My Pie, That’s Why

Doesn’t everybody love baby spinach, pineapple and mushrooms on their pizza?  Seriously?  Why not?  Weirdos. The beauty of Cast Iron Pan Pizzas, though, as dreamt in the January & February 2020 Cook’s Illustrated, is that each pizza is customizable for each person at the table.  In the great deep-dish/thin-crust debate, these pan pizzas definitely side…

Hey Bruh, Mahalo!

Aʻole pilikia (no problems), man. Such a pleasant exchange could take place only in Hawaii, and the reason for this sociability? Food almost certainly is involved, and it’s likely we’re talking chicken just pulled from the grill, topped with teriyaki and pineapple, and adorning a toasted King’s Hawaiian bun. In other words, an Aloha Chicken…

Party Tonight in Quezon City

Must be quite the occasion, as today introduces not just one, but two types of lumpia,  a Filipino egg roll of sorts typically served at parties and at other celebrations.  There’s the classic pork, carrot and water chestnut variety, pictured above on the right, and a newer crab, pineapple and ginger version from Hawaii, which…

So, That’s What They Taste Like

A dish boasting such vibrant colors is bound to be packed with effusive flavors too, and today’s entry excels in both regards.  In taste and in tone, this curry is off the charts.  Good thing it wasn’t featured on an old Technicolor television set, or the poor equipment wouldn’t have been able to keep pace…

It’s Even Better Mixed

As with many Cambodian stews, Oxtail and Pineapple Soup is fairly simple, starting off with just beef, onions and pineapple.  Complexity and nuance come only toward the end, as diners choose from all manner of seasonings and vegetables to stir into their individual bowls, unleashing a symphony of flavors. When it all comes together, the…

In the South, Maybe the Far South

About forty years ago, a recipe appeared in Southern Living magazine, and it soon took the region, then the country, by acclaim.  Thus, Hummingbird Cake was introduced to the culinary world.   One bite of the lusciously moist cake is enough for many to proclaim it the best cake ever.  Easy to understand why, what,…

Pineapple, Multitasking

Not only does it look good, adding bright flashes of color to the dish, but pineapple also completes the taste profile, simultaneously balancing the other flavors and enhancing them.   The fruit even works on a chemical level, its enzymes tenderizing the meat, which is one of the reasons it’s included in so many Asian and Pacific…

Righteous Bird, Bruddah

One will get you fifty that’s verbatim, the exact response Hawaiian cook Ernest Morgado received when he first prepared this dish for locals back in the Fifties.  It was his take on teriyaki chicken, an old island favorite, marinated first in pineapple juice (among other things) to tenderize the meat and to add a flavorful…