b is for bento

earlier this year, i was introduced to the bento goes kawaii phenomenon via enthusiastic blogs and flickr pages devoted to the art of playing with food (literally). who knew cafeteria cuisine could be so adorable?

and while i lack the patience to whip one up myself and would feel guilty decapitating such artfully prepared nibbles, readers up to the challenge may want to pick up a copy of the recently published hawaii's bento box cookbook which is filled with tips and tricks on how to transform your food into funtime.

the cookbook was inspired by the little lunches local chef turned sahm susan yuen began making for her little ones after noticing the delightful bento boxes prepared by the japanese moms at her daughter's pre-school. recipes include local favorites along with step-by-step instructions on how to make musubis in the shape of penguins and bears and owls (oh my!) and the intriguingly named char siu bunny bao.

bon appétit!

easy green living

hopefully, after a week of eco goodness you have become inspired to make every day earth day. the concept of going green can seem overwhelming if you are a newbie so now seems to be the perfect time to introduce you to renee loux, a maui-based organic chef who has started a little eco empire of her own.

you may have seen renee on her fine living series it's easy being green and her new book easy green living is your go to reference for all the questions that will pop up along your journey to a greener lifestyle. get the skinny on everything from gmo to herbal alternatives and the reasons why green products are better for you and the environment.

other sources to check out include fast food nation (one read will ween you off the value menu forever) and the very inspiring big ideas for a small planet on the sundance channel (no cable? no worries, you can download on itunes or order the season 1 dvd).

island style book picks

since books are always a lovely gift idea, here is a quick roundup of recently published tomes, both modern and old school in style, that are sure to be a welcome find under the christmas tree.

for the hostess with the mostess on your gift list:

party hawai'i which is filled with updated tips and menus to throw a contemporary island style bash. {via mixed plate special}

for the foodie:

everyone who enjoys reading betty shimabukuro's by request column in the star-bulletin will appreciate a copy of what hawai'i likes to eat. betty and co-author muriel miura gathered up 137 old school island favorites including the dobash cake recipe from woolworth's.

for the design junkie:

while checking out party hawai'i online, amazon's on point recommendation was the hawaiian house now which spotlights fresh interpretations of the aloha spirit in island architecture and design. perfect timing since my latest project is stocking up on design titles for my library.

and, the book i am most excited about: hawaiian modern which will be released in late january. in design circles, you always hear about people living in a case study house or a neutra house . . . who knew hawaii had its own acclaimed architect of mid-century modern design?

hopefully, we will make it home sometime during the vladimir ossipoff exhibit at the academy of arts which kicks off later this month.

hui o hawaii

during a recent visit to borders, i spotted a new magazine with the intriguing title of hui o hawaii. it turns out to be the latest entrant into the travel glossie market catering to the luxe island vacationer created by the publishers of nalu underground. the premiere issue spotlighted a mix of island destinations, style/culture profiles (1.1 features designer anne namba and musician makana), plus an emphasis on mo'olelo shared by kama'aina.

a few caveats: i found it a bit odd that an editor's note was nowhere to be found which necessitated a click over to their website to learn more about the magazine's mission. and the font is not reader friendly. small glitches that, hopefully, will be fixed by the time the second issue hits the newsstand.

if you want to take a peek, just know that hui o hawaii is a quarterly publication and subscriptions are via post for now.

{update | jan 2010: hui o hawaii shuttered soon after its launch}

house of many gods

 

since one of my goals this year is to spend a little less time on the computer, i have been going back to one of my favorite pastimes before the internet age started to consume far too many hours in my day. with my trusty library card by my side, the pages of my book log are slowly being filled up with a concentrated effort to beef up my woefully lacking hawaiian reading list.

enter kiana davenport's poetic novel house of many gods which follows the lives of a tight-knit yet dysfunctional westside ohana through the eyes of ana, a young girl yearning to break the pattern of broken dreams littered throughout her family tree. the story reveals a side of the island that is often cast aside and sterotyped by weaving its tumultuous history and ancient traditions throughout ana's journey of discovery.