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Grandma Taira made really delicious andagi throughout my childhood. Growing up, I took for granted how often she would cook for us. At almost every gathering, whether it be a family dinner, birthday celebrations or any holiday get together, her special andagi would always be present. Unlike most andagi that you buy at Japanese festivals, Grandma always made her andagi to be a little bit bigger, more fluffy, and with a special sweet surprise... chocolate! She would put tiny semi-sweet morsels in each doughnut which brought all the flavors together nicely. Grandma also experimented with adding sweet potato to the center as well. Grandma passed away in 2014 and for many years before that, our family has not eaten her homemade andagi. A couple weeks ago, my oldest sister Kathy found old footage from 2002 of her teaching us how to make andagi. We had forgotten about this memory and soon after had the urge to try this recipe for ourselves. From that video, we learned that besides her adding chocolate in the center, the other special ingredient that she uses in her andagi batter is sour cream. I believe this is what makes this recipe so fluffy. We made this recipe together as a family and finally got to share this with the next generation (Kathy and Jenny's kids!) since they were not around when grandma used to make her andagi. They loved it! We hope that you try grandma Taira's andagi recipe. While making this recipe, we also made a video to be able to share this with all of you. Please keep in mind that we are not experts at making andagi... we just have a good recipe. Please enjoy! Equipment used to film this video: (Amazon Affiliate Links) Camera: https://amzn.to/3csp7aW Mic: https://amzn.to/3g2WHqd Here's what you'll need: Mix the wet ingredients together and mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the dry ingredients in the wet ingredients. And mix in one direction. Grandma's words "If it's too soft, put more flour. If the oil too hot, it's going to come black. The dough has to be sticky." Put the stove on medium and wait for the oil to get hot. When the dough pops up, the oil is ready. Oil temperature should get up to 350 degrees before frying. Add dough in the palm of your hand and flatten. Put 2-3 chocolate chips in the middle and close. Scoop dough so it rests between your index finger and thumb. Close your fist and turn counter clockwise (Since I am using my right hand) Let it cook until brown. Turn andagi over to cook evenly. Take out and enjoy! Andagi Recipe: 4 eggs 1 1/2 C. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla 2 oz sour cream 3 C. flour 4 tsp. baking powder 3/4 tsp. salt Mix the wet ingredients together and then mix the dry ingredients together. Mis the dry ingredients in the wet ingredients. Mix in one direction. Grandma's words "If it's too soft, put more flour. If the oil too hot, it's going to come black. The dough has to be sticky." Put the stove on medium and wait for the oil to get hot. Oil should reach a temperature of 350 degrees. When the dough pops up, the oil is ready. Add batter to the palm of your hand. Flatten and add 3-4 chocolate chips. Close batter and slide batter between your index and thumb. Squeeze your and into fist and rotate your hand counter clockwise. Drop batter into the oil. Cook until golden brown.

Life is finally starting to look somewhat normal. Yes, we still wear masks in public (mainly in indoor spaces) and social distancing signs are visible. However we are now able to connect again with friends and family that we generally didn't see during the pandemic. For the first time since March of 2020, my group of high school girlfriends got together for a baby shower. This was much needed girl time that we haven't had in a long time... and even though we did those zoom parties early on in the pandemic, it just wasn't the same. We decided to go to the The Beach House Afternoon Tea at the Moana Surfrider. The Moana Surfrider is the oldest hotel in Waikiki, built in 1901 and is framed with iconic beautiful white columns, grand archways, and rocking chairs that calmly sit across the porch of the hotel. The classic tea service is open from Friday through Sunday from 11:30-2:15 pm. Adults are $50 and kids are $25. If you are kamaaina, make sure to ask them for the discount! We made our reservation weeks in advance to make sure we got a spot. However, they also do take walk-ins. Parking at the Moana Surfrider is valet only. One of my favorite parts of having a high tea experience is choosing my tea! Personally, I love all different types of herbal, white, and black teas. Here at the Moana Surfrider, they have traditional and classic teas to choose from. The Classic Teas include; Mango Pineapple, Passion