friday feast: hawai’i’s food trucks on the go! by beth greenway and jamie meckel tablason

food trucks cover

When I was little, every so often my father would take us for a drive around the island. This was an all-day affair, where we’d see what we could see and eat what we could eat all over O’ahu.

plate lunch (2) fish 500
Mahi Plate Lunch via Go Backpacking

I loved spotting the lunch wagons parked along the Honolulu waterfront, hoping to feast on an onolicious plate lunch with beef stew, teriyaki, or breaded mahimahi. No matter what you ordered, you always got two scoops of rice and macaroni salad. But usually we’d drive right on by because it wasn’t lunch time yet. This only intensified my fascination with lunch wagons: I thought it would be so cool to cook on a little stove in a truck and wait on people through the window on the side. 🙂

I don’t know exactly when people in Hawai’i started calling lunch wagons, “food trucks.” But they’re still a big part of the local scene, enticing the always hungry on side streets and main streets with longstanding island favorites as well as gourmet treats.

In jaunty rhyming verse, Beth Greenway’s Hawai’i’s Food Trucks on the Go! takes kids on a fun and tasty ride around the island from sunrise to sunset.

The trucks all rev their engines up
and head out on their way:
it’s time to feed the working cars
this bright Hawaiian day.

food trucks one
All illustrations © 2012 Jamie Meckel Tablason

The Harbor’s where the cranes all work
unloading boats and ships,
a bowl of saimin’s great for lunch
just right for slurps and sips.

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one more bowl of dumpling soup, but please, no octopus!

book and soup
Nothing like a bowl of homemade mandu to start off a new year!

Once upon a time, I published a picture book called Dumpling Soup, illustrated by Lillian Hsu-Flanders:

Every year on New Year’s Eve, my whole family goes to Grandma’s house for dumpling soup. My aunties and uncles and cousins come from all around Oahu. Most of them are Korean, but some are Japanese, Chinese, Hawaiian, or haole (Hawaiian for white people). Grandma calls our family ‘chop suey,’ which means ‘all mixed up’ in pidgin. I like it that way. So does Grandma. ‘More spice,’ she says.

This year, I celebrated the New Year in Hawai’i for the first time in decades. Thanks to my mom, I got to eat my favorite traditional Korean dishes, and for the first time ever, I got to hear my story read aloud on New Year’s Eve.

julia book

julia book 2

My niece Julia wasn’t yet born when the book was first published almost twenty years ago, and she never experienced those big, noisy family gatherings I so fondly recall in the story. But at least she can still eat some of the same food! It was hilarious hearing her trying to pronounce the Korean phrases — but what a wonderful, expressive reader she is, and for a few moments, I was 7 years old again, smack dab in the middle of “so many Yangs!” 🙂

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hello, brand new year!

corn leis
Thanks for the beautiful lei, Cobi!

Hello, Cutie Pies, and Happy New Year. We’re baaaaack!

Yes, well, mostly. Still battling the jet lag . . . lag . . . lag . . .

Hope you had a wonderful holiday season and that Santa was extra good to you. I must say, you’re as good looking as ever and none the worse for the wear (are those cookie crumbs I see on your face?). Mr. Cornelius and I had fun visiting friends and relatives in Hawai’i, where the operative word is FOOD. Enjoyed Christmas at my brother’s, some great restaurant outings, and of course, the ultimate New Year’s Korean Feast at my parents’ home (details in a separate post).

edwards soup (2)Yay! It’s a brand new year and a brand new month. January is a particular favorite because it’s National Soup Month and Hot Tea Month. I’m looking forward to welcoming some cool guests to Alphabet Soup in the coming weeks, not only authors and illustrators talking about their new books, but also folks who create some fabulous arts and crafts. Look for, “Indie Artist Spotlight,” a new interview series featuring some immensely talented artisans and their work. I’ve always loved unique, heartmade, handcrafted goods, and try to support independent artists whenever possible. I can’t wait to learn more about their inspirations and processes!

For now, check out some of our Hawai’i adventures. As usual, Mr. Cornelius ate more than anyone else and loved having his picture taken. (He asks that you hold your applause until the end.) 🙂

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a healthy spin on morning glories

Good morning, Sleepy Head!

If you want a muffin, raise your paw!

Furry kitchen helpers give this recipe a three paws up!

Just for you, yes, just for wonderful you, we whipped up a batch of Quick Morning Glory Muffins from the Sweet Dash of Aloha cookbook. Remember when I reviewed it recently and promised to try some of the recipes?

Well, I’m always mad for muffins because they’re portable, freezable, and adorable. Morning Glories are a great way to start your day off right since they contain both fruit and veggies. Who can resist a cinnamon-y beauty chock full of apple, carrots, raisins, coconut, cranberries and dates?

The original Morning Glory Muffins were created back in 1981 by Chef Pam McKinstry, who owned the Morning Glory Café in Nantucket. It was published in Gourmet Magazine and in 1991 was chosen as one of twenty-five favorite recipes of the last 50 years. So it’s quite famous and beloved by muffin-lovers-in-the-know; you’ve likely eaten or even baked some yourself.

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chatting with cobi kim about veggietorials

I’m excited today to welcome my lovely niece, Cobi Kim, to the Alphabet Soup kitchen!

Cobi hosts the beautiful food blog, Veggietorials, where she shares her passion for all things plant-based. She features delicious recipes, product reviews for items she uses in her daily life, travel and cooking videos, and lots of photos and tips about what to order when eating out.

She prefers “plant-based” and “vegan-ish”  when describing her lifestyle, choosing not to call herself a “vegan,” since she is uncomfortable with labels that tend to separate rather than unite us. She aligns herself with the principle of “Ahimsa,” doing no harm by leading a life of non-violence.

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