It’s hard to write about almost anything these days, for me at least.
The world feels like it’s alternating between burning or corralling towards a very dark place, and I’m alternating between trying to support my communities both in real life and online the best that I can, and feeling helpless like so many of us.
I always, always think of food as a great equalizer and as a unifying force. That’s why causes like No Kid Hungry and childhood hunger are really important to me. I’m still cooking and I’m still feeding people, and I’m feeding myself by reading and writing and creating, even on days when it’s exceedingly difficult to get inspired.
To focus on something positive: this month, a wonderful food writer friend of mine, Karista Bennett, organized a wide community outreach for our fellow food blogging community affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles. Having gone through the devastating fires here on Maui, I was eager to pitch in and to offer any resources. It may have been a small thing or it may have seemed like a small thing, but it made a big difference in making people feel seen, noticed, and embraced in a hard time. It also reminded me of the strength of this community that we have built here over the decades. Decades! That feels crazy to say! Anyway, this is, perhaps, a sappy but necessary aside to say that I care about all these women deeply.
Getting back to the cooking, here are some of my favorite things that I have cooked in recent months. They have brought me and my friends and family joy and I hope they can also offer some joy to you and yours.
The recipe for the Ahi Poke Tostadas is one that I developed for Foodland and it is on my Instagram.
The tostadas make me think of CDMX and reminisce about easier days spent galavanting in that sunshine. We are very spoiled with our ahi tuna here in Hawai’i so, make this as a special treat for someone at home for Love Day!
On a recent trip to Chicago, the most memorable bite were these baked clams that were prepared in an abundant garlic-y green sauce like escargot. I was a big fan!
I also found much joy in fancy eggs this winter (before the egg shortage). Now, I am just hunting around all the stores for eggs every week like the rest of you (Whole Foods is the best deal here, somehow, for $5.99/dozen. Most others are at least double!)
Hope this helped to buoy your spirits a bit. Sharing with all of you always helps mine – keep cooking!
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