Food for Thought, Body, and Soul

Blog moving!

2010-01-31T15:38:00.002-10:00

Friends:

It was announced today that I will be appointed to a new position effective July 1, 2010. To help with the transition to a new pastor for this church, I have transferred my blog. Click on the following link: http://foodforthoughtbodyandsoul.blogspot.com.

Hope you'll check out the new blog site. Thanks so much.

Grace and aloha,

Tom Choi

The Drop In Cafe - First Take

2010-01-23T02:17:00.003-10:00

One of my blog readers suggested that I try a new place in the Aikahi Shopping Center in Kailua (near the Marine Corp Base): The Drop In Cafe. It's in the space previously occupied by the Muddy Waters Cafe.

It has coffee, sandwiches, and the like. When I walked in, I was met by a very cheerful and particularly nice server/host. When I said that this was my first visit and what would she recommend, she immediately said, "the Chicago Dog - it's fantastic!"

So I got one, and it was pretty good. The bun was sesame seed instead of poppy seed, but it was good nonetheless. Some of the other requisite ingredients - including pickle spear, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and the famous "nuclear green" relish - were present. I'm guessing that mustard was omitted to give the diner the choice of how much to put on; celery salt was listed as an ingredient, but didn't seem present in mine. It didn't bother me, though. I enjoyed it.

I still think Hank's is better, but this one is a bit bigger and for my taste, better than Flavors of Kailua.

I was, however, very heartened by the enthusiastic attitude. At a time when good service is hard to find, I appreciate a new place that tries hard to please.

How would I rate the experience? I'm humbled that another one of my blog readers has started using a code term at restaurants for whether or not she and her husband liked a place. She now asks her husband: "Would you blog about it?" which means "Do you think it's good?" This is because I don't blog about restaurants that I don't like or that have little or no redeeming value.

The other ways of evaluating from other companions are: "Would you make a special trip to go to this place?" or "Would you come back?" or "Would you tell your friends that you absolutely have to go to this place?"

Well, I'm blogging about this place, and I do plan on coming back. I would not, however, make a special trip just to go if I wasn't already in Kailua.

All this is to say that I hope that you give the Drop In Cafe a try. The food is fine and I want to see nice people succeed in business.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. We've all been concerned about the situation in Haiti. It's at times such as these that I'm proud to be part of the United Methodist Church. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is one of many organizations that provide relief. The one very compelling reason to give through this channel is that 100% of your donations go to relief efforts, because UMCOR's administrative structure is supported by the denomination.

A poignant note to this is that the executive director of UMCOR, the Rev. Sam Dixon, was in Haiti to strategize ways to help this already beleaguered nation when the earthquake happened. Rev. Dixon perished in the catastrophe.

If you would like to donate to Haiti relief through UMCOR, you can do so online: http://secure.gbgm-umc.org/donations/umcor/donate.cfm?code=418325&id=3018760.

The Peanut Challenge

2010-01-20T19:54:00.008-10:00

In my September 2, 2009 blog post, I said that Costco had a number of their proprietary brand products were the best at any price. Among those was the Virginia peanuts.

One of my church members took exception to this claim and insisted that the peanuts from the Peanut Shop of Williamsburg (Virginia) were superior.

So I issued a challenge: we would have different people in the church from various generations do a blind tasting and vote for the one each thought was the best.

The results: 20 people chose the Peanut Shop peanuts. 19 chose the Costco peanuts. Those who preferred the Peanut Shop peanuts thought they had a more pronounced peanut flavor (I do agree with that opinion). Those who like the Costco peanuts cited the larger size of each peanut and the particularly nice crunch.

Technically, I lost the challenge. But consider this: a 32 ounce tin from the Peanut Shop costs $21 (it nets down to a little under $17 if you buy a case of 6) plus the required express shipping to Hawaii: $15. That makes it $36 for a single 32 ounce tin.

A 40 ounce tin from Costco costs a little less than $8. For a product that is essentially evenly matched with the premium brand and slightly more than 20% the net cost, I'll take the Costco brand every time.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Virgina figures prominently in the birth of the United States. There is also a lot of debate about the faith and religious life of the Founding Fathers, such as Virginians George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison. It seems that like America today, the Founding Fathers were a mixed bag religiously: Deists, Unitarians, and Orthodox Christians. One important difference: even those that did not have traditional Christian beliefs nonetheless saw civic importance of organized religion and most never made a formal break with the churches of their upbringing. These days, it seems that the importance of organized religion is diminishing, and the result, I'm afraid, will be a further splintering and division of people, for when people are individuals about everything, they will disagree on much.

I think the Founding Fathers had it right.

Breakfast on the Windward Side of Oahu - A Brief Roundup

2010-01-04T21:12:00.001-10:00

Kailua has received some national attention when Rachael Ray visited a couple of this Windward town's restaurants for her "Tasty Travels" show on Food Network. One of them specializes in breakfast, so I thought that this post would focus on breakfast places on the Windward side. I'll be focusing on distinctively Windward places, so I won't be talking about Denny's, IHOP, or even Zippy's.

