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Aloha from Kauai! Here’s a recipe from Ross Turnbull, the Executive Chef at Princeville Resort.

2 cups diced fresh Maui gold pineapple
1/2 cup fine diced red bell pepper
1/2 cup fine diced red onion
1/2 cup fine sliced scallions
pinch fine chopped habanero pepper
2 tbsp fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh chopped mint leaves
add Hawaiian sea salt and black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a plastic bowl and allow to marinate 1 hour before serving.

I received a wonderfully fun holiday gift that I wanted to share with all of you… ice cream sandwich molds! They are available at Williams-Sonoma for $14. My set came in the shape of a star, a cow, and a pig. When I looked online, I also found a trio of heart molds, which are currently on sale for $7.99. Enjoy!

37 E. 50th St., New York, NY 10022. (212) 750-2233. http://www.maloneyandporcelli.com

I recently returned from a long overdue trip to New York and there just weren’t enough meals in the day to eat everything I had on my list. I did manage to fit in quite a bit though and have lots of photos to share but here’s the best thing I ate that week:

I couldn’t take the picture fast enough before my dining companions and I fell upon this giant hunk of meat like hungry cavemen but holy heart disease - this was the most delicious thing I’ve eaten in recent memory. Maloney’s signature dish, the Crackling Pork Shank, starts with two pound-plus pork shank that is cooked very slowly, confit-style in lard, until the meat is meltingly tender. The whole shank then gets deep fried so that the skin becomes shatteringly crisp. It’s served with spicy applesauce and poppy seed-sprinkled sauerkraut. The dish should be illegal but it was so good! I’ve tracked down the recipe in case anyone wants to attempt to make something that calls for 4 pounds of lard. (If you do, let me know!)

505 Laurel St, San Diego, 92101

http://www.sdurbankitchen.com/laurelrestaurant.html

Another favorite happy hour spot is Laurel. It had always been a great special occasion dinner place but a few years ago, Laurel was bought by the same group that also owns Chive and Kensington Grill. It’s still an upscale place but the new owner has given the decor a hip, swanky look and the bar is a comfy place for drinks or snacks with friends.

Their ‘7 before seven’ happy hour is a great opportunity to try some of Laurel’s menu and enjoy the atmosphere without paying premium prices. The happy hour, which is offered every night of the week, offers a list of 7 drinks and 7 appetizers, all priced at $7.

A friend and I stopped in the other night to catch up over some delicious bar bites. Above is my friend’s Mango Martini and my Dragon’s Blood Sangria. The sangria was the best version I’ve had in a while - sweetened with port and calvados, an apple brandy.

Here are a couple of selections from the $7 food menu. My favorites were the little sandwiches on the left, Laurel’s version of sloppy joes called ‘lamby joes’, made with ground lamb seasoned with garam masala and topped with caramelized fennel. These were finger-licking good. Our flatbread appetizer was dressed with salty bits of ham and blue cheese and drizzled with a sweet sauce. Also pictured are the addictive edamame which are complimentary. I’ve also tried the short rib spring rolls and the mini escargot ‘poppers’. All portions are pretty generous so it’s easy to put together a decent meal. The ‘7 before seven’ menu makes it easy to treat yourself to a stylish experience without a huge expense!
Taste: 9/10
Service: 4/5
Atmosphere: 5/5
Total: 18/20

4600 Convoy St, San Diego, CA 92111

My dad is one of the chefs at Jasmine and he always brings us home new dim sum creations that they come up with. Sometimes the creations are bad (I’m sure those didn’t make it on the menu) and some are extraordinary. This time it was something unique and pretty tasty too!

They took the daan taat (egg custard… dan ta if you are mandarin, but daan tat for us Cantonese speakers) and put a twist on it. Instead of the normal flakey buttery crust, they changed it to a more crunchy chocolate crust. It was good, but I prefer the orginal version better.

My favorite would have to be the fried taro with a piece of scallop on top. It was a bit oily, but boy did that scallop hit the spot!

The little birdy was filled with a red bean paste and is a nice sweet little treat. I told my sister to break it in half for me (I didn’t want to be the one to kill it).