Orange Guava, Sweet Peach, and Hawaiian Coconut. Their Traditional Teas include Rooibos, Indian Darjeeling, Earl Gray, and Jasmine Tea. I picked the herbal Rooibos tea which was very delicious. It has a light vanilla flavor to it which pairs nicely with all of the yummy finger foods. Afternoon Tea is a set menu so the only thing that you can customize to order is your tea. Each person will get a plate with their finger sandwiches and the serving platter will have all of the desserts for everyone to share. The sandwiches menu included; Roast Beef and Swiss, Salmon Toast, Crab Salad Croissant, Hummus Tart, and Egg Salad Sandwich. My favorite sandwich was the Crab Salad Croissant because it was the most unique and it was very delicious. The desserts come on a very beautiful tea serving tray which is shared between everyone sitting at the table. These desserts included; Haupia Roll Cake, Mango Passion Moose Cake, Macaron, Pannacotta, Blueberry scones, Lilikoi Curd and Devonshire Cream. Honestly, I was full from eating all the sandwiches that I was unable to try every dessert. However I did get to try the Pannacotta and the Blueberry Scone. Both were very delicious and I heard from the other ladies that all the desserts tasted yummy. My favorite was dipping the blueberry scone into both the Lilikoi Curd and the Devonshire Cream... together. It's truly one of the best combinations. The Beach House Afternoon Tea is a perfect place to gather with girlfriends. There isn't so much thinking that has to go into what you are eating since it's a set menu and the focus can really be on the people around you and the ambiance is somewhat quiet and calm... even though there are many people around. (Don't forget, we are in Waikiki!). We stayed well beyond our full stomachs playing shower games, talking and catching up with one another since its been a long time. I forgot how much I missed just gathering and having in person conversations and experiences. I'm looking forward to more outings like these with friends and family. Congratulations, Eryn! Here is more information if you want to book a reservation for Afternoon Tea! Moana Surfrider, A Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach 2365 Kalakaua Ave, Honolulu, HI 96815 (808) 922-3111 https://menus.menupoint.net/Moana+Surfrider+(7391)+Veranda/classic-tea.html https://www.opentable.com/beachhouse-moana-surfrider

Living in Hawaii, bento box style lunches and dinners are very popular. They come in all shapes and sizes and are sold at convenience stores, grocery markets, and many small and large restaurants. Bento box foods can be very simple or fancy but all in all, the main thing is that it tastes good. Growing up, my cousins and I would spend summers at my grandparents house in Hilo and I have fond memories of them cooking Japanese bento box lunches for us. Each bento would include rice or musubi with nori, some kind of vegetable, egg, and a fried chicken or fish. It was perfect for picnics, beach outings, or anytime we were going somewhere and needed a meal. Today's simple bento recipe will include Tonkatsu (Fried pork loin), Namasu (Pickled Vegetables), and Horenso No Tamago Maki. Click here to see how we made this delicious bento! Equipment used to film this video: (Amazon Affiliate Links) Camera: https://amzn.to/3csp7aW Mic: https://amzn.to/3g2WHqd Iphone Mount: https://amzn.to/3pFJCGt Short Tripod: https://amzn.to/3xaItsY Iphone Telepod: https://amzn.to/359IilS First, we are going to prepare our pickled vegetables, also known as Namasu! Today, we are going to be adding cucumber, daikon radish, and carrots. Namasu Recipe 4 small carrots 1 Japanese cucumbers 1 small daikon 1/2 C. rice vinegar (this is the one that we buy- https://amzn.to/36jlUXv) 1/4 C. sugar 2 tsp grated ginger 1/2 tsp. salt Cut the cucumber in half and take out all the seeds. Cut all the vegetables in to diagonal slices. Grandma uses a technique where she cuts 2 half slices (so it doesn't go all the way through) and 1 full. She explains that this helps the juices get into the vegetables. After all the vegetables are cut, prepare the sauce. In a mixing bowl, add in the vinegar, sugar, salt, ginger and mix together. Add in the vegetables and mix! Leave in the refrigerator for about 30 min-1 hour and serve. These vegetables will have a nice sweet and savory taste to them! Horenso No Tamago Maki 3 T. shoyu (this is what we buy- https://amzn.to/3hhKkam) 2 T. sugar 1 tsp. rice vinegar https://amzn.to/36jlUXv 2 C. fresh spinach 4 eggs Square pan (similar to what we used- https://amzn.to/3hmDReo) *Also, if you do not have a square pan, you can also use a round pan as well! Just to be fully transparent, the square pan that you see in these photos belong to my mother. We chose to use this today because it gives