Hawaii Travelogue: Big Island Eats

2 months after our trip, I'm finally ready to talk food!  I will first say that we chose to visit Big Island to focus on natural beauty and eco-adventures (snorkeling, manta rays, volcano, waterfalls, etc.), but we had good eats nonetheless.

Sam Choy's Kai Lanai - Seared Poke

Fantastic flavors and the searing made this version of poke more palatable for our son :)

Da Poke Shack - From top: Pele's Kiss, Cucumber Salad, and Sesame Poke

Da Poke Shack had SO many poke variants.  Pele's Kiss was our favorite with its spicy aioli kick.

Saimin (from Big Island Grill and Sam Choy's Kai Lanai)

Saimin is a Hawaiian fusion dish inspired by Japanese ramen and Chinese noodle soup.  Toppings typically include roasted pork, scrambled eggs, dumplings, and greens in a dashi broth base.  The kids particularly loved this.

Broke Da Mouth Grindz - Garlic Chicken / Teriyaki Beef Plate and (giant) Garlic Shrimp

One of my favorites from the trip!  The Garlic Shrimp dish was especially good and bursted with savory garlic flavor.

Tex Drive In - Pineapple and Chocolate-filled Malasadas

After hiking to see the waterfalls on the Hilo side of the island, Tex Drive In was a nice stop on our way back to Kona.  They had great Hawaiian dishes like Loco Moco and also had 10+ fillings you could pick for your Malasadas.

Big Island Grill - Haupia (coconut pudding) Ice Cream Pie

You can't leave the island without trying some kind of haupia.  This massive (and delicious!) slice of pie was enough to feed the 6 of us.

Hope everyone had a wonderful weekend :)

Food, Friends, and Some Rambling

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of hanging out with the lovely Ping and Karen.  What did we do?  What we do best - eat and shop for fabric :)

First, my husband and I stopped off in Berkeley to try the famed pancake souffles at Bette's Oceanview Diner:

Chocolate Swirl Souffle Pancake

Have you ever seen such a beautiful pancake?  Incredibly fluffy and light, this pancake reminded me a little of the lightly sweetened cakes found in Chinese bakeries.  This singular pancake was quite large - perfect for sharing.

Homemade Corned Beef Hash

Ok, I am a very amateur, semi-shakey-handed photographer so while this photo does not convey how delicious it is, please trust me when I say that this was out of this world!  Flavorful with big chunks of corned beef and perfectly crisped edges, this was hands-down the best corned beef hash I've ever had.

How can you not love a place with a gigantic slice of pie hanging overhead?

In Oakland, we joined the girls to indulge in mac & cheese at Homeroom:

Homeroom pic from Ping's Instagram

Top: Gilroy Mac - Creamy gouda, sharp pecorino and just the right amount of roasted garlic

Middle Right: Mexican Mac - Niman Ranch chorizo, chipotle peppers, jack cheese, and cilantro, served with a wedge of lime

Bottom: Smoky Bacon Mac - Rich and bold with smoked cheddar, jack cheese and bacon

I love when an eatery "reinvents" mac & cheese.  Typically, it starts with the same base foundation and add-ins are the point of differentiation.  At Homeroom, each variant tasted distinctive and unique.  What a treat!  My favorite was the Mexican - the chorizo was divine and I loved the spicy kick.

On a personal front, I've been keeping busy.  I got a new job in a new industry, started commuting 3 hours a day (previous commute was only 20 min), and we are in process of purchasing a house.  I know I've been distracted and more absent (AND absent-minded), but I'm hoping to get back to normal once we move and settle in :)  Thank you for understanding!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Under the Sea Box Pleated Skirt DIY

I purchased this beautiful twill fabric a while ago waiting for spring and finally got around to sewing it up.  At the moment, I am making a top as well so that they can be worn together like a dress or separately.

Difficulty: Easy

Time: ~2 hrs

Materials:

• 1 yard of fabric (this one is P Kaufmann Ocean Twill)
• 9" invisible zipper

How to:

• Skirt Pattern and Full Tutorial
• Invisible Zipper Tutorial

Happy Spring!

1-Hour Blouse DIY Tutorial

Can't figure out what to wear?  Make yourself a new blouse in an hour :)

1-Hour Blouse DIY Tutorial

Due to the number of pictures, please see tutorial after the jump.

Bites Around East Bay

So much food, so little time!  Today, I wanted to share some of my favorites around East Bay:

Salmone - Gianni's Italian Bistro

House cured atlantic salmon with shaved fennel, pepe verde, and lemon - yum!  Especially love the capers.

Salted Caramel, Black Sesame, and Lychee Rose Macarons - Creme Si Bon

Everything at Creme Si Bon is delicious, but my favorite is the lychee rose macaron.  The flavors taste so genuine, I'd swear I was eating a real lychee.

Rice Krispie Marshmallow Cookie - Creme Si Bon

Crispy, gooey, crunchy, chocolatey perfection.

Chorizo Burger w/ Boniato Fries - Havana

The fries are particularly tasty with bold garlic and a little hint of sweetness!

1/2 Price Mojito Mondays - Havana

But the main attraction for Havana are the many, many varieties of mojitos :)  Here we had pineapple and watermelon.

I think I'm hungry now...

Have a great week!

Shopping Find: Fanciful Tweed Jackets

Quickie shopping post.  On a mission to find a belt for my husband, I walked past White House Black Market and spied these cute tweed jackets:

WHBM Tweed Jacket, Sz 00 on left, 2 on right, here

The one that lured me into the store was not on sale, but I loved the details on it.  I would say the sizing is similar to LOFT.  The 00 "fit" (AKA, I could button it without sucking in my stomach) but was definitely snug.  The next size they had was a 2 which was too roomy in the chest (story of my life).  A sz 0, had it been available, probably would have been my best bet.  

Verdict: No, but I love this style and will look for a 0 at other locations

WHBM Textured Stripe Jacket, Sz 2, on sale for $69.99, here

Ok, so stripes still draw my eye wherever I go.  Same kind of deal for this jacket.  The 2 was roomy in the chest and a 0 was not available :(

WHBM Embellished Trophy Jacket, Sz 2, on sale for $59.99, here

Same here as above regarding fit.  LOVE the pearl and chain details.

Overall, I'm pleased with the jacket offerings and will be back to check them out.  The sale jackets in particular seem like a pretty good deal considering the details / lining / fit (if you find your size).

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

As an aside, I have 4 New with Tags blazers and jackets for $25 + free domestic shipping in my blog sale:

• Banana Republic Camel Blazer
• Talbots White Eyelet Blazer
• LOFT Moto Jacket
• BCBG Checked Jacket

Please email sewpetitegal (at) gmail.com if interested.  THANK YOU!

Mom's Kitchen: Chinese Rice Dumpling Recipe + Wrapping Video

Jean has already shared delicious photos and her family recipe here for zongzi, so this post, admittedly, is a bit duplicative and more for documenting my Mom's methods than anything else.

Mom's Chinese Rice Dumplings

Prep Time: ~1 hour + marinate and soak overnight 

Cook Time: ~1.5 hours

Due to the number of pictures, please see rest of the recipe after the jump.