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RECIPES

‘Ahi Pasta
The next time your favorite fisherman friend swings by your house with a delivery, boil up some linguine and get cooking! We all know - the fresher the fish, the better.

‘Ahi Tofu Patties
In old Hawaiʻi, fishing was a true science. Fishermen knew each particular habitat, each stage of development, each periodic going and coming, each time and season for fishing, and each most efficient method of capture.

Aunty Irmgard’s Kailua Banana Bread
The Farden family has always had good cooks, a tradition that started with grandmother Farden. Aunty Irmgard has always been known as a good cook and especially one that could throw together a feast in no time at all.

Baked Bananas
My mom used to make this when she felt like eating dessert but didn’t want to work too hard. Yeah, it’s easier to scoop ice cream into a bowl but this dish is super ‘ono. Enjoy!

Baked ‘Ulu with Butter and Brown Sugar
My grandmother loved breadfruit. For years, I thought ‘ulu had to be cooked in the ashes of a fire wrapped in foil or tī leaf, so that the edges burned just a little and the insides were chewy and brown.

Breadfruit and Coconut Baked Pudding
The ‘ulu belongs to the fig family and is grown for its edible fruits and other important uses such as sandpaper (leaves), glue and water sealant (sap), and papa ku‘i ‘ai (wood).

Chicken Long Rice
The term "long rice" refers to Chinese fensi noodles and may have picked up this nickname because of the noodle-making process, which involves extruding the starch through a potato ricer.

Chicken Lū‘au
Lū‘au, or the leaves of the kalo, are often combined with chicken or “squid” (octopus) to make this delicious dish. Large gatherings are often called lū‘au and referred to as such because of these leaves, which are always served at parties and grand affairs.

Coconut Milk Cake
This coconut milk cake recipe was shared with me by my grandma, Betty Loraine Tavares. This particular cake is significant in our family because it is prepared at every family gathering.

Double Crust Pōpolo Pie
Pōpolo berries should be carefully picked when ripe and rinsed with several changes of water before eating. They may be made into a sauce and used as a topping on ice cream or pies.

Dried Akule
There are two stages of drying fish; iʻa maemae (partly dried, for keeping a short time only), and iʻa maloʻo or iʻa kaulaʻi (for keeping a longer period). When well dried, many fish became hard and stiff. Heads are usually left on, then generously salted.

Easy “Squid” Lū‘au
My neighbor Mel and I have a symbiotic relationship when it comes to lū‘au he‘e. He catches, I cook, we eat!

Fifty Pound Bambucha Lū‘au Stew
This recipe calls for the use of muslin, a thick woven fabric, to wrap the lū‘au in prior to cooking. After the ingredients are prepared and properly placed in tī leaves and tin foil, the ends of the muslin are tied together tightly, forming a large bundle which is then placed into a pot for steaming.

Green Papaya Salad
This healthy and refreshing dish is a favorite in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. With it’s pungent fish sauce and spicy chili, its also a favorite in our islands, especially when it’s hot outside!

Guava Chicken
The guava tree bears lemon-sized fruits which are commonly made into jelly, jam, juice, and sherbet. Medicinal tea was made from the leaf buds, offering a pungent aroma.

Hāhā with Pork and Dry ‘Ōpae
The word hāhā refers to the stalk of the kalo plant that supports the leaf and enfolds the stem (from the root word, hā). It cooks quickly when peeled and has the texture of cooked eggplant.

Haupia Liliko‘i Pie
Traditionally, haupia was made using the dried and grounded root of the pia plant (Polynesian arrowroot). Pia was often planted next to streams and lo‘i kalo, as it thrives in wet, lowland environments.

Hawaiian Beef Stew
Every household in Hawaiʻi has its own twist on the classic beef stew recipe. Next time you’re looking to change things up a bit, try this version, which includes 1 cup of poi as an ingredient to thicken and flavor the sauce.

‘Inamona
Add this garnishment to your favorite ʻai Hawaiʻi! E pū paʻakai kākou!

Instant Pot Kūlolo
If you do not have access to an imu or would rather not turn on your oven, this recipe is a great alternative that calls for the use of an Instant Pot pressure cooker. You and your ʻohana will be enjoying this sweet treat in no time!

Kai Nīoi
Love is like a fire in the body! Feel the heat of love’s fire once again – with some spicy chili peppers! Here is a delicious recipe to warm the heart of your sweetie each and every day

Kalo Burgers, with Grilled or Broiled ‘Ahi
He keiki aloha nā mea kanu. Beloved children are the plants. It is said of farmers that their plants are like beloved children, receiving much love, attention, and care. (‘ŌN #684)

Kālua Turkey
Here is a recipe for kālua turkey, usually a big winner at our family get togethers. I don’t have really accurate measures, but I go by the old-fashioned method of ‘a pinch of this or a handful of that!’

Kō‘elepālau
ʻUala is the featured ingredient in a number of tasty desserts, including piele and kōʻelepālau. Enjoy this delicious recipe which combines ʻuala with coconut milk, cream, and a bit of sugar for added sweetness.

Kūlolo
Nothing compares to kūlolo made of newly harvested kalo, fresh grated coconut meat and milk, and pure raw sugar, all wrapped in tī leaves and cooked in an imu. If no imu is readily available, an oven will do!

Limu and Hō‘i‘o Salad
There is only about a two-week window for picking hō‘i‘o, since the tight spiral ends of the fern begin to unfurl after those 14-or-so days. Once picked, the hō‘i‘o is quite delicate and has a limited shelf life.