I'm trying to be nice, so I'm going to say at least one redeeming thing about each place.

Best Muffins - Moke's Bread and Breakfast
Moke's is located at 27 Hoolai St in Kailua, next to Boston Pizza and across the street from Blockbuster. It has homestyle breakfast (and only breakfast, BTW) with nice service. I must also say that the interior is very nice and homey.

Now by homestyle I mean that if I were to get Moke's kind of food at someone's home, I would be delighted. As a restaurant, however, the food is okay, but not great, and certainly not the kind of accolades it received on Yelp (whose reviewers with whom I consistently tend to disagree). I have gone to Moke's a few times, the last time in December with a party of 12. The service was good, with just about everyone saying pretty much the same thing: the food was okay, but they've had better.

The sole exception was the truly outstanding banana nut muffin. It was light but substantial, flavorful without overdoing the banana flavor.

I think if you would like to have a nice, relaxed breakfast in a cute setting with good service, Moke's is for you, especially if you like muffins.

Biggest Portions - Times Coffee Shop
Times is on 153 Hamakua Dr, pretty close to Safeway. Times is a local style place: big portions, hole in the wall atmosphere, fairly good service.

From pancakes, to Loco Moco, to meat and eggs plates, Times does a good job. Their fried rice is among the better ones around.

The ambience is definitely "Spartan," and the service is generally polite and pretty efficient, if not overly friendly.

Who would like Times? Local folks and people in general who have big appetites. It's definitely a solid choice.

Excellent Breakfast with the Most Unusual Meat Dish - Koa Pancake House
Located on 46-126 Kahuhipa St, Koa Pancake House has a big menu and good food with cheerful, attentive service. Pancakes, waffles, omelets are all good.

What makes Koa's distinctive is Vinha D'alhos (pronounced Vinna Dosh - like the first part of "Kosher" - the pronunciation indicates that the Portuguese who introduced this dish to Hawaii came from the Azores, an island archipelago off the coast of Portugal; maybe that's what attracted these islanders to the Hawaiian islands). It is a Portuguese dish that means "wine and garlic." The Hawaiian version appears to be stewed and then fried chunks of pork in a vinegar base. The waitress described it being like pork adobo but drier. I thought it looked and tasted a lot like the Cuban dish masitas de puercos. In any case, it is delicious and good alongside eggs and potatoes, or in an omelet.

Koa Pancake House would be one of my two favorite places to have breakfast on the Windward side.

The Best Single Breakfast Dish in Hawaii - Boot's and Kimo's
*Sigh* I have a real love/hate thing for this restaurant, located on Hekili street in a new location across the street from Hawaiian Island Creations. On one hand, the food is excellent, with great tasting omelets and if you hang around late enough for lunch, one of the best garlic chicken plate lunches around.

They also have what I think is the single best breakfast dish in Hawaii: pancakes with the macadamia nut sauce. Many people have speculated what this sauce is made of, as it is absolutely delicious and a deeply guarded secret. My guess is that it is melted and heated vanilla ice cream with crushed macadamia nuts on top. I have to try that sometime at home to see.

But I must regretfully confess that I do not particularly care to go there, except when people visit us who have never been there. For one thing, the wait to get a table is interminable (it's kind of like what Yogi Berra said once about a restaurant in New York: "Nobody goes there anymore - it's too crowded").

The other thing that is difficult is that the service is generally rather indifferent. I thought it was just me, but nearly everyone I have talked to says the same thing. I would characterize the service as giving off an attitude along the lines of "If you don't like the service, that's okay, you don't have to come back...we have plenty of diners who will take your place." And unfortunately, that is true: they have tons of diners lining up and waiting outside to get a table at almost all hours of operation.

But those pancakes are heavenly. If you are visiting Hawaii, it is definitely on the to do list, but be prepared to wait and think only about how good the food is. If you live in Hawaii and you've never been there before, do go once and then decide if on balance it's worth going back.

The Best All Around Breakfast on the Windward Side - Cinnamon's
This restaurant located in a large business plaza that's off of Maluniu (or Aulike or Uluniu, depending on where you're coming from...the best landmark is that the plaza is across the street from the McDonald's on Kuulei). I don't think that there is anything that is absolutely the best I've ever had, but just about everything is very good to outstanding. This was the place featured on Rachael Ray's show (the other place in Kailua, by the way, was Kalapawai Cafe, which I'll write about in a future post).

They are famous for their pancakes, which aren't quite as good as Boot's and Kimo's, but close enough without the wait. I recommend the guava pancakes, the carrot cake-like pancakes, and the strawberry cheesecake pancakes (occasional special item).

Their best omelets are actually more like frittatas (or egg foo yung), with ingredients mixed in with the eggs before cooking. I like the Chinese omelet, which has things like bits of char siu, bean sprouts, and green onions. The Hawaiian omelet is good too, with kalua pork as the main ingredient.

