Why not Kalua Pig for Labor Day?

By Sandy Hu

As we were walking on the grounds of the Royal Kona hotel in Kailua-Kona on vacation last week, we came across two workers preparing kalua pig for the evening’s luau. It brought back memories for Steve, whose grandfather used to host luaus for family and friends in his backyard in Aina Haina (on the Island of Oahu). These were grand affairs with a party tent, professional musicians and many guests.

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How to Cut a Pineapple, Hawaiian Style

By Sandy Hu

I’ve just returned from my Hawaiian vacation two days ago and I’m already yearning for all the wonderful tropical fruits at the Hilo Farmers’ Market – especially the sugar-sweet, deliciously fragrant pineapples.

Last Saturday, I took my prize fruit back to our plantation-style vacation rental in Hakalau and cut it up on our lanai. I did it the way my mother taught me years ago, growing up in Hawaii.

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Something Sweet for the Table

By Marilyn Hunter

Serving a little something sweet on the dinner table is an unspoken rule in the South. Even before dessert, we enjoy the combination of savory meats and sweet fruits, and we love making compotes with fruits of the season. It’s so simple and fast to make a compote – it can be done before the pork is out of the oven or off the grill.

Ben is now old enough and tall enough to stir pots on the stove, including stirring to make this compote, as a way of helping prepare dinner. But he learned a valuable lesson not long ago: that melted sugar syrup is hotter than hot water and sticks to your finger if you “take a dip.”

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Too Many Tomatoes

By Lori Powell

Tomatoes are dropping in my garden…literally. My garden includes everything from heirloom varieties to the humble cherry. So, when burdened (gifted) with the luxury of gorgeous home-grown tomatoes, I say, let the salsas begin!

With infinite salsa variations possible, I change it up, given the offerings at the farmers’ market or what’s in my fridge. You could add beans, corn or grilled veggies, to name a few tasty options.

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Quick Pickled Okra

By Katie Barreira

Pickles are all the rage and I couldn’t be happier. The tangy, juicy crunch of a pickle makes a perfect companion to some of our most iconic meals, but pickles aren’t just for cheeseburgers or pastrami sandwiches and cucumbers aren’t the only things you can pickle.

Making a rousing comeback are small stores like The Pickle Guys, in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, which preserves the traditional Eastern European style of pickling, along with barrels of half sours, green tomatoes and garlic cloves.

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