a more "authentic" feel when making a Japanese egg roll. However when I am at home, I use a round pan to make tamagoyaki or recipes like this and it works great! First, blanche the spinach so it becomes soft. While you are doing that, mix the shoyu, sugar, and rice vinegar together. Soak the spinach in the shoyu mixture. After the spinach is soaked, prepare your eggs. Beat eggs and add to the pan. You can add the egg mixture in little by little if it is easier to manage. After the bottom of the egg mixture hardens, add a thin layer of spinach to the egg. Gently roll one side of the egg on top of the middle portion of the egg. Take your time with this process. You will get better with this technique the more that you do this. After you do this once, repeat the same gesture and roll again. If the liquid egg mixture seeps onto the pan, use your spatula to add it back to the tamago yaki. Flip over again to make sure all sides are cooked. Once it is done, it should look something like this! Tonkatsu (Pork Fried Cutlet) Thinly sliced pork (Season with salt and pepper and dry with a paper towel.) 1-2 eggs (beaten) 1 C. flour 1-2 C Panko (https://amzn.to/3xoCXmS) (Depending on how many pieces of pork you are frying, you may need more egg or panko) If you have a chance to go to an Asian market, sometime they have pork that is sliced for tonkatsu (it just means that it's thinner) We bought ours at marukaihawaii.com Salt, pepper, and dry out the pork. I let the pork get to room temperature before frying. Get the frying ingredients together. Flour, egg, and panko. First, coat the pork with flour, then egg, and lastly, the panko. *Tip- for the flour and panko use flat and square dishes. This will make it easier when covering the pork. Get the frying pan ready. Heat oil to medium heat. Test the oil first by dipping in chopsticks with some of the panko batter on it. If it sizzles, the oil is ready. When the oil is hot, add the tonkatsu to the pan. Check each piece after a couple minutes. When you notice that one side is getting golden brown, turn over. When both sides are nicely golden brown, gently poke one of the pieces of pork all the way through with your chopstick. If your chopstick goes through easily, your tonkatsu is ready! In this bento box, I also added rice and Ume! Ume- https://amzn.to/3qUwpdl My favorite tonkatsu sauce!- https://amzn.to/2UwkvKs Here is the Japanese bento box that we purchased! https://amzn.to/3hh5mG2 I hope you enjoyed this simple bento box idea. Let me know in the comments if you have any questions. Thank you so much for reading this through. Till the next one, see you soon! ***Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if anyone purchases through them. This helps support my channel so I can continue to create more blogs for Hawaii Food and Family!

Summer time reminds of of Japanese festivals, matsuri's and Obon celebrations. One of my favorite foods to eat during the summer at these events are takoyaki, or grilled octopus balls. Takoyaki balls are made with flour, egg, and a Japanese-style soup base filled with a small piece of tako (octopus) in the middle. Toppings on each ball include okonomi sauce, mayonnaise, aonori flakes, and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). The outside of the ball should be crispy and the inside should be soft and delicate. Takoyaki is best to eat while hot. Takoyaki was popularized in Osaka and is generally associated with street food stands around Japan. My sister Kathy and her husband Kyle did the J.E.T. (Japanese Exchange Teaching Program) in Osaka in their early 20's and fell in love Japan's food, culture, and of course the takoyaki. She even bought a cast-iron takoyaki pan in Japan and brought it back to Hawaii to share with our family. A couple weeks ago, I had an idea that we would try and make takoyaki at home. I even called our family friend Karl from KarlsBalls to give us any tips or advice. He was nice enough to share a basic takoyaki recipe with us. Click on the takoyaki YouTube video down below to view the recipe that we used! Unfortunately we didn't have any knowledge on how to season a cast-iron pan at the time and since it wasn't used for many many years, our homemade takoyaki ended up as "burnt balls." LESSON: If you have a cast-iron pan, make sure you know how to take care of it. We learned that it is important to oil and season this pan between uses. Giving up on this recipe and this idea was not an option so we decided to try again. However this time I decided to purchase a pan that Karl recommended. We ended up buying this awesome device: Iwatani Cassette Gas Takoyaki Device and it definitely worked wonders! Here's what the overall set up looked like! And this is how our "balls" came out! I loved the taste and the texture