For nine years, since the first year we started dating, Shake and I spent Thanksgiving with his family in Hilo. A few years ago, we had to change our annual visit to New Year’s instead, because of his work schedule. But no matter the time of year we visited, for... Read More

Last fall, for the first time, St-Germain partnered up with Martha Stewart and opened up its Fifth Annual Can-Can Classic cocktail competition to amateurs. Whoopee! J’adore St-Germain! I did a little experimenting and came up with a sparkling cocktail inspired by the Parisian open air markets, dubbed the Rue Cler... Read More

Sugar + Shake say, “Going out to dinner on Valentine’s Day is for suckers.” Seriously, we NEVER go, and we started dating just before Valentine’s Day. (So I also never got flowers for our anniversary…) It’s crowded, everyone’s grouchy (ironic, huh?) because of the crowds, and half our favorite places... Read More

Throughout December, I have either been at work or in the kitchen cooking, leaving no time for photo processing or blogging. I’m back now and resolving (it’s that time of year, isn’t it?) to be a better blogger in 2013. In lieu of the regular, piles-of-words blog post, here’s a... Read More

Blood orange + olive oil? Is this one of those zany food combos that tastes amazing?” asked one of my friends when I posted this photo. Yes, indeedy, it is. Ever since discovering it at a shop in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Shake and I have been head over heels... Read More

I had no idea my dad was such a fan of duck. Shake and I took my parents out to dinner at Tangö Café earlier this month for a belated celebration of my mom’s birthday. Unexpectedly, my father ordered the duck entrée: a smoked duck breast with duck leg confit. He... Read More

Portuguese Bean Soup, like Fried Rice, is a dish that every Hawai‘i family has their own variation on. My personal version, based on my mother’s recipe, is actually more like Portuguese Bean-less Soup. However, I recently made a batch for Shake’s family, and since they lack my aversion to beans,... Read More

These “Kuro Kuro Ginger” cupcakes, made with kuro goma (black sesame seed) paste, kuro sato (Japanese black sugar) and ginger curd filling, were inspired by SprinkleBakes’ “Sunshine Inside” Black Sesame cupcakes. I loved the idea of making a cupcake with kuro goma — when I was a kid, I used... Read More