'Ono Kine Grindz

Ladurée - Paris, France

I only had a day in Paris, and not even a whole day at that.  I took the Eurostar from London at 6:30 am and arrived in Paris at just about 10:00 am.  The train departed Paris at just after 8:00 pm for an 11:30 pm arrival in London. 

This meant that I really did not have much time to explore the city, but it was nice to be back in Paris after a 13 year absence.  I also missed places that I really was hoping to visit -- pâtisserie Sadaharu Aoki, Pierre Hermé or the original Ladurée located at rue Royale.  Instead, on the way back to the train station, I stopped at the Ladurée salon located on the avenue des Champs Elysées.

Saint-honoré rose-framboise (7€)

Flaky pastry, choux pastry, light rose petal confectioner's custard, raspberry stew, chantilly cream flavored with rose water, rose syrup fondant and fresh raspberries.

Ladurée Champs Elysées
75, avenue des Champs Elysées
Paris, France
Telephone: 01.40.75.08.75

Satura Cakes

Now available at Ward Centre!

Below is a small sampling of some of my favorite treats from Satura Cakes. 

(green tea corone)

The green tea corone uses puff pastry (or phyllo) to create a crisp and crunchy exterior that surrounds a subtly flavored pastry cream (also available in mango).

(chocolate gâteau )

The chocolate gâteau is rich, dense and chocolaty and is presented topped with some whipped cream and a shard of chocolate.

(Kona coffee blancmange)

If you love coffee, you'll love the Kona coffee blancmange.  Take some coffee-flavored pudding (that's what I'd call it), add a few squares of coffee-flavored gelatin, then top with a dollop of whipped cream.  The perfect combination of flavors makes this smooth, creamy dessert one of my favorites.

(mille crêpe)

The mille crêpe takes a stack of 15 delicate crêpes and layers them with whipped vanilla cream.  Light and airy, this is what a Beard Papa cream puff in cake-like form would taste like.  Can I have this flavored with green tea, please???

(salty chocolate cookies)

The salty chocolate cookies are made with Valhrona cocoa powder, Himalayan salt, macadamia nuts (I'll have to ask again) and organic sugar.  Taking a bite of these cookies, you first taste the bittersweet chocolate.  As the cookie starts to dissolve in your mouth, the flavors of sugar and salt come through, making these the perfect cookie.

Since they opened, I must have visited about a dozen times, each time trying something new.  I've had almost every dessert and have yet to be disappointed.  I heard that they will be starting a limited menu for breakfast and lunch.  Let's hope these offerings are just as good.

Satura Cakes
Harbor Court
55 Merchant Street Suite 110 (lobby)
Telephone: 808.537.1206

Guess Where This is From...

Over the past week, I've been hosting a few guests from out of town.  On a recent trip up to the North Shore we stopped in Wahiawa to pick up a few goodies.  The first was this chocolate cream pie from Sunny Side Inc. in Wahiawa.

This pie is probably the bakeries most popular item.  The crust is tender and ultra-flakey, while the filling is smooth and chocolatey.

Sunny Side Inc.
1017 Kilani Avenue
Telephone:  808.621.7188

After picking up our pie, we ended up at Dole Plantation, home of the Dole Whip with crushed pineapple topping. 

Cool and sweet, this was a refreshing treat. 

Dole Plantation
64-1550 Kamehameha Highway
Telephone:  808.621.8408

Junior's Cheesecake with Umeboshi Sauce

A while back, I purchased a cookbook at the bargain basement price of US$2.00.  It was called, "Welcome to Juniors!  Remembering Brooklyn With Recipes and Memories from Its Favorite Restaurant".

Years ago, I had often stopped at Junior's Restaurant on the corner of Flatbush and DeKalb Avenue in Brooklyn, New York.  It was right across the street from the DeKalb Avenue subway station that I used to take to work in midtown Manhattan.  What I remembered most about Junior's was my time spent there with friends over a cup of coffee and a slice of cheesecake.  The really special thing about the cheesecake at Junior's was the thin layer of sponge cake that was used in place of the traditional graham cracker crust.

Well, as luck would have it, I was craving cheesecake and since I had the Junior's cookbook I decided to try and bake one of these special cheesecakes myself.  Call me sacrilegious for performing this "experiment", but I thought it worked quite well.  The slightly sour saltiness of the umeboshi (Japanese pickled plum) sauce contrasted well with the sweet, creamy cheesecake.  If you'd like the recipe to Junior's cheesecake, it can be found here. 

Here is the recipe that I used for the umeboshi sauce.

Umeboshi sauce:  (enough for one 9" cheesecake)

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon ultrafine sugar*
1/3 cup water
1 teaspoon shiso leaves*(from your jar of umeboshi)
3 umeboshi*, pitted

**NOTE**

• Shiso leaves (salted beefsteak plant leaves) are not required, however, I felt it gave the sauce added saltiness.
• Number of umeboshi used depend on the size and the amount of flavor you'd like your sauce to have.  The umeboshi I used were about an inch in diameter.
• Adjust sugar to the desired level of sweetness. 

