skin. Pat dry with paper towels, or let air-dry. Let rest at room temperature for 1-1/2 hours, or until it comes to room temperature.

If you have two large pots (about 6 inches deep) and a lot of oil, you can cook the dark and white meat at the same time; if not, cook the dark meat first, then turn up the heat and cook the white meat. No matter what size pot you have, the oil should not come more than one-third of the way up the sides of the pot. Fill the pot with at least 2 inches of peanut oil and heat to 320°F. Set a cooling rack over a baking sheet. Line a second baking sheet with parchment paper.

Meanwhile, combine all the coating ingredients in a large bowl. Transfer half the coating to a second large bowl. Pour the buttermilk into a third bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set up a dipping station: the chicken pieces, one bowl of coating, the bowl of buttermilk, the second bowl of coating, and the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Just before frying, dip the chicken thighs into the first bowl of coating, turning to coat and patting off the excess; dip them into the buttermilk, allowing the excess to run back into the bowl; then dip them into the second bowl of coating. Transfer to the parchment-lined pan.

Carefully lower the thighs into the hot oil. Adjust the heat as necessary to return the oil to the proper temperature. Fry for 2 minutes, then carefully move the chicken pieces around in the oil and continue to fry, monitoring the oil temperature and turning the pieces as necessary for even cooking, for 11 to 12 minutes, until the chicken is a deep golden brown, cooked through, and very crisp. Meanwhile, coat the chicken drumsticks and transfer to the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Transfer the cooked thighs to the cooling rack skin-side-up and let rest while you fry the remaining chicken. (Putting the pieces skin-side-up will allow excess fat to drain, whereas leaving them skin-side-down could trap some of the fat.) Make sure that the oil is at the correct temperature, and cook the chicken drumsticks. When the drumsticks are done, lean them meat-side-up against the thighs to drain, then sprinkle the chicken with fine sea salt.

Turn up the heat and heat the oil to 340°F. Meanwhile, coat the chicken breasts and wings. Carefully lower the chicken breasts into the hot oil and fry for 7 minutes, or until golden brown, cooked through, and crisp. Transfer to the rack, sprinkle with salt, and turn skin side up. Cook the wings for 6 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the wings to the rack and turn off the heat. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter. Add the herb sprigs to the oil (which will still be hot) and let them cook and crisp for a few seconds, then arrange them over the chicken.

Note on Chicken Size: You may need to go to a farmers’ market to get these small chickens. Grocery store chickens often run 3 to 4 pounds. They can, of course, be used in this recipe but if chickens in the 2-1/2- to 3-pound range are available to you, they’re worth seeking out. They’re a little easier to cook properly at the temperatures we recommend here and, most important, pieces this size result in the optimal meat-to-crust proportion, which is such an important part of the pleasure of fried chicken.

Note: We let the chicken rest for 7 to 10 minutes after it comes out of the fryer so that it has a chance to cool down. If the chicken has rested for longer than 10 minutes, put the tray of chicken in a 400°F oven for a minute or two to ensure that the crust is crisp and the chicken is hot.

Chicken Brine
Makes 2 gallons
5 lemons, halved
24 bay leaves
1 bunch (4 ounces) flat-leaf parsley
1 bunch (1 ounce) thyme
1/2 cup clover honey
1 head garlic, halved through the equator
3/4 cup black peppercorns
2 cups (10 ounces) kosher salt, preferably Diamond Crystal
2 gallons water
The key ingredient here is the lemon, which goes wonderfully with chicken, as do the herbs: bay leaf, parsley, and thyme. This amount of brine will be enough for 10 pounds.

Combine all the ingredients in a large pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat and cool completely, then chill before using. The brine can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Aloha Haoles

Aloha! MKMT is in Hawaii for a few days. Yesterday found us speeding up the King Kamehameha Highway in the Jeep Wrangler convertible to the North Shore of Oahu in search of big waves – hello Bonzai Pipeline – and local eats. I had heard that there were shrimp trucks, shave ice and Huli Huli chicken not to be missed.

