Reflecting on Memorial Day

My Uncle Hiroshi Matsukawa died fighting in Italy during World War II. He was part of the decorated Japanese-American 100th Infantry Battalion.

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And while that was a long time ago and he died before I was born, for me, Memorial Day will forever be linked to childhood memories of somber ceremonies at the Veteran’s Cemetery in Hilo that my family attended each year in his honor. The snap of rifles in salute, their explosive discharge, the bugler playing mournful Taps, flowers and leis lovingly placed at every headstone, the Stars and Stripes fluttering in the wind – all are part of my Memorial Day remembrance.

In 1970, Steve’s younger brother Patrick Hu died in Vietnam and is buried at Punchbowl, National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific. And young men and women continue to fight and die for our country today.

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How to Hone your Knife

Typical knives; do not hone a serrated knife.

By Craig Deppe

Knives are, by far, the most used tools in the kitchen. We rely on them to cut efficiently, cleanly and with a minimum of effort. This means that keeping them sharp is probably the most important bit of kitchen maintenance we can perform.

It may sound a little odd but keeping your knife sharp does not involve sharpening them very often. What you do need to do often (as in every time you use a knife) is hone it. This realigns the edge and keeps it cutting beautifully between actual sharpenings.

Here’s how it’s done….

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Make your Own Summer Snow Cones

By Marilyn Hunter

Summer’s almost here and nothing says summer to Benny and Nicky like homemade snow cones! We try our best to teach our boys about how to eat following the seasons, enjoying what’s fresh and abundant at the moment. They look forward to this time of year because they get to pick the fragrant, juicy lemons from our neighbor Terri’s tree.

And when you live across the street from a prolific lemon tree, you’re obligated to come up with multiple ways to use its fruit – lemonade, lemon muffins; lemon bread. After all, one of life’s most important lessons is to not waste food.

But the boys’ favorite way to use lemons is lemon snow cones. Snow cones are very easy to make at home. You can find ice shavers at housewares stores, but we just put the cubes in a plastic bag and break them down with a meat mallet before finishing in the blender or food processor. Paper cones and spoon straws are summertime stock at your local grocery or party store. We make the syrup ourselves so the anticipation and enjoyment of the cones lasts longer.

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Crab Cakes for a Luxurious Three-Day Weekend

By Lori Powell

Memorial Day...oh, the sheer bliss of having a three-day weekend! Definitely not overrated!

Prior to my new job, I was freelancing for about 2½ years and was not so great about saying NO in this economy to either a job that inspired me or one where I got to work with a great team of people. So holidays, never entered my mind unless I was invited somewhere or family called!

I know it sounds like I led kind of a dismal life or that I am a workaholic…well, possibly a bit of the latter. Funny thing is, when you are fortunate enough to find your passion and love your work, it simply doesn’t feel like work – at least a lot of the time.

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A Rainy Day Spring Supper

By Katie Barreira

Rain, rain and more rain. Phooey. Not even my LED lights are helping to brighten this late-spring gloom. Well, if I can’t play like it’s May, or dress like it’s May, then I’ll simply have to eat for the season.

Here’s a quick, farmers’ market-inspired supper that’s perfect for a low-energy weeknight. Even though this single-skillet meal is minimalist in time and effort, it’s boldly flavored, dramatically refined and exceptionally healthy! It’s recipe for good cheer.

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