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Oahu Splendor–Part III, Culture and Luau Beef

18 Monday Feb 2019

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Beef Dishes, Hawaii, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

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Beef Dishes, Hawaii, photography, Travel

One of my favorite activities when I travel is to discover the culture and traditions of that special spot on the globe on which I find myself, a corner of the world that belongs to those people calling that special spot “home”. Hawaii has a unique culture and an abundance of unique traditions. For me, coming from the U.S. mainland, it was a very exciting and interesting corner of the world, and in many ways so different from my own.

Hawaii is part of a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean called Polynesia. Polynesia is an area bounded in a triangle with the points of the triangle being Hawaii,  Easter Island, and New Zealand (Aotearoa). Within that triangle are many islands including Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, the Marquesas Islands, and Fiji whose people share a common language, customs and traditions.

To get a better understanding of traditional life in Polynesia, we visited the Polynesian Cultural Center. The center highlights historic traditions and customs of the islands with shows, village recreations, and interactive activities for visitors. It was informative and a lot of fun as these two old people tried to master some of the old-time games.

As you enter the Center you are greeted by Haman Kalili, said to have invented the “shaka” greeting. For the Hawaiian people the shaka, with only the pinkie and index fingers raised in a wave, is meant to relay the “Aloha spirit” of friendship and understanding. It is said that Kalili lost three fingers working in the sugar cane fields. He took a new position within the industry, giving a signal with a wave to the engineers of the trains moving out of the field area to tell them that all was clear. He also waved to passing children with his hand with the missing fingers. For the people who knew Kalili, his wave always meant, “It’s all right, everything is okay!”, or “Hang loose!”

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Once inside the venue you will travel from island to island, learning about individual islands and activities common in Polynesia. I have put together a gallery of pictures showing some of what we saw and learned.

Buildings in Polynesia were made of grasses and used no nails...they were beautiful!
Buildings in Polynesia were made of grasses and used no nails…they were beautiful!
This Islander is using plant fibers to create hats, head bands, baskets and many other items
This Islander is using plant fibers to create hats, head bands, baskets and many other items
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We were amazed as this Islander shimmied up a 40 coconut palm in his bare feet!
We were amazed as this Islander shimmied up a 40 coconut palm in his bare feet!
This six story temple was unique, and we were welcomed inside to view what the living space for the residents would look like.
This six story temple was unique, and we were welcomed inside to view what the living space for the residents would look like.
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Music in Polynesia is that typical sound you think of when you think of Hawaiian music. The islanders have many ways of producing the sounds, blowing into conch shells, beating drums, even making music with a nose flute.
Music in Polynesia is that typical sound you think of when you think of Hawaiian music. The islanders have many ways of producing the sounds, blowing into conch shells, beating drums, even making music with a nose flute.
The highlight of the center is the canoe pageant portraying the history of the Polynesian islands according to custom and their belief system.
The highlight of the center is the canoe pageant portraying the history of the Polynesian islands according to custom and their belief system.

One of my favorite tours was at Iolani Palace. Before becoming a state within the United States, Hawaii, for a short time, lived in a democratic monarchy. King Kamehameha V was the last descendant of  the Kamehameha monarchy to reign as king of the Hawaiian Islands. Then in 1874 the Hawaiian legislature elected David Kalakaua to the throne. He built this beautiful palace which was completed in 1882. Upon the king’s death in 1891, his sister, Lili’uokalani, became the queen and took up residence in the palace.

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Queen Lili’uokalani’s reign was a troubled time for Hawaii. Businessmen from the United States had complete control of both the sugar and pineapple industries on the islands. They also exerted much influence in the everyday lives of the people, and they favored annexing Hawaii as a territory of the United States. The Hawaiian people, however, were quite happy being Hawaiian and independent. What happened next was not America’s best hour, or at least I do not believe it was.

Lili’uokalani attempted to have a new constitution written, fully restoring all power to the monarchy, which would in turn diminish the power of the outside interests. This led the business leaders to push for quick annexation. When the government of the United States refused to annex the islands, the American businessmen staged a takeover, and in January of 1893, the queen abdicated her throne. For the next nine months she lived in the palace under house arrest. Eventually the Hawaiian Islands became a territory of the United States, and in 1958, Hawaii was granted statehood.