of our Takoyaki! Karl's recipe was so simple and delicious! We also added pieces of mochi and kimchee to each Takoyaki ball. One thing that I don't think we truly accomplished was the texture that Karl get's when he makes his takoyaki. Ours didn't turn out very "mushy" or "runny" on the inside... but I think to get that texture, it takes more practice. If you want to check out our homemade Takoyaki experience and find out the recipe that we used, click on this YouTube video! And if you you are in the New York area, check out Karl's takoyaki stand! Visit Karlsballs.com for more information! Camera equipment used in this video: Amazon Affiliate Links Some of the links above are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if anyone purchases through them. This helps support my channel so I can continue to create content for my blog! Camera https://amzn.to/3csp7aW Mic https://amzn.to/3g2WHqd Iphone Mount https://amzn.to/3pFJCGt Short Tripod https://amzn.to/3xaItsY Iphone Telepod https://amzn.to/3xaItsY After we made our own takoyaki at home, it made me curious to try Takoyaki Yama-Chan located in Honolulu, Hawaii. This particular stand that we visited is right outside of Don Quijote (Hawaii Japanese market) located on Kaheka street. There is outside seating available for customers that want the "dine-in" take-out experience. Takoyaki Yama-Chan specializes in takoyaki, yakisoba, and okonomiyaki. I was so tempted to get all three, but Reid and I decided to get a takoyaki combo (5 regular and 5 kimchee) for $10 and a plate of yakisoba noodles, $9.50. Also, for those that are in a hurry and don't want to wait, there are okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and yakisoba bentos available to grab and go. They looked so delicious! We were so excited to receive our food. The takoyaki were extremely hot so we knew that it was fresh off of the grill. The best way to eat it! I was surprised to find that the kimchee was only on the outside as a topping. I assumed that it would also be inside the takoyaki... but it was still delicious! The overall flavors of the takoyaki was very similar to the homemade takoyaki however there was "more of it." They add much more sauce and mayonnaise so the flavors cover the ball. Personally, I don't care for too much sauce so I would prefer a little less. But for those that like a lot of sauce in general, this would be very enjoyable. Also, there were little pieces of pickled ginger which adds a nice sweet/salty flavor to the takoyaki that we did not add in ours. The texture of the inside was very different than how we made ours. This takoyaki was very "mushy" and soft. Each bite really melted in my mouth. Eating this takoyaki made me realize that we need to keep practicing to get the right consistency in the middle. We both loved all the flavors and savored each bite. This was delicious. Reid really enjoyed the kimchee and I preferred the regular. Make or Buy? If we had the time to make our own, I would choose to do this over purchasing takoyaki. It's cheaper (once you have the right tools like a good pan), its a fun experience that can include family and friends, and I can customize my takoyaki to however I want and add whatever I want in it. I loved that we added mochi in ours because it just added another layer of texture and taste that I love. However, if I wanted a quick snack and I was craving takoyaki, I would make sure to go back to Takoyaki-Yamachan. I love that it is convenient, delicious, and very savory. (Takoyakiyamachan.com) Along with the takoyaki, we also bought yakisoba (Japanese stir-fry noodles). These noodles are cooked in a soy based sauce and usually topped with cabbage, pork and other veggies. They were very delicious and mixed with a similar flavored sauce as the takoyaki. This particular yakisoba noodles had cabbage, pork, pickled ginger, aonori flakes, and katsuobushi (bonito flakes). I really enjoyed the overall flavor would order these noodles again. Reid felt that there was too much sauce and prefers more noodle to sauce than the other way around. However this is probably a personal preference. This is another dish that we made at home quite recently. To watch our homemade yakisoba experience, please check out this video! Overall, we loved both experiences... cooking at home and visiting Takoyaki Yama-chan! If you are new to takoyaki, I would recommend you visit Takoyaki Yama-chan and try it! If you love Japanese flavors, you will love this! Next time we are at Don Quijote, we will be sure to stop by again and grab some delicious takoyaki! Or if you have some time this summer to make these foods at home, this is also a great way to customize these flavors to your preference. All in all, I hope this gives you ideas on what to make...or what to buy. Till the next one, Cari

