Kalua Turkey Recipe

KALUA TURKEY

I used this recipe (given to me by my uncle) last year. It's very easy and the turkey tastes amazing - almost as if it came out of an imu. If I were doing a more traditional dinner, I'd brine the turkey for 24 hours and cook it upside down. If anyone's interested, I can post that recipe as well.

Prep the pan:
1. Line an aluminum pan with lots of foil, going from top to bottom and side to side. Make sure you have about two to three feet of foil hanging over the pan on all four sides, which will be used to make a seal.
2. Line banana leaves, if you can get them, in the bottom of the pan. Save some for the top of the turkey.
3. Then line the pan with ti leaves. Save some for the top of the turkey.

Prep the turkey:
1. Rinse the bird inside and out.
2. Take out the neck and the bag of gizzards.
3. Rub Hawaiian rock salt and liquid smoke all over, inside and out. I use Alea Hawaiian rock salt (the red one) and Mesquite smoke flavor.
4. Place the turkey in the pan.
5. Place the remaining ti leaves over the turkey, then the banana leaves.
6. From the sides, wrap and seal the turkey with the aluminum foil. Then do the same with the top/bottom foil. Wrap the foil as airtight as possible.

Bake at 300 degrees for eight (8) hours.

What are your plans for Thanksgiving?

I've been cooking Thanksgiving dinner for my family for the past several years. I usually cook the usual turkey, stuffing, yams, etc. Don't get me wrong, traditional is not bad, but it is sure is boring. Being that wifey is back in school, she's also invited some friends over to share the meal with us. Since none of them are from here, I've decided to add some local flair to the usual fare. Here's what's on the menu so far:
• Kalua Turkey with Giblet Gravy (considering a gravy that's either miso-based or has a light ponzu flavor)
• Candied Ginger Cranberry Relish
• Kim Chee Cornbread Stuffing
• Roasted Garlic Infused Mashed Okinawan Sweet Potato
• Li Hing Pineapple and Yams
For those of you who are interested, I will post recipes as I come up with them.

So what about you? What are your Thanksgiving plans like?

Ryan's Grill + The Pill Box | Honolulu, Hawaii

Last night, we had dinner at Ryan's Grill, a longtime favorite (when we were first married, we'd have dinner there almost every week). It's been awhile, though, since we'd been back and a gift card from @KaizenHawaii was a good excuse to return.

Ryan's Grill
1200 Ala Moana Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
(808) 591-9132
Website
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The Pill Box Pharmacy
1133 11th Ave
Honolulu, HI 96816
(808) 737-4966

Of all the restaurants that used to occupy the second floor of Ward Center, Ryan's is the only one to have survived. I think that speaks to the quality of food and service.


Our first appetizer was the Jamaican Jerk Fries. Wifey was disappointed that they don't make them like they used to. She remembers them being thin and crispy, with the seasoning evenly distributed throughout. Last night's fries were cut thick and all the spices were clumped in the middle.


The spicy edamame, too, was different. It was sweeter and not as spicy. It wasn't bad - just not what we were used to.


Wifey ordered the Pizza Insalata. It's a four cheese pizza, topped with bruschetta, basil, and mixed greens. She said it was absolutely delicious.


For some strange reason, I was craving fish, so I went with the Spicy Ahi special. Seared to a perfect medium-rare, it was served with an avocado-cucumber salad and furikake rice. This dish was the perfect balance of heat and coolness.


We had a tough time picking a place for dessert, since Little Oven was closed. We finally decided on ice cream from the Pill Box Pharmacy in Kaimuki. They usually have 20 or so flavors for you to choose from. I've tried almost everyone and they are all good.



Wifey and I both had Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. A scoop this size will only set you back $1.50 (and that's including tax).

Extraordinary Desserts | San Diego, California

My brother is getting married tomorrow in Southern California, so my family is here getting ready for the ceremony. We decided to take a break yesterday and drive down to SeaWorld in San Diego. After a visit to Shamu and his friends, we went over to Extraordinary Desserts for a treat.

Karen Krasne Extraordinary Desserts
1430 Union Street
San Diego, CA 92101
(619) 294-7001
Website

Extraordinary Desserts is a place that serves extravagantly decorated cakes and tarts. There are two locations, both in San Diego.


You can see the amount of detail that goes in to decorating these desserts. Each of the items is visually stunning.


To order, you select one of the desserts from the display window.


There's something to satisfy just about any palate.



I ordered a SINGLE hazelnut latte. Yes, this massive bowl of coffee and steamed milk is a single. Wonder what the double looks like? Maybe they serve it in a gallon punchbowl or something...


And which of the many treats did I order? It's called the New York Cheesecake crème brûlée. The dessert was basically a graham cracker crust with a cream cheese custard, topped with the classic caramelized sugar topping and decorated in Extraordinary Desserts' signature style. My opinion is that this dessert was far more visually appealing than it was delectable. It was good, but not spectacular.

Alan Wong's Restaurant + Surf Lanai | Honolulu, Hawaii

Last week Friday we had the most epic date night. Thanks to a generous gift certificate for Alan Wong's Restaurant and our Waikiki Gold Card, we were able to indulge in a little bit of awesomeness, without over-spending.

Alan Wong's Restaurant
1857 S King St
Honolulu, HI 96826
(808) 949-2526
Website

The Royal Hawaiian - Surf Lanai Restaurant
2259 Kalakaua Ave
Honolulu, HI
(808) 931-7194 ‎
Website

Dinner was at the prestigious Alan Wong's Restaurant.


Wifey started with the Lychee Colada cocktail. It's a spin on the traditional piña colada with lychee in place of pineapple juice.


As the designated driver, I opted for the Plantation Iced Tea.


We started with the Hamakua Springs Tomato, Beet and Avocado Salad. The Li Hing Mui Ume Vinaigrette is amazing. Neither flavor was overly stated and it brought a whole new level of complexity to the dish.


Appetizer number 2 was the warm asparagus. It was good, but not extraordinary.
 

They were more than helpful in accommodating wifey's vegetarian diet. Here is a special Ginger Crusted Tofu (basically, it's the Ginger Crusted Onaga off the menu, with tofu instead of fish). Thanks to @ryankanno for suggesting we ask about this specific dish.
 

Along with wifey's dish came this side of potato.


My entrée was one of their specials that evening: the Surf and Turf. It was a petite tenderloin (cooked medium-rare, of course) with seafood risotto, topped with a poached egg. You can tell from the flavor that the beef was grass-fed and the seafood was fresh. Everything was cooked perfectly; nothing was overdone.


Dessert was Five Spoons of Brulees. An interesting concept, but not quite as satisfying as a other crème brûlée dishes we've had.


We spend the night at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel - a mini stay-cation, if you will. So for breakfast the next day, we decided to check out the Surf Lanai restaurant. The started us off with a nice sized basket of various breads.


Wifey ordered the vegetarian pizza. The crust was very thin and she said it tasted like everything came straight from the farmer's market.


Here are the fries that came with my sandwich.


I ordered the Kalua Pork Sliders. There was a bonus slice of Portuguese Sausage in each one. I love the "gourmet" take on local favorites.