Friday, February 1, 2013

Happy Friday! Or I go "island" and say Aloha Friday! The days do seem to run together here on Maui. I have little responsibilities except cooking so this is pretty much a working vacation. I know the days because I have planned menus for the two weeks I am here and check everyday to make sure I have all the supplies I need to make each meal, but other than that....this seems like a real vacation compared to my other job as a nurse.

Wednesday evening we went out to dinner at the Banyon Tree restaurant at the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua, just as I said. What a gorgeous view we had. And of course, Robert (think French Rrrro-ber) was our waiter. He remembered me and was very kind in welcoming me and my friends back. (And I am very lucky to also be friends with the people I cook for, as it makes it all much more fun and enjoyable for us all.) I decided on two appetizers and a salad for dinner rather than one entree. I had a goat cheese tart with a little salad (think French small portions for everything-which in my case, works very well), Sea Scallops with Candied Bacon and Steamed BBQ Pork Buns. Kind of a random dinner, but still, a way to try many things versus one entree, as I said before. We had a lovely bottle of wine along with dinner. Dessert was wonderful! Kona Coffee ice cream with Cinnamon-Sugar Churros and a Chocolate tart. The weather was clear and the sunset beautiful from the restaurant.

Thursday dawned with cloudy skies once again. Apparently the trade winds blew the storm clouds that had passed through earlier this week, back over Maui and the big island so we had rain off and on all day Thursday. We went shopping in the morning for more groceries to finish out my stay on Maui, then returned back to the condo. Lunch was Past Carbonara, always a nice pasta choice and in small portions, a very nice lunch.

For dinner I made Braised Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms, mashed potatoes and Roasted Broccoli. I must admit, the Wild Mushroom sauce was to die for and was perfect on the pork. And what vegetables are not divine tasting when roasted in the oven? Yum!! Dessert was the last of the coconut milk rice pudding.



This morning we had a few more things to buy at the grocery store so left early to pick those things up. One thing I insist on is a good sharp knife. None of the knives at the condo were sharp at all, so we had bought an inexpensive chef knife earlier in the week. Two days later the blade and tang loosened and came out of the handle! A brand new knife! So today, we went looking for another knife. All the better knives were at least $30, but it seemed worth it. I require very little in the way of "gadgets" but I do need a sharp knife! The new knife (Japanese) works very well!

I made a big breakfast using the lobster from the other night as well as one scallop. It made for very decadent eggs! The leftover mashed potatoes from the night before, turned into potato pancakes with sourdough toast rounding out the plate.

After breakfast, it was off to the old beach we used last year while staying in Kapalua. I had forgotten how hard the wind blows there as the beach is exposed to the open sea more than most of the beaches on Maui. The wind blows the fine sand around and after a while it feels like your skin is being sandblasted! Needless to say, a shower was in order upon returning home.

As we were all still full from breakfast, a quick discussion ensued regarding what to make for lunch. We opted for a lighter fare so lunch was composed of sliced Bosc pear wrapped in Serrano ham served with slices of Manchego cheese and some crackers. It hit the spot!

I spent the afternoon finishing my Nutrition course first assignment and quiz. A lot of work is involved for a course that offers no college credit, but I have learned a lot. A lot of people have introduced themselves on the class discussion board and I am surprised to see there are people from all over the globe taking the same class. It is nice to have something in common with all those people.

I took a break after finishing my classwork and my friend snapped a picture of me "working hard" while in Maui. I sent it to my family so they could see me at "work", lol.

Dinner was Pasta with Shrimp, Baby Arugula, Olives and Feta. The fresh herbs used in this recipe made such a difference to the final taste of the dish. Another success!

Before dinner I whipped up (literally) Chocolate Mousse for dessert. This picture shows how you make due with the serving pieces you have and you just make it work. Mmmmmmm, I think everything is made better with chocolate!

Chocolate Mousse from Gourmet December 2002

Ingredients
2 cups chilled heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
7 oz fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped
Garnish: lightly sweetened whipped cream


preparation

Heat 3/4 cup cream in a 1-quart heavy saucepan until hot. Whisk together yolks, sugar, and a pinch of salt in a metal bowl until combined well, then add hot cream in a slow stream, whisking until combined. Transfer mixture to saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly, until it registers 160°F on thermometer. Pour custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and stir in vanilla.

Melt chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water (or in a glass bowl in a microwave at 50 percent power 3 to 5 minutes), stirring frequently. Whisk custard into chocolate until smooth, then cool.
Beat remaining 1 1/4 cups cream in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks. Whisk one fourth of cream into chocolate custard to lighten, then fold in remaining cream gently but thoroughly.

Spoon mousse into 8 (6-ounce) stemmed glasses or ramekins and chill, covered, at least 6 hours. Let stand at room temperature about 20 minutes before serving.