The grand hall of Iolani Palace
The grand hall of Iolani Palace
The elegant dining hall
The elegant dining hall
Tableware for dining at the palace.
Tableware for dining at the palace.
Queen Lili'uokalani loved music and wrote many musical pieces. She wrote the famous Hawaiian song,"Aloha Oe" in this music room in the palace.
Queen Lili’uokalani loved music and wrote many musical pieces. She wrote the famous Hawaiian song,”Aloha Oe” in this music room in the palace.
The Library
The Library
The Chamberlain's Quarters
The Chamberlain’s Quarters
Several of the Queen's gowns are on display in various rooms of the palace.
Several of the Queen’s gowns are on display in various rooms of the palace.

Hawaiian Luau

If you visit Hawaii, you have got to attend a luau. They are so much fun, and the food is absolutely incredible. We attended two luaus. Our favorite was the Chief’s Luau. It was a bit smaller, more intimate and more comfortable than the almost as good luau at the Polynesian Cultural Center. Hawaiian culture is centered on the importance of family, and everyone is part of the family. This family attitude was displayed by the Chief at his luau, inviting us all to have a good time, make new friends and eat all we want. Everyone sits at long tables, and you cannot help but to meet your neighbors. Our neighbors were from Australia, which made for a great sharing of experiences during dinner.

The star of the show is, of course, the luau pork. I would try, but know I would never be able to duplicate that flavor here in mid-Missouri. There is so much food, it is hard to choose which ones to take…so I took a little of a lot of different things!

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Following the meal is the time for entertainment. We were treated to Hawaiian music, singing, dancing, and Jim’s favorite, flame throwing and twirling. But the best part was when they called to the stage all those celebrating anniversaries. Well, that was us…50 years! I received a gorgeous bouquet of Hawaiian flowers and we both were given authentic leis made of traditional Hawaiian flowers Our new Australian friends tried to take a couple pictures for us from a distance…that picture of us dancing, though mighty grainy?…well, I love it!

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While in Hawaii I purchased a cookbook…of course. The luau dish I made is really very delicious, though not as amazing looking as some others. My test is: Does Jim like? If the answer is yes, it must be good, because he is a very picky eater!

The dish calls for luau leaves…they are not even sold at Whole Foods on the mainland…so substitute with spinach. When you try this dish, and you should, make sure to use the most mature spinach you can find. More mature spinach gives the dish a better consistency and a better flavor. Enjoy!

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Luau Beef Stew

  • Servings: 6
  • Time: about 2 hours
  • Print

This recipe was adapted from “Sam Choy’s Aloha Cuisine: Island Cooking at it Best”

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds mature spinach leaves
  • 3 cups water
  • 2 Tbsp. sea salt (You can use Hawaiian salt, if you can find it)
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1 Tbsp. oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 2 pounds stew meat
  • 3 cups beef stock
  • 2 cups water

Directions

  1. Heat oil and saute onions in a large sauce pan until they are translucent.
  2. Brown stew meat.
  3. Add beef stock, water, and 1 Tbsp. salt.
  4. Cook until meat is fork tender.
  5. While the meat is cooking, wash the spinach leaves and remove the toughest stems and veins.
  6. Bring the water, the remaining Tbsp. of salt, and the baking soda to a boil in a large stock pot.
  7. Add the spinach leaves, reduce heat and cook, partially covered for 1 hour.
  8. Drain and squeeze the excess water from the spinach.
  9. When the meat is tender, add the spinach leaves and simmer for 30 minutes.

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How To Do Las Vegas Our Way, and Indian Bread Tacos

11 Wednesday Jul 2018

Posted by slvrhawk2014 in Beef Dishes, Food, Nature, Nevada, Photography, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Beef Dishes, Food, Nature, Nevada, photography, Travel

We have always had a goal of visiting each of the fifty states. As this, our fiftieth year of marriage began, we set our sights on reaching that goal, visiting the two states we had not yet seen. In April we flew to Nevada to check off state #49. I was not particularly excited…my knowledge of Nevada was limited, and when thinking about Nevada, the mental connections I made were desert, Las Vegas, and gambling.

But then we took a tour of Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, and my mind’s eye view of Nevada will never be the same.

