Potluck club

WE have been a part of a potluck club for nearly ten years. A small group of us get together 3 to 4 times a year and make food from an agreed upon ethnic cuisine or we menu plan around a theme, such as Mardi Gras or Chinese New Year. We are all in agreement that the worst dinner was the "Church potluck cookbook" night. We have traversed the globe in our culinary endeavors and shared some amazing food and good company. We try to have appropriate music or some kind of cultural experience along with the food. On Japan night we watched sumo and on Indian, Robin and Ruth dressed in beautiful sari's.
Last weekend, Val and Mike hosted a Polynesian night. We had Blue Hawaiians and Pina Coladas ( virgin ones for me and Jason) while listening to Iz, Keali'i Reichel, and other Hawaiian musicians.
Matt made an appetizer of Tofu and fish cakes with a honey, papaya, pepper dipping sauce. The sauce was a doctored up salad dressing that the Oahu contingency gifted us on their last visit.



We had Kalua Pork, Coconut Rice, Sesame Noodle Salad with macadamia nuts,



Sweet Potato and Shrimp Salad with Broccoli and Honey mustard Dressing, Coleslaw, Baked Mashed Sweet potatoes, Macadamia Nut Tart, Haupia, and Pineapple carrot cake.

Recipes wil be posted as they roll in so check back, or email me if you want something that is not yet posted.



Lomilomi Salmon

1 - 1 1/2 lbs fresh salmon fillets
3 tomatoes
1/2 cup lime juice
1 tsp sugar
rock salt
1 sm onion
1/8 tsp Tabasco sauce (I used a dash of hot chili oil)
1 tsp pepper

Lay salmon on bed of salt in glass dish, cover with more salt. Chill in refrigerator overnight. Rinse off salt and dice the salmon. (Be sure to rinse well - I think mine was too salty). Peel and dice tomatoes and onion. Mix with salmon and add other ingredients. Toss lightly and serve with crackers.


Polynesian Coleslaw

3 T creamy peanut butter
2 T rice vinegar
2 T soy sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp Tabasco
8 cups shredded purple or green cabbage
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 scallions, sliced
2 T sesame seeds, toasted

In a large bowl, stir together peanut butter, vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, salt and hot sauce.
Stir in cabbage, cilantro, red pepper, and scallions. Refrigerate one hour. Toast sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat, stirring until lightly browned. Remove from skillet and sprinkle over coleslaw.



Baked Sweet Potato

3 cups mashed sweet potato
3 T butter
3 T finely sliced onions
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 T milk
salt and pepper to taste

After mashing the cooked sweet potato, mix in the butter, onion, milk, cinnamon, salt and pepper.
Place in a greased baking dish. Brush the top with butter and bake with the dish placed in a pan of water for 35 minutes at 325 degrees.


Haupia (from Sunset magazine)
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
Vegetable oil for oiling baking dish
1 can (14 oz.) coconut milk
6 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Spread flaked coconut on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes.

2. Oil an 8-in.-square baking dish. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup coconut milk and cornstarch until smooth.

3. In a medium nonstick saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups coconut milk (if you don't have enough, augment with water) and sugar. Stir over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Drizzle cornstarch mixture slowly into saucepan, whisking, and whisk in vanilla and salt. Cook, whisking vigorously (do not allow to boil), until mixture is very thick, pulling away from pan, and no longer tastes floury, 4 to 6 minutes. Pour into prepared dish and spread evenly. Let cool briefly, then cover with plastic wrap and chill until set, at least 1 hour.

4. Cut haupia into 22 to 24 triangles and sprinkle each with a pinch of toasted coconut.


Macadamia Nut Tart ( from sunset Magazine)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons plus 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces, plus 2 tbsp. melted butter
1 large egg yolk, plus 1 large egg
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons dark rum
1 1/3 cups unsalted macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a food processor, whirl flour, 2 tbsp. brown sugar, and 1/4 tsp. salt. Add cold butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add egg yolk and pulse to combine. Add 2 to 3 tbsp. ice water, pulsing until mixture begins to come together in a ball.

2. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 9-in. round tart pan with 1-in. sides. Prick bottom of tart with a fork and chill in freezer 15 minutes. Bake crust until medium golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes, and remove from oven (leave oven on).

3. Meanwhile, in a standing electric mixer on high speed, beat whole egg, remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar, and remaining 1/4 tsp. salt until pale and ribbony, 7 to 10 minutes. Beat in melted butter, corn syrup, and rum.

4. Pour sugar mixture into tart shell and sprinkle with macadamia nuts. Bake tart until a knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool tart on a wire rack at least 1 hour. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla or ginger ice cream, if you like.