Combine water and sugar in a heavy bottomed pot and bring to a boil.  Stir until sugar is dissolved, then turn down the heat to simmer.  Add in umeboshi and shiso leaves (if using).  Simmer for about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and strain liquid through a sieve, reserving umeboshi and discarding shiso leaves.

Pit umeboshi and discard the seeds.  Combine flesh with the reserved liquid and purée until smooth using a hand blender (about 10 seconds).  Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate overnight -- sauce should thicken slightly.  Spread evenly over cheesecake before serving, drizzling any remaining sauce on dessert plates.

Enjoy!

Haupia

This will the my final post in my Hawaiian lu'au series.  For those of you who have joined me over the past week, I hope this weeks' recipes have provided an insight into food served at a traditional Hawaiian lu'au.  In addition to the dishes that were shown here, there are many others that you are likely to find at lu'aus -- poke, poi, steamed 'ulu and even pineapple upsidedown cake.  If there are any additional recipes that you'd like to have, please send me an e-mail.

Mahalo!

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Haupia is a coconut pudding-like dessert that you will find served at any lu'au or Hawaiian food restaurant.  More like a gelatin-based dessert, rather than a pudding, haupia is usually served cut into squares for easy eating.  The trick here is to get the smoothest possible texture for your haupia while maintaining the rich coconut flavor and subtle sweetness.  For me, the best haupia uses the least amount of sugar to accent the natural sweetness of the coconut.

Haupia

1/4 cup sugar*
1/2 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup lukewarm water
2 cups fresh coconut milk*

**NOTE**

• Instead of fresh coconut milk, you can use frozen coconut milk that has been defrosted or canned coconut milk.
• If using frozen coconut milk, or canned coconut milk, use approximately 1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar.
• More sugar may be added depending on your personal preference.  I start with 1/4 cup and if needed, increase by the tablespoon.

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar and cornstarch and mix well.  Add water and stir until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved.  Set aside.

In a heavy bottomed pot, heat cook the coconut milk on low heat until warmed through.  Add in the sugar/cornstarch/water mixture, stirring constantly until thickened (about 5-7 minutes).  Pour into a 8" square pan and refrigerate until firm, about 4-5 hours (overnight is best).

Cut into squares and enjoy!

Lemon Tartlets

Citrus fruits such as lemons and limes often remind me of the warm, lazy days of summer, days which are often spent lounging at the beach.  Recently, when a few hot and humid days appeared amongst the cloudy, rainy days that are so common at this time of the year, I decided to make some of these wonderfully refreshing lemon tartlets.

This recipe uses a mini muffin pan to create these bite-sized treats.

Lemon Tartlets  (makes 24)

Curd

1/2 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons lemon oil*
2 large eggs plus 2 yolks
1 cup superfine sugar
3/4 stick unsalted butter (6 tablespoons)

**NOTE**

• If lemon oil is not available, substitute with 3 teaspoons lemon zest.
• Any type of citrus juice can be used (I like to use pomelo or blood oranges as well).
• Adjust the quantity of sugar depending on the level of tartness you are trying to achieve.

Combine eggs, yolks and sugar in a non-reactive bowl and whisk until well blended.  Add in lemon juice and lemon oil and continue whisking until sugar has dissolved.  Transfer mixture to a heavy bottomed sauce pan, add in butter and cook on medium heat until thickened (about 10 - 12 minutes).  DO NOT ALLOW MIXTURE TO BOIL.  Remove from heat and force through a sieve into a bowl with an airtight lid.  Allow to cool completely before covering the bowl and placing it in the refrigerator. 

Curd may be refrigerated for up to 10 days.

Crust

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
1 3-ounce package cream cheese
1 egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine flour, confectioners' sugar and baking powder in a bowl and whisk to combine.  Cut butter and cream cheese into pieces then sprinkle over flour mixture.  Cut butter and cream cheese into flour mixture until it resembles coarse "sand".  Set aside.  In another bowl, whisk egg yolk and vanilla until well blended.  Add to flour mixture, and mix until dough just starts to come together.  Roll dough into a ball, flatten slightly, then wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375º F.

Divide dough into 24 equal pieces and roll into balls.  Place each ball of dough into a muffin cup and press down in the center to form a cup.  Press dough all the way up the sides of the muffin cup until the dough extends to the rim.  Prick the bottom of the dough with the tines of a fork, line with aluminum foil, and top with pie weights (rice or dry beans may also be used).  Place the muffin pans on the center rack of an oven and bake for 10 minutes.

Remove muffin pans from the oven and lower the temperature to 325º F.  Remove aluminum foil and pie weights, and return the muffin pans to the oven.  Allow the crusts to bake until the edges start to turn a golden brown (about 10 minutes).  Transfer muffin pans to a wire rack allowing the crusts to cool completely in the pans.

To assemble the tarlets, use a pastry bag and a tip of your choice (I used a star tip) to pipe the desired amount of curd into each crust.  Serve immediately.

Tartlets maybe kept refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two days.

Enjoy!

Beard Papa now in Hawaii!

