frank sinatra ate here

another day kicking it at the made in hawaii festival website and it's definitely time for a tasty treat. if you're heading to the blaisdell this weekend, the abundance of samples you'll get to dig into will probably put the sport of grazing at costco to shame, but this photo of a happy cake will have to suffice for those of us far from honolulu.

you simply cannot go wrong with any of these words: chocolate. macadamia nut. fudge brownie. and let's not forget it's all baked into a cake (a happy one, mind you). this is not your mother's duncan hines so if it's moist and delicious it sounds like a winner.

and did you know that hawaiian happy cakes also has a hollywood connection? the cakes are baked at kemo'o farms in wahiawa which just happens to be one of the hawaii location's seen on from here to eternity. once upon a time stars like frank sinatra, ava gardner & lana turner had pineapple happy cakes shipped up to the mainland so make like a movie star and have your favorite flavor sent to your door.

salsa magic

dehydrated food typically conjures up thoughts of vacuum sealed packets of sustenance for astronauts & campers. a more gourmet option is pat's pineapple salsa which has been featured on food network's food finds.

each packet is filled with dehydrated pineapples, onions & chili peppers (no additives or sweeteners) straight from hawaii. all you need to do is add a few tomatoes and watch the ingredients magically plump up into fresh hawaiian salsa to enjoy no matter where you call home.

the salsa business is a labor of love for the family of the late pat campogan who are following his dream of sharing his culinary creations with the rest of us. the family also dishes up organic fare at the nasturtium café in kealakekua on the big island so stop by and see what they can whip up with nary a food dehydrator in sight.

diy wine

. . . well, kind of. thanks to punahou grad shannon ball, tending to the vines & expensive fermentation equipment are no longer a requirement for aspiring vintners. test your winemaking skills at his shop, wine the experience, where you can blend your own wine from over 50 varietals and a few months later your wine will be ready to be bottled.

slap on some custom labels and you have a one-of-a kind gift for birthdays, weddings & the holidays. if you don't drink it all first.

goats make good cheese

there's even more to love about upcountry maui with the award winning goat cheese from surfing goat dairy where owners thomas & eva-marie kafsack have been whipping up a mouth watering variety of cheeses since setting up shop a few years ago.

serious foodies will want to add the shark bite line, which features gourmet ingredients like truffles and gold flakes, to their wish list while cheese lovers on a budget can savor aloha chèvre cheeses enhanced with maui lavender, mangos & more.

if you want to learn more about the cheese making process, check out one of the many tours available where you can try your hand at herding or milking the goats that make all this cheesy goodness possible.

the wickedly delicious mele mac

it is impossible to eat just one mele mac. if you have never encountered this delightful concoction . . . imagine chocolate covered macadamia nuts kicked up a notch with a coating of toffee & dusted with powdered sugar. 'nuff said.

they are so addictive that there should really be a mele macs 12 step program. especially now that island princess has opened up shop on the internet meaning you no longer have to wait until the holiday care package arrives in the mail or your next trip to the islands to get your fix.

and since the island princess factory outlet is located near the honolulu airport, you can stop by to stock up on discounted goodies for your mainland friends (sure, sure . . . whatever gets you through the night) while grazing on free samples. yum!