Wednesday, March 05, 2008

hawaii cooks and eats

You may or may not have wondered what is causing these reddish/orangy sunsets and sunrises. It is apparently the pollution in the air. Most air pollution in Hawaii is known as "vog" or volcanic smog. This is the sulfur and smoke from the Kilauea volcano on the Big Island (Island of Hawaii) mixed with the rest of the pollution in the air. Who would have thought something so yucky could create something so beautiful?

Changing the subject, mom and I did some baking yesterday. She made okara scones (hopefully I can pry the recipe from her). And I made scones from "The American Test Kitchen Cookbook". The one on the left is the okara scone, kind of dense like an oat cake. The one on the right is the ATK scone made with lots of butter. The okara one wasn't too sweet and the ATK one was light and really buttery. Both would be a great thing to have for a quick breakfast or snack.

Leaving you with an orchid that bloomed a couple of days ago. I've put up pictures of this orchid in the past. Glad to see it bloomed again this year.

9 comments:

Pandabonium said...

Beautiful orchid. The orchids were my favorite thing to see at the Maui County Fair.

There used to be a jazz restaurant with live music (the owner, Yorman Williams, plays bass) that served southern style food and their fried okra was wonderful. He left Maui a couple of years go though. Anyway, I hope can get your mom's recipe and share it with us.

I wonder how people can live in Kona when the vog is thick. Ugh.

Anonymous said...

That's a really nice orchid, pretty color!

K and S said...

I hear some people on the Big Island have a lot of breathing problems, even my grandma used to be on those asthmatic breathers, PB, until she moved to Oahu. Cross your fingers about the recipe.

Thanks Lori!

Take care you two.
Kat

Rowena said...

Fortunately I've never had a problem with vog, but yes, I knew those lovely sunsets had something to with volcano exhale + air pollution!

It was nice to read the part about your mom and yourself getting in some baking time together. Oooooh, come on! You can get that recipe out from her!!

Thistlemoon said...

What a GORGEOUS orchid!

2kamuela47 said...

Love the orchid picture! Sure hope you can get your mom's recipe for the okara scones. Yes the vog is causing a lot of problems for people with asthma. I'm hanging in there.

K and S said...

he he, I'll try to get it Laura and Rowena!

Thanks Jenndz!

Take care everyone.
Kat

Anonymous said...

It's always strange when I check in with your blog and your post is dated "tomorrow" by my time! The world seems so small when I travel around reading blogs, but then something like this time difference makes me realize how enormous it really is. And how far away you really are! I'm glad you're enjoying Hawaii.

But that's not what I really wanted to say. I wanted to comment on those pancakes ... Banana-macadamia topped with macadamia nut sauce?? Yes, please!

K and S said...

He he Tania, I'm actually posting using Japan time (sorry for any confusion, I didn't want to change the time zone and then have to change it back when I went back to Japan...whew!)

I'm going to try to re-create this sauce so that Satoshi can see how good these pancakes actually were :)

Take care.
Kat