Millions of years ago, the land that is now Red Rock Canyon laid under a deep ocean. When this ocean receded it left behind deposits of shells and the skeletons of ocean life that lay up to 9,000 feet thick. These deposits, when compressed, formed into limestone and other carbonate rocks.

Over subsequent millions of years, the land changed again and again. At one point, movement deep within the Earth caused the sea bed to rise. Mud and sand entered from streams draining into the landscape and eventually became compressed into shale and sandstone.

By 180 million years ago, the area became the arid desert we know today. Red Rock Canyon is in the Mojave Desert, the driest desert in North America. The dunes that stretched across the area blew and blew, they shifted, then shifted again. The dunes grew and they receded, and over time, they formed lines, “crossbeds” which were cemented together by new sediments, fusing them forever. Iron present in the  sandstone is what gives the rock in the canyon its red color.

And then, finally, about 65 million years ago, there was a dramatic uplift, the Keystone Thrust Fault, from deep within the Earth’s crust. This caused the oldest rock in the crust, the gray limestone carbonate rocks to push up and above the younger sandstone.

To take a look at Red Rock Canyon, we took a jeep tour with a knowledgeable and passionate guide. He took us all around the canyon and answered any and every question we had. If you ever find your way to Las Vegas, look up Pink Jeep for some of the very best tours available anywhere.

One of my favorite places in the canyon is that place where you can see real evidence of Native American life and activity from centuries long past. We spent a bit of time in this area, enjoying the beauty of the place, as well as discussing the lives of the people who, at one time, called this place home. Hunter-gatherers were the first to inhabit the area, with the most recent occupations being of the Paiute and Anasazi people.

These petroglyphs on the red sandstone are evidence of a people who wished to leave evidence of their having been here, their having been part of the story of mankind…

The rock formations in this area are absolutely amazing…

There is evidence at several places of fire pits that were used by the Native Americans. Today those fire pits are home to many desert plants.

I love the flora of any landscape, and Red Rock Canyon was no exception. The canyon is filled with beautiful wildflowers, trees, and bushes. Here are my favorites…

The most impressive was this very old, lone Juniper Tree…

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This Cliff Rose was my very favorite…

The Creosote is a very important plant in the arid desert landscape…

This squat little Barrel Cactus…

There are Joshua Trees everywhere throughout the park…

I loved looking “through” this Joshua Tree…

This beautiful Desert Marigold…

and the unique Desert Rhubarb…

So, if you ever find yourself thinking about a trip to the American southwest, and you are not a city person, or a gambler; you would describe yourself more a nature lover, an adventurer, don’t count Las Vegas out. Once outside town, and its hotels where you can spend your nights. there is so much more to the area than casinos and glitzy shows. I am so glad we found ourselves in Nevada!

Indian Bread Tacos

After returning home, I found this recipe, and tweaked it a bit, to help us remember the time we spent at Red Rock Canyon. Fry Bread was a typical bread made by Native American women…and these bread tacos are delicious, and we think much more filling than typical tacos.

Indian Fry Bread Tacos

  • Servings: 6
  • Time: 45 min.
  • Print

Fun and filling way to make tacos.

Ingredients

For the Bread

  • 2 cups flour
  • 3/4 tsp.salt
  • 3 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 cup warm water

Directions

  1. Mix the dry ingredients and add warm water. Work with hands until dough forms and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  2. Break dough off to a bit larger than the size of a golf ball.
  3. Roll dough into 6 inch circles.
  4. Fry each piece in 2 inches of hot oil in a medium saucepan. When the dough is golden and poofed up, turn the bread and fry on the other side. Drain on a paper towel.

Ingredients

For the Topping

  • 1 pound of ground beef or ground bison
  • 1 pkg. Taco seasoning
  • 1/2 of a 15 oz. can of refried beans
  • 2/3 cup water, you may add a bit more if you like.
  • shredded lettuce
  • diced tomatoes
  • sour cream

Directions

  1. Brown ground meat.
  2. Add package of taco seasoning and the water.
  3. Stir in the refried beans.
  4. To assemble the taco. place some of the meat mixture on top of a fry bread, then top with lettuce, tomatoes, and a dollop of sour cream.

Enjoy!

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