Lomi Hō‘i‘o Salad
Hōʻiʻo, also called pohole or fiddlehead fern, is a native fern that can often be found growing in higher-altitude, shaded forests and alongside cool upland waterways. Often eaten with fresh water shrimp, the unfurling, edible fronds have a nutty flavor and make a delicious addition to any salad.

Lū‘au Stew with Beef
Here is a recipe that will surely come in handy when preparing for your next graduation party or other milestone celebration! This recipe yields approximately 100 servings.

Mango Salsa
Manakō, or mango is one of those island fruits that really exemplifies the aloha spirit… odds are you’ve been given a mango or two this summer by tūtū, or a neighbor, or a friend.

Mango Seed
Who doesn’t love this local favorite from small kid times! But be forewarned, this recipe demands extra time and patience in order to enjoy its delicious result.

‘Ōhelo Berry Jam II
The ‘ōhelo is a small native shrub in the cranberry family known for its vibrantly red berries, although the berries can also be yellow. Traditionally, the berries were sacred to Pele and offerings could be made by throwing fruiting branches into Kīlauea crater.

‘Ono Pound Cake
This recipe is very easy to make, especially for people who simply don’t have the knack for baking or cooking. It is an excellent quick dessert option for the on-the-go person!

Oven Dried Pipi Kaula
"Don’t forget to go and see the kūlolo-baking child of Kalihi at the fish market this coming Saturday. There you will find pipi kaula from the misty uplands of Mānā, delicious pork laulau, sweet kūlolo, and haupia mixed with coconut cream. What a treat!" (Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, 9 June 1916)

Palaoa Linalina (Paniolo Pancakes)
On a lovely morning in Kapālama Kula, I had a taste of old Pololū Valley on the Big Island of Hawaiʻi. That morning, I visited my Tūtū Lani Kealoha’s hale to learn how to make her famous palaoa linalina.

Parāoa Parai (Māori Fried Bread)
Frybread is a favorite in Aotearoa that can accompany other kai (foods), and it’s a special once-in-a-while treat that makes a great addition to any table!

Passion Fruit Pineapple Bread
Liliko‘i is the Hawaiian word for passion fruit. We are familiar with the yellow-fruited liliko‘i, which is used commercially for desserts and beverages. However, there is also a dull purple liliko‘i which grows wild in many forests of Hawai‘i.

Pickled Mango
"This summer, we have seen lots of mangoes in our local markets. Fruits are being sold at a price of 20 for one hapawalu [twelve and a half cents], and yet it seems that if anyone wanting mangoes would just go and stand beneath a mango tree, he could acquire even more." (Ka Nupepa Kuokoa, 18 May 1867)

Poi Palaoa
Poi palaoa (flour poi) was made by stirring boiling water into flour. It is likely that the recipe was developed by Hawaiians who were unable to get hold of the real thing. Some ate their poi palaoa “straight,” while others stretched their limited supply of poi kalo by mixing the two together, as in this recipe.

Poi Smoothie Bowl
We have the perfect recipe for those bright summer days; a refreshing poi smoothie bowl!

Poi Smoothies
The fun of this recipe is that there are no fixed amounts. You choose which ingredients and how much of each ingredient to add. Try this as an exciting classroom activity.

Poisson Cru (I‘a Ota)
A Tahitian favorite, iʻa ota is known for its perfect balance of sweetness and acidity. If you have the time and resources, freshly made coconut milk is always the preferred choice!

Poke Aku
"For six months of the year the ‘ōpelu might be eaten and the aku was kapu, and was not to be eaten by chiefs or commoners. Then again, for the other six months the aku might be eaten, and the ‘ōpelu in turn was kapu. Thus it was every year." (David Malo)

Poke Ulua
White ulua is silvery in color and darker above, with firm and pinkish-white flesh. It is delicious when breaded and fried, broiled, or baked. It also makes excellent raw fish, prepared either sashimi-style or cubed as poke and combined with your favorite ‘īna‘i.

Steamed Salted Sockeye Salmon
A keg of salt-salmon was always available in well provided households, and those who could afford it got the choice alo piko (belly). The tail portion, too hard to lomi, was cooked with greens.

Strawberry Guava Jelly
The strawberry guava makes a deep-red jelly. If a few are added to half-ripe common guava, a very attractive pink jelly is obtained. Strawberry guava marmalade and preserves are delicious but laborious to prepare because the fruit is small, and removing the seeds is tedious.

Strawberry Guava Juice
The strawberry guava is commonly known in Hawai‘i as waiawī. The strawberry guava is sweeter and has a more delicate flavor than the common guava, delightful when eaten fresh.

Tamarind Mui
Under her tamarind tree, Pauahi would sit for hours listening to her people, many of them traveling from the country side to meet with her. Her aloha, grace, and servitude is forever remembered and embedded in our hearts.

VIDEO: E ‘Ai Kākou! Episode 1 - Kalo
Featured Guests: Calvin Hoe, Kapua Sproat, and Vince Kana‘i Dodge.

VIDEO: E ‘Ai Kākou! Episode 2 - I‘a
Featured Guests: Hosea K. Lovell, Nālani Kaneakua, Summer Woolsey, and Keola Chan.

VIDEO: E ‘Ai Kākou! Episode 3 - Loko I‘a
Featured Guests: Ānuenue Punua, Kapoʻi Kelling, ‘Ānela Gueco, Kehau Glassco, Hi‘ilei Kawelo, Galbraith Kawelo, Noelani Lee, and Mervin Dudoit.

VIDEO: E ‘Ai Kākou! Episode 4 - ‘Ai Pono
Featured Guests: Kehaulani Kekua, Lei Niau, Lynette Niau-White, Students of Hakipu‘u Charter School, Kaliko Amona, and Mark Paikuli-Stride.