A deeply satisfying dish that’s perfect for your next brunch, lunch, or dinner. It’s a mash-up of two of my favorite local Hawai‘i dishes loco moco and katsu. Loco moco is typically made with a beef patty and brown gravy, topped with a signature sunny-side-up fried egg, and served over a mound of steamed white rice.
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Rolled in a signature cinnamon-sugar coating, these moist and fluffy apple cider muffins are sure to become a new family favorite. Fall and apples go hand in hand and apple cider is definitely one of the coziest fall treats. You are probably quite familiar with apple cider donuts;
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It’s usually right around this time of the year, when I start to really feel the days getting shorter and the end of summer feels imminent, that I start to crave all the fruits of the season all over again. Every berry feels extra special and the peaches, so much sweeter. This is the time to start to throw all the summer fruits into all the things, my friends.
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In my home, oyakodon screams comfort. On especially cool nights or after a long day, this is a dish I turn to.
Literally translated as “parent-and-child donburi (rice bowl)”, oyakodon is typically made with chicken (the parent) and egg (the child).
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Growing up in Hawai‘i, March 3rd and May 5th were days I always looked forward to because they meant chi chi dango (also called chichi dango) was sure to be passed out in class. The Japanese holiday of Girls’ Day (sometimes called Doll’s Day) or Hinamatsuri was always celebrated on March 3rd and Boys’ Day or Tango No Sekku was May 5th.
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To close out my partnership with Pavilions, Albertsons, and Vons, I couldn’t think of anything more perfect for this time of the year than an Almost-Ramen Snack Mix. It’s almost-ramen because it’s got all those yummy ramen flavor notes, without the actual packet of ramen seasoning. Instead this mix utilizes your spice cabinet and is customizable, so I encourage you to play with the ratios to find that perfectly “you” blend.
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Continuing my partnership with Pavilions, Albertsons, and Vons, I’m bringing my cozy small-batch spiced banana mac pancakes to the blog in hopes that it might become part of your holiday traditions and memories, too. I’ve been loving the convenience of the one-stop-shop-ness of their stores for all my holiday needs, with Open Nature® and O Organics® products as well as their Signature SELECT™ line. And yes, I’m still shopping online and am so grateful to have the option and luxury of having my groceries delivered to my door during these times.
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Daily garden visits to break up the new norm of tons of screentime, a few days of food styling here, a sprinkle of laundry (ok a generous helping of laundry) there, and nonstop cleaning all around the house. Welcome to my new norm. Is it yours too? Life looks a little different this year and while we’re falling into the routine of it, it’s all a bit strange.
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Lately, I’ve felt like the days have been playing on a loop. Since we’ve been spending an unprecedented amount of time at home this year, the days are beginning to blur together. We’ve been spending a lot of time in our garden, in fact, we just started planning our fall planting.
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It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through the year. It feels like so much has happened and with all that’s going on, so many things have fallen to the wayside. Back in March, my book baby, Aloha Kitchen turned one!
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It’s hard to believe that we are halfway through the year. It feels like so much has happened and with all that’s going on, so many things have fallen to the wayside. Back in March, my book baby, Aloha Kitchen turned one!
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We’ve been staying home, working, cooking, cleaning, puzzling, laughing, gardening, and yes, sometimes crying for the last two weeks. And while life is changing, the kitchen continues to provide infinite amounts of comfort. I’ve been cracking open all the cookbooks I’ve been promising myself I’d get to eventually and actually reading them and cooking from them! I’ve also been turning to tried and true recipes from home that utilize all the pantry staples we’ve neglected.
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A while back, my friend Tash sent me a photo of a black and white muffin she found in Spain with a message that was something along the lines of, “LET’S MAKE THIS.” So when she got back, we set out to do just that. As it turns out, a good muffin is harder to pin down than one might think. It needs to be moist and tender, but also needs a crunchy top. And then when you add in the variable of not one, but two flavors, it gets a little trickier.
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At the start of a new year, you always hear about “resolutions” to work out every day, cut all gluten out of one’s diet, get eight hours of sleep every night—the list goes on. And while I’m not a big believer in big resolutions, that get carried out for a couple of weeks, I look at the start of a new year as a gentle reminder to get back on track with all the things I happened to let fall to the wayside during the holiday season.
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Earlier this year, my friend Sarah Copeland’s beautiful book Every Day is Saturday hit the shelves. It’s filled with so many easy to follow recipes that make weeknight cooking feel like a weekend, or Saturday if you will, cooking. I love the concept of the book—making everyday meals feel as special and fun as a Saturday or Sunday feast.
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Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year, as it’s all about giving thanks for the ones you love. That being said, the idea of cooking up a giant Thanksgiving feast for our tiny family (read: two grown humans and a tiny miniature dachshund) used to stress me out.
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I’ve been thinking about mochi brownies for a while now. Mochi. Brownies. YUM.
There’s a spot on the Big Island (Hawai‘i Island) called Nori’s Samin & Snacks that is known for it’s chocolate mochi cake. It’s a cross between a cake and brownie and, well, mochi.
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I owe you lots of life updates. We moved to Mar Vista, which is amazing because it’s closer to the ocean (it’s just inland of Venice Beach). I’ve been showing you around via IG stories but I *promise* to do some room by room tours here on the blog soon. My cookbook is in its final stages (eeepppp!!!)—we’re about to go to the printers and I have an official cover and publication date!
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It's hard to believe that it's been so long. The last time I was here, the year was ending. And now here we are halfway through the new year. Needless to say, we've got lots to catch up on, so please, let's keep the conversation going, 'cause it's official, I'm back in the blogosphere!
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