First stop, Giovanni’s Shrimp truck in Hale’iwa. We pulled the jeep off road and into the dirt lot where three food trucks and a kiosk to get a lomilomi massage were set up. Upon approach we realized that our lunch companions were ten big tattooed Samoan dudes riding shiny Harley’s. We bellied up to the heavily graffitied truck and browsed the menu. It featured shrimp in 3 ways – all extremely garlicky in varying degrees of spiciness over rice with additional garlic sauce and a garlic hot dog – served over rice or in a bun. I had a flash back of college days and Killer Shrimp in Venice Beach although eating shrimp in a dirt parking lot out of a truck is a bit different – and more of an adventure than eating shrimp out of a bowl in a strip mall in LA…..

We opted for the shrimp and rice, most popular style, which included 12 succulent shrimp with 2 scoops of rice and the garlic hot dog on a bun vs. rice which was served with crunchy toasted garlic sprinkled on the top.

Next on the stop was Aoki’s Shave Ice where we attempted to remove the garlic flavor from our mouths. I had the Hawaiian Local Favorite – how’s that for an original name, which was a combo of banana, pineapple, and guava. The banana was overpowering. I will try another flavor the next time. Our timing was perfect because we were able to walk right up and order. 30 minutes later when we passed by again the line was out the door and down the street.

Next stop… big waves…. until we drove by the daily Hale’iwa farmers market and did a big U-turn so we could go see the local flowers – orchids to die for, Plumeria, Bromeliads, Birds of Paradise, and on and on with stunning tropical flora. After the flora fascination and realization that buying everything in site was not a good idea we poked around the produce stalls and saw avocadoes the size of nurf footballs, little gem pineapples that smelled so sweet we were tempted to bite right in. We bought one for later and it was gobbled up in no time – core and all. All forms of imaginable produce – tropical and not were found in the stalls and everything was big, luscious, and healthy. It sure put the current production of my garden back home to shame.

The highlight of the market were the two Hawaiian guys sitting on a long plank of wood making poi the old fashioned way – rolling it out on the wood. Apparently due to health codes this technique is no longer used or legal (no photos allowed), but these guys still maintain the practice to preserve their heritage and tradition.

We finally made it to the big waves. They were BIG. In addition to the waves and surfers along the coast there was a surf competition that was taking place and the shore was full of onlookers.

Classic Hawaiian surfer girl image… she was jay-walking across the highway tanned skin, teeny bikini, a little dog under her arm and guitar across her shoulder on the way to cheer on her surfer sweetie and play some music in the sand….Aloha!

On the way out of the North Shore we saw billows of smoke off to the left and identified the smell as bbq… The Wrangler took a sharp left into another dirt parking lot where we found a line queued up for the Huli-Huli Chicken – slow roasted, over a bbq rotisserie style. This was my first experience with the Huli Huli chicken and it was entertaining to watch the production of preparing the birds, rotating them on top of the flat bead full of hot briquettes then chopping them up to serve.

We ordered the half chicken and pineapple slaw – the chicken was moist and slightly spicy and the slaw, while good in concept was runny and could have used some more pineapple chunks. By the time we sat down, the line was another 20 people deep – this place is a machine.

More photos to come, but here are a few from the iphone and a recipe I found for the shrimp. I haven’t personally tried it yet, but the reviews were good….

Shrimp Shack Garlic Shrimp
Add a scoop of rice to serve one as a meal.
• 1/4 c. olive oil (sub. butter for extra artery clogging power)
• juice of one lemon
• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 8-10 or more good sized cloves of garlic, minced. You can never have too much.
• 1 T paprika
• a dozen shrimp, the biggest buggers you can find
• sticky plastic tables, stray cats, graffitti (optional)
• lemon wedges (optional)
Sautee everything but the shrimp over medium-low heat until the garlic is a nice golden brown. While shrimp is cooking, spill soda on the plastic table to create authentic stickiness. Crank the sautee heat to turbo and add the shrimp. Keep stirring until the shrimp are just barely done. Remove immediately to prevent them going all rubbery and flavorless.
Serve shrimp over rice, scraping all the little garlic bits onto the rice. By now the stray cats will have been drawn by the aroma and your shrimp truck experience is complete!