For those of you, myself included, who have been waiting for Beard Papa to come to Hawaii permanently, your wait is finally over.  The first of several Beard Papa's Hawaii locations officially opened for business yesterday (the soft launch was on Wednesday, September 21).  While I wasn't able to get there at 7:00 am for the kick off, I did make it there a little later on in the evening.  They had run out of the "premium" cream puffs for the day (matcha), but I did get a few of the original ones.  Boy were they delicious.  I can't wait for one to open closer to home.  Hopefully that will happen in the months to come.

This shop is inside the Food Pantry on Kuhio Avenue.

Addendum: While the cream puffs were delicious, I didn't think they were the same as the ones I got from Shirokiya.  At Shirokiya, the pastry shell was much thinner and lighter and the cream filling was a bit smoother with more of a "fresh" vanilla flavor.

Beard Papa Kuhio
Located insided the Food Pantry
2370 Kuhio Avenue
Telephone:  808.922.8726

Blueberry Ice Cream

It's been really hot here lately.  In fact, it has been so hot that my ice cream maker has been going non-stop for the last couple of weeks.  A few nights ago, I made some fresh blueberry ice cream using blueberries that I purchased from Costco.  The base is smooth and creamy and I really didn't add much sugar to this recipe since the blueberries were sweet to begin with.

Blueberry Ice Cream

1 large egg
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1 pint fresh blueberries
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice

Remove any stems from the blueberries and rinse well.  Combine 1/3 cup sugar and lemon juice in a bowl, then add blueberries.  Toss and coat blueberries evenly, then let sit for about an hour.

Whisk an egg until light and fluffy.  Add the remaining sugar to the egg and continue whisking until well combined.  Add in heavy cream and half and half, whisking until well incorporated.  Add the liquid from the blueberries into the cream mixture, stirring until combined.  Fold in blueberries, then transfer mixture to an ice cream machine.  Freeze following the manufacturer's instructions. 

This sure was refreshing!  Enjoy!

IMBB? - Mizu Yokan (Soft Red Bean Jelly)

When I found out that Elise, of Simply Recipes, was going to be hosting this month's IMBB? event, I just knew I had to participate.  When I found out that she had chosen gelatin as her theme, I was even more excited.  You see, I know that both Elise and I are JELL-O® lovers!  The most difficult part for me of this month's event came when I had decide what to make.

Since summer is nearing, and since it's been quite hot and humid here lately, I decided to make a dessert that is traditionally eaten in summer. 

My grandmother used to prepare this for many years, and I think most of us didn't really like it too much when we were younger.  As I grew older, I developed a fondness for this dessert, even making it myself from time to time.  Mizu yokan is a type of soft "jelly" made from kanten (agar-agar) and azuki beans.  Koshian, which is the smooth azuki paste used to make this dessert, can be made using dried azuki beans and sugar, or can be purchased already prepared.

This dessert is so simple to make and delicious with a nice cup of green tea.

Mizu Yokan (Soft Red Bean Jelly)

1 stick (about .25 oz) shiro kanten (white agar-agar)
1 1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can koshian (strained azuki bean paste)

**NOTE**

No sugar in used this recipe since koshian is normally pre-sweetened.  Up to one cup of sugar may be used depending on the level of sweetness desired.

Rinse kanten under cold water, then cut into 1" pieces.  Add 1 1/2 cups water to a small pot, add cut kanten and place on stove.  Allow kanten to soak for 30 minutes to soften. 

After 30 minutes, turn the heat to medium and cook until kanten is completely dissolved.  Add in sugar and salt.  After the sugar and salt have dissolved, add in koshian.  Increase heat until just below boiling, stirring constantly.  After a few minutes, remove from heat.

Strain mixture into a 8" x 8" square pan and let cool completely.  Cut into desired shapes and serve.

The good thing about this is that kanten sets at room temperature and will start to firm up as it cools.  No refrigeration is required for this to set.  However, like any other gelatin based dessert, this tastes much better after being chilled.

Enjoy!

Butter Mochi

My apologies.  I wanted post this before I got too busy.  I'll do the write up in a little while if I'm able to.  I'll also try to do something with the photo.  Thanks for your patience and understanding.

Butter Mochi

1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups superfine sugar*
1 box (16 ounce) mochiko flour
1 can (12 ounce) evaporated milk + 1/2 cup water
1 can (13.5 ounce) coconut milk
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

**NOTE**

You can use up to 2 1/4 cups sugar without increasing the volume of the liquid ingredients.  It all depends on how sweet you want the mochi to be.

Add one stick unsalted butter to a microwave safe bowl and melt in microwave for 30 seconds.  Add sugar and mix until well combined.  Add vanilla extract, then add eggs, one at a time.  Mix until well incorporated.  Add in mochiko flour and baking powder, and continue to mix.

Combine evaporated milk and water in a separate bowl.  Whisk to blend.  Add to mochiko mixture in 2 parts, mixing well between addtions.  Next add in coconut milk,  whisking until well blended.

Pour mixture into a 9” x 13” pan and bake for one hour at 350F.  Promptly remove from oven, and let cool completely.  To serve, cut into 1“ x 2” bars.

Topped with shredded coconut if desired.