For the Mothers in My Life

To my wonderful mother on Mother's Day:

Mothers are the place that we call home.
On them we rest our heads and close our eyes.
There's no one else who grants the same soft peace,
Happiness, contentment, sweet release,
Erasing nighttime tears with lullabies,
Restoring the bright sun that makes us bloom.

To my sisters on Mother's Day:

Thinking back over the years,
Often I remember how we were
More focused on ourselves when we were young.
Years and children sweep in like a tide,
Separating us from distant shores.
In truth, we're even closer than before,
Sustaining our childhood inside,
The memories to which we both belong
Enriched by what love teaches us to bear,

Resonant with what we rarely say.

Happy Mother's Day!

Do the Hokey Poke

Poke (pronounced "pokey" as in "hokey pokey") is a traditional island-style food and has become a favorite of ours during our short time here on the Island. It's healthy, packed with energy and is very aesthetically pleasing when served. We simply cannot resist the temptation to order it while out at restaurants just to see how many different ways it can be prepared. If you like sushi and ceviche, you'd definitely enjoy this tasty dish.

If you dare to prepare it at home, you'll need a few fundamental ingredients: fresh tuna, green onions, red onions, ginger root, rolled limes, tahini, rice vinegar, red pepper flakes and sesame seed. Morgon has the best home recipe for this tasty dish that rivals any restaurant in town! All you need are the following basic ingredients:

3/4 lb. fresh tuna (cubed)

1/2 lb. fresh marlin (cubed)

1 green onion (chopped - greens included)

1/4 red onion (minced)

1/2 hand-rolled lime

1/2 tsp. red pepper flake

2 tbs tahini

1 - 2 tbs rice vinegar

1 tsp. sesame seed (white or black)

1 tbs. freshly grated ginger

1 tsp. coarsely ground rock sea salt

In a medium-large bowl, add cubed fish and mix chopped onions, sesame seed, red pepper flake, sea salt, tahini and vinegar. Squeeze juice of hand-rolled lime into dish and finally mix in freshly grated ginger. Serve with soy sauce and/or wasabi. White

rice and boiled edamame beans make nice side dishes.

We have sampled poke in other restaurants mixed with tropical fruit, seaweed and have seen it made completely with another type of seafood such as ebi (shrimp), tako (octopus) or even sake (salmon). If you like our simple recipe or have another favorite way to prepare it, I welcome your feedback and recipes.

Mahalo!

Ginger Glazed Potatoes

If you like spicy sweet, this is the perfect side dish for you!

You will need:

1 lb. baking potatoes (cubed)

1 tbs. butter

1 tbs. freshly grated ginger 

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

1 tbs. cane sugar

1 green onion (chopped)

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and add the potatoes.  Stir in grated ginger, sugar and green onion. Sprinkle salt and pepper and stir until potatoes are completely covered in butter mixture. Cover and cook on medium - allowing for the butter, sugar and ginger to carmelize for about 20 minutes taking care not to scorch them. Potatoes will be tender when done.

This is the perfect side dish for grilled teriyaki pork roast, serve with sliced pineapple and 'voila!' perfection!