In 2013 I recorded my grandparents from Laupahoehoe, Hawaii making their potato and macaroni salad. Since it's been on YouTube, it's gotten a lot of positive feedback. Needless to say, it's my most popular YouTube video... To put the origins of this salad in to context, grandma and grandpa are Nisei (second generation Japanese Americans) who grew up in Hawaii with the mentality of working hard, making "do" with what you have and never wasting food. Throughout their life, grandpa and grandma modeled having a strict and consistent work habit in their daily activities, a solid foundation and belief in family values, and a generous heart for everyone that crossed their path. They both grew up working in the sugarcane fields doing various jobs and by the time they had a family, grandpa worked his way up in the sugar mill as a manager and grandma owned her own barber shop business. On top of their jobs, they raised four children, were avid temple members at Papaaloa Hongwanji, and also spent much of their time cultivating a special relationship with what we know today as "plantation-style" dishes and foods. Little did they know that their recipes would be shared with thousands of people through YouTube. Their videos give viewers a special and nostalgic feeling of home and comfort and not to mention, delicious recipes that bring them back to a unique time in history. What are plantation-style dishes? In my personal opinion and from making various dishes on this topic, a plantation-style dish is something that usually has little pieces of canned or store-bought meats, pineapple flavor, and a lot of vegetables. Many people, including my grandparents grew a lot of their own vegetables which they used in their cooking for their family. I've never asked my grandpa this but I want to believe that his potato and macaroni salad dish is from the days when they lived on the plantation. All of the ingredients in this dish are very simple, easy to come by, and his special ingredient that he adds for sweetness are pineapple chunks with some of its juice. Knowing my grandpa, he loved everything sweet. Hopefully reading a little bit about my grandparents backstory will give you a little more appreciation and understanding for this very delicious potato and macaroni salad recipe. Please enjoy and share this with your friends and family. Every time someone makes this recipe, they share a little bit of my grandparents history and love to someone else. ***In the video, grandpa and grandma are making for a huge party. The recipe that I am writing and sharing in this blog post is 1/4 of their whole recipe. This will make about 4 servings. Ingredients: 1 potato 2 boiled eggs 2 pieces of imitation crab (we suggest the Hilo Amano brand) 1/3 C. macaroni 1/4 C. frozen peas 1/4 C. mayonnaise 5-6 pineapple chunks with juice salt and pepper to taste Boil the eggs. Peel the potato and cut into cubes. Fill up 2 small pots of water. Add a little bit of salt. When the water boils, add the macaroni to one pot and the potato cubes to the other pot. After the eggs are boiled, cut into fourths the long way and then cut into cubes horizontally. Cut the imitation crab into thirds and then shred into pieces. Cut the pineapple chunks into small pieces and save a little bit of juice to keep the salad moist. When the potatoes and noodles are soft, drain water and turn off the oven. Make sure these two ingredients are cool before adding to the potato and macaroni salad. Now we are ready to mix! Add in the egg, crab, peas, potato, macaroni and pineapple to the mix! Slowly add in mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Do a taste test... sometimes grandpa and grandpa would add more pineapple juice if they wanted it sweeter or more salt and pepper for a savory mix. And mix, mix, mix! After mixing, put in the refrigerator and cool for approximately 1 hour. Please enjoy grandpa and grandma's potato and macaroni salad recipe! This a great for summer parties... or honestly it's just good year round. Grandpa used to make this for almost every occasion which included birthday parties, holidays, and just for dinner sometimes. And I'm sure if grandpa were here today, he would be so happy to see so many people enjoying his salad! Grandma is 98 years old today still enjoys eating this potato and macaroni salad. She does not cook as much in the kitchen these days and has become more picky with what she eats, but I can tell that this salad is very much a part of her and holds a very special place in her heart. I hope you try this recipe for your next gathering! If you got to the end of this blog, thank you so much for reading it through. It means a lot to me to be able to share so much about the people that I care about. Till the next one, Cari