lavender fields forever

i finally had a chance to page through a review copy of ali'i kula lavender's the maui book of lavender (one part memoir, one part growing guide & one part cookbook with a handful of herbal tips thrown in for good measure) and found it to be a quick read for anyone who fancies herself an amateur herbalist. friends who have visited the upcountry gardens rave about the

experience so it was fun to take a peek behind-the-scenes and discover the history of lavender in the islands while filing away a few kitchen tricks for my next cooking adventure.

one surprising revelation was that lavender was grown in hawaii more than a century before akl owner (and noted horticulturist) ali'i chang discovered the perennial while experimenting with drought-tolerant plants to grow on his maui farm. that was news to me and makes the current renaissance of lavender in the islands more than just a happy accident.

alas, lavender seasoning is missing from my pantry but culinary fans will enjoy sampling recipes which put a provençal twist on island favorites while those open to otc alternatives will welcome tips on how to incorporate lavender into everyday living (a few drops of lavender essential oil equals sweet dreams for me).

now it's time for the book and the lavender delights that arrived with it to find a new home which means two readers have a chance to win!

• email your name & current hometown to: aloha [at] hapahale [dot] com by thu, feb 5th
• please put akl giveaway in the subject
• fyi - note if you prefer the book or the surprise
• one entry per person/household

click back on friday to find out if lucky lavender was on your side.

p.s. email subscribers - simply hit reply and follow the instructions above for a chance to win.

{update: winner list posted}

new year's toast

congrats to jeremy & michelle, the design team behind toast, who have recently added shopkeepers to their growing resumé with the opening of their kaimuki showroom. fans will find one stop shopping stocked with all the goodies featured on h|h mixed with more delightful finds.

word is we can expect lots of new surprises in 2009 including this just released orange love fruit to celebrate the year of the ox!

• where: 3434 waialae avenue, kaimuki
• shop hours: m/w/f/sat - 12p to 6p

p.s. click here to take a peek inside the shop.

the dish on j.j. dolan's

food always seems to dominate my trips home. while wine is typically nowhere to be found, my fella and i are dined almost 24/7 between meetups with family, friends and reliving our childhoods via a long list of island bites that can only be found in hawaii.

when we hit the very first friday of the new year, we happened to stroll by a newly opened pizza joint overflowing with a cheery crowd. intrigued, my fella and i returned a few days later on the premise of finding a good slice in the islands and happily discovered it at j.j. dolan's.

we opted to split our pie in two (shown above) - the giacomo on one side (this pizza classic topped with sausage, pepperoni, salami & olives was our favorite) and spinach & garlic on the opposite side. the crust is a revelation and i find myself dreaming of its savory crispness all the way across the pacific.

pizzas come in one size only (more than enough for two) with nine different offerings currently on the menu or you can opt to build your own pie for a custom taste. you can also order up a handful of brews on tap from the bar.

• where: 1147 bethel street (across from marks garage)
• hours: mon to fri, 11a to 1a & sat, 5p to 1a

click over to the star-bulletin and honolulu weekly for more takes on this new chinatown favorite.

inauguration day roundup

it's inauguration day! let's savor this moment in history with a presidential roundup of obama goodness with nary a commemorative plate to be found! i only hope everyone gives the man some time to tackle all the issues facing our country and that me, you and everyone else does his/her part to help fix it so that we all live in a better world four years from now.

1 - the obamas get the superhero treatment with this fabulous celebrate change greeting card.

2 - crazy shirts jumps aboard the obama love fest with new tee designs.

3 - kona joe coffee introduces their barack o blend made with beans grown in hawaii, kenya, and indonesia.

4 - secret service won't give you clearance to drop in to the oval office and talk story with uncle barry? invite the president into your home with a custom wall decal.

5 - oahu artist mark chai (who designed these lovely plywood lamps) is making 10 limited edition "light of hope" table lamps from recycled plastic and koa (a portion of sales will go to feed hawaii's homeless). [update: mark just wrote in with news that one of the lamps is currently being auctioned off on ebay]

and, as expected, the official hawaii tourism website has a page devoted to president obama's hawaii.

p.s. to celebrate this happy, happy day, i scooped up 44 of shepard fairey's yes we did stickers just for h|h readers. email your name & mailing address to aloha [at] hapahale [dot] com by fri, jan 23rd and you just may find a presidential surprise waiting in your mailbox.

p.p.s. watch president obama's inaugural address here.

and the winner is . . .

dale of honolulu! hope you enjoy the sweet & savory bites filling toast's yummy cheer mini pops.

mahalo to everyone who entered! click over to the online shop to order or hele over to the wedding café at ward warehouse or menehune mac (including the holiday pop-up shops at kahala & windward malls) to scoop up sets for gifting and celebrating.

congratulations, dale!

p.s. fans will be able to scoop up the entire collection of handmade delights and fun finds (including a geeky yet sweet led xmas tree) at toast's soon-to-open storefront in kaimuki (stay tuned for details).

{mahalo jeremy & michelle!}