Talk to Me

Wanda,
I’ve heard you mention your cat before (great picture by the way!). Please, more details about him/her for us crazy cat people! Mahalo. PS: canned tuna (In water) usually sends a feline into raptures; see if that will get you the kiss.

Wanda:

I was in Honolulu last week since I had to return for my MIL’s funeral. While there, I met some small, blonde, haole guy who name escapes me right now, but he used to write a column for the advertiser. He said he was at the Advertiser for like 30 years or so. He was lucky I guess, since he got a job right away working for Diamond Head Mortuary. I told him I read your column and blog religiously and he said that you were a great lady and he wished you well too.

He also told me that he was part Hawaiian on his mother’s side, but he does not look it. He said he also teaches hula.

So I just wanted to tell you hi and that that guy said to tell you hi too.

I am checking several times a day for new post by you, Mrs Adams….I need my daily “Wanda” fix!

Aloha Wanda,
Kapolei High School is producing a book titled “From the Heart of Hawaii’s Families” to help raise funds for Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children to expand its neonatal facility. We have received many short stories and anecdotes from families in Hawaii, as well as many favorite family recipes. We are asking permission if we may include your recipe for Grandma’s Beef Hekka printed in your article in the Honolulu Advertiser/May 2, 2008 titled “Mom (and Moms) Made Me Kitchen-Competent. Please respond to this inquiry at your earliest convenience at the above email.
(I too, really miss your food articles….I clipped all of them for our files). Cynthia Pratt.

Hi Wanda,

For two holiday seasons now, I have attempted to make Stollen after being inspired by an old HNL Advertiser article from December 1972, featuring Rolf Winkler. I used to buy his product at The Patisserie and after sampling various versions, decided the Patisserie’s was the best. Auwe, The Patisserie is pau, Winkler is dead, and I have not found anything I like as well here in the Bay Area.

Now, the article by Alston Vizzini, Advertiser food writer then wrote:

“Winkler said he does not use eggs in his recipe because ‘they make everything too dry.’
The following recipe for raisin stollen comes as close as possible to Winkler’s recipe without giving away guarded family secrets.”

There followed a Raisin Stollen recipe calling for flour, milk, cake yeast, sugar, almond, butter, raisins, salt, lemon rind, candied citron, nutmeg, vanilla, dark rum.

“Dissolve yeast . . .drain
Cream butter . . .

The recipe continued all the way to “Wrap in foil . . .”

The next paragraph is Christmas Stollen listing flour, butter, raisins, almond, sugar, cake yeast, citron, milk, rum, lemon rind, orange rind, nutmeg, cardamom, vanilla.

“Dissolve the yeast . . .let rise.

THEN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH is

“Cream the butter, EGGS, and sugar. Add the flavoring and spices. Mix into yeast sponge and add the remaining flour and milk.”

Wanda, please note, there are no eggs listed in the ingredients for Christmas Stollen.

What to do? Eggs, no eggs? Raisin Stollen or Christmas Stollen?

Please advise.

Thanks. Halmoni

Wanda, first of all, I miss you from the Advertiser! Second, is the cookbook, “Japanese Food” still available? I would love to purchase the copy from you. I’m a fourth-generation Japanese-American, and I love cooking, especially Japanese food. I would treasure this cookbook and add it to my collection of other vintage local cookbooks I’ve inherited from aunts and others.

Aloha Wanda;
The farmers are heading over right now to a bed and breakfast on Maku’u Drive in Paradise Park on the Big Island. Chef Alan Wong and crew are going to treat us to dinner. They said, there is a pool and a jacuzzi–dress appropriately. Who hoo!! Wish you were here! Can I link my blog–hahaha.hamakuasprings.com to yours?
Love you.

Hi Wanda,
I would also love the Bird Bar recipe from Down to Earth. They are my favorite!!
Thanks,
-Jodi

This recipe was printed in the 12/31/2007 New York Times. It works wonderfully with Meyer Lemons.
“Meyer lemon, with its distinctive perfume and sweet, delicate flesh, has an almost cult-like following. A hybrid of lemon and sweet orange, it can be sliced, dressed with olive oil and sea salt and eaten on its own as a salad or side dish for chicken or fish.” NYTimes
January 31, 2007

Here is a double-crusted cookie tart to make with all those delicious lemons.

p.s. Welcome back!

Recipe: Lemon Confit Shortbread Tart
Time: At least 2 hours

FOR THE CRUST:
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 large egg
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, or to taste
2 tablespoons lemon juice

FOR THE CONFIT:
8 lemons, preferably thin-skinned and seedless
3/4 cup sugar.

1. For crust, combine flour, salt, butter and 1 cup of sugar in a bowl. Mix with your fingers until it forms flaky crumbs and lumps. Mix in egg, almond extract and lemon juice. Continue to mix until it clumps; at first it may seem very dry. Shape into a ball, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, up to 1 day ahead of baking.

2. For confit, slice off and discard ends of lemons. Slice 5 crosswise, peel and all, as thinly as possible. Remove any seeds and place in a bowl.

Peel skin, including white pith, from remaining 3 lemons, then slice thinly crosswise, and add to bowl. Add 3/4 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Toss and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours.

3. Place lemon slices and their juice in a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook down until lemons are candied and small amount of liquid in pan is sticky and syrupy, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool.

4. To bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough in half and form each half into a ball. Roll one ball until large enough to fit into a 9-inch round tart pan. Dough will be crumbly (more shortbread than pie crust); if it falls apart, press it back together.

Spoon confit over crust, spreading evenly.

Roll out second ball of dough and place on top, sealing edges but making sure no crust overlaps the rim (or tart will be difficult to remove later).

5. Bake until edges of tart are lightly golden, about 35 minutes, then sprinkle top with remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Return to oven for about 10 more minutes; edges should be lightly golden and crust cooked through but not browned. Serve warm or cooled.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.