little kitchens = good eats

the place to be next friday evening will be the 2008 little kitchens foodie fundraiser at the hawaii state art museum. enjoy nibbles from island restaurants, farms, and food producers while supporting slow food oahu. if you are unfamiliar with the slow food movement, as you might expect from the name, it is the opposite of fast food focusing on locally produced food, treating animals more humanely, and growing organic.

take milk as an example. as i like to point out to friends, organic milk should simply be known as milk since that is the way it was made prior to the industrialization of the once bucolic dairy farm. if the milk most people schlep home from the market were labeled truthfully - unhappy cows chowing on an unnatural diet of feed to fatten them up (instead of grazing on the grass they were meant to eat) and shot up with hormones - most folks would think twice about taking yet consume every time they pour themselves (or their little one) a glass of milk - perhaps more people would reach for the organic offering.

yes, it will cost you a few more pennies but it's better for the environment and your body since studies have shown that organic milk has more antioxidants and vitamins compared to conventional milk.

alrighty, off my soap box. if my little rant has piqued your curiosity, click over and watch this episode from diary of a foodie for a look at how people around the world are doing slow food right.

• when: fri, jun 13th - 5:30p to 8:30p
• where: hawaii state art museum, 250 south hotel street
• tix: $60
• fyi: 21 and over

p.s. big island readers: if you have a bounty of fruits and veggies growing in your garden and don't want it to go to waste, contact your local slow food chapter which has volunteers in waimea and waikoloa happy to pick the extra produce and deliver it to the food bank.

red pineapple roundup

red pineapple proprietor nalani mclaughlin holliday scored a little mention in dailycandy yesterday for her eponymous cookie creations. with mother's day fast approaching, time to gather 'round for a show and tell of whimsical gift ideas stocked at nalani's ward centre boutique:

1 - for the green thumb: garden-in-a-bag creates instant blooms

2 - for the fashionista: a stiletto door stop makes for a flirty homage to her choos

3 - for the sweet tooth: pretty packaging conceals nalani's famous cookies

4 - for the wave warrior: a stylish swim tote complete with waterproof liner

missing the gifting gene? take a rain check on that panic attack and let the red pineapple 'ohana whip up the perfect mother's day basket for you. minimum order is a budget friendly $11 plus red pineapple offers delivery and shipping direct to your mom's door.

sustainable sweetness

there are many good reasons for supporting small food producers but, up until now, craving something yummy from a faraway land was definitely a guilty indulgence once you factored in the environmental costs of getting it from here to there. carbon offsets are one way to reduce a product's footprint and royal hawaiian honey recently became the first u.s. made food to earn a carbon-free certification.

it's a family owned business from the honey making operation on the big island (better known as hawaiian queen co.) to the distribution end on the mainland. a product life cycle analysis of the honey tallied up everything from the fuel to power the trucks to check on the hives to the production and transport of the glass jar packaging. royal hawaiian honey then offsets the total by purchasing carbon credits which invest in renewable energy (think solar and wind power).

three varietals of the raw unfiltered honey (the first two are certified organic) are currently in production - christmas berry, hawaiian lehua, and macadamia nut blossom.

take a peek at the stockist list to find an island purveyor (california readers can grab a jar at their local whole foods).

{via susHI}

bunny love

after dying eggs with my cousins in my aunty's kitchen, chocolate bunnies were, hands down, my favorite part of the holiday so enjoy this impromptu roundup of easter finds for both little ones and the young at heart:

1 - hokulani bakeshop's iced animal cookies are almost too cute to eat.

2 - scoop up handcrafted sweetness like this felt bunny pin in berrysprite's etsy shop.

3 - your keiki will love gathering up eggs in a peter cotton tail bucket. you will secretly enjoy the accompanying chocolate dipped treats from big island candies (i won't tell if you won't tell).

4 - these adorable not a chocolate easter bunny toys from kailua dollmaker denise mollison have proved to be a popular pick this easter season. the last batch of bunnies are on hold so drop denise a note to add yourself to the waitlist.

hank's haute dogs

portuguese haute dog

upon reading that top chef miami contender dale levitski stopped by hank's haute dogs during a visit to the islands on 'ono kine grindz, i immediately jotted it down as a potential lunch stop for my next visit home. acclaimed restaurateur henry adaniya made his name on the mainland with his much lauded chicago restaurant trio (where dale once cooked), but decided to return to his hawaii roots and introduce a more gourmet take on the picnic staple.

the kaka'ako spot is small but modern with limited seating at the counter inside and a few shaded tables outside (adjacent to the parking lot). i opted for the portuguese dog since it seemed like a genius idea, however, it didn't have quite the right spice mix for me (i'm more of a gouvea girl). my fella ordered up a hank's frank, a chicago style dog piled high with onions, tomatoes, relish and hot peppers, and, after sneaking a bite, i wished i had one to call my own.

chicago style

ingredients are high quality so if a costco special is more your speed be prepared for potential sticker shock since prices start at $4.50 (our lunch of two dogs, onion rings, and a drink rang up just under $20). that being said, it was worth the price of admission since i amused myself by insisting we pronounce haute correctly (dropping the "h" à la français) and spent many an afternoon with my fella trying to decide if today was the day to stop for an /o ät/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciationoht dog.

daily specials feature house made specialties like rabbit, lobster & duck/foie gras dogs so take a peek at the menu before you go.

• where: 324 coral ave (at ala moana blvd)
• hours: mon - sun (click here for details)

get to know hhd's founder over at chow.