They have good Eggs Benedict (no place will ever quite replace the superb Eggs Benedict from the old Tahitian Lanai, but Cinnamon's is the next best), with creative alternatives to Canadian Bacon, like mahi mahi, and spinach and tomato.

S.A.N.D. (Start of A Nice Day) is popular: kind of like a version of the Grand Slam Breakfast: pancakes, one egg, and bacon (a three run home run?).

The service is outstanding and they are able to accommodate large parties with ease. They also have al fresco dining in the courtyard.

Happy Eating!

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. The word "Breakfast" means to "break a fast," which is the long period without eating that comes with sleep.

Breakfast is featured prominently in one of the accounts of the Post-Resurrection appearances of Jesus. In Luke 24, the first thing that Jesus does when the disciples see him is serve them breakfast.

Perhaps the breakfast was symbolic of breaking the fast from the presence of Jesus that the disciples experienced. With the resurrected Christ, they would never be without him, and that opportunity is available to us.

So may breakfast always be reminder of the constant and renewing presence of Christ in our lives.

The Week of Living Tastelessly

2009-12-31T21:08:00.002-10:00

[Note: this post was adapted from my Christmas Eve service message, delivered at Kailua United Methodist Church last week]

When I say that I spent a week of living tastelessly this doesn’t mean that I spent seven days watching Jerry Springer’s talk show, listening to Howard Stern’s radio program, or getting media advice from Richard and Mayumi Heene, the parents of the Balloon Boy, whose hoax infuriated America.

Actually, a couple of weeks ago, I had a bad cold, and what it did was give me sinus congestion such that I couldn’t taste any food for a week.

For a food blogger, this is not good. I think my office manager, Shelley, put it best: when I told her that I couldn’t taste food, she said, “Wow…that would almost be like dying for you!”

She wasn’t too far from the truth. For me, the worst part of being sick is not being able to taste food – for one week, I experienced a complete absence of flavor in my food. I could sort of figure out if something was salty, bitter, or sweet, but not with any enjoyment.

I basically live to eat…but for a week, I had to eat to live. Did I survive? Sure…but some of the great joy in life was gone.

I was particularly concerned, because at the end of the week on that Saturday was our church's Christmas Party, which featured gourmet food prepared by a professional chef and culinary students. I was thinking in horror that I would not be able to taste fully that wonderful food.

I tried everything…medications, Vapo-Rub, even a straight shot of wasabi, hoping it would clear out my nasal passages…nothing…

By Friday morning, there was the first sign of flavor! I made some Lipton’s Chicken noodle soup, and there was just a wisp of that chicken bouillon saltiness. Such a simple thing, but it was very exciting!

I found that if I blew my nose, I could get just a touch of flavor (at this point, you are simultaneously grossed out and empathetic). I found out during a meal of Panda Express later that day (a favorite of my daughters) if I gently blew air through my nose, I could get a little bit of flavor. Things were looking up!

By the next day, I could taste the nuttiness of Cheerios – very thrilling! Later that morning, I could taste some of the Christmas cookies made by some of our dedicated church members.

By the time of the Christmas Party, I was able to fully taste food! Yes! I could taste the steamship round of beef…I could taste the yummy ahi crostini…the chicken satay skewers…the fried wonton with two piquant sauces…kalua pig on a guava roll…even the vegetarian salad with green beans and two kinds of beets! Amazing! Delicious! Fantastic!

I really understood how much being able to taste food adds so much to my life.

Now…if I had been born without the sense of smell – which is really where we get most of our sense of flavor from – I would certainly be alive, I would certainly be able to get through life…but I would be missing out on so much of the joy, the satisfaction, the wonder of living. That’s what life lived tastelessly would be like. The absence of flavor in my life would be tragic.

And that’s just the absence of the sense of smell and flavor. I would say that there are those who don’t think their lives are missing much because of the absence of Christ in their lives. But if they only knew what the presence of Christ does to their lives, it would be like adding flavor to the mere eating of food.

There is a reading from Isaiah 9:2: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined." The people of that time are experiencing the absence of light – which is what darkness is. Of course, Isaiah is speaking figuratively…what he meant was that they were living in the absence of true joy, happiness, and fulfillment in life.

But then the people who have lived in darkness…the people who have lived in the absence of light…saw a great light. It started as the light of a star that shone over a tiny little town in Palestine on the first Christmas. And as impressive as that light was, it was nothing compared to the light that came from a beautiful infant child, radiating nothing but joy, hope, love, peace, possibilities, and fulfillment. And those shepherds, abiding their fields at night – the time when light is absent – witnessed the light of the angels, and went to see the Christ child, full of grace and truth, and the light that shines in the darkness of hopelessness, of despair, of pessimistic times…and promises possibilities that go beyond the imaginations that we can conjure up in our wildest dreams.

It is no accident in the book of Genesis that when you see the passage of days, that it says, “And there was evening and morning, another day.” We usually think of the days as morning to evening…but the biblical writers wanted us to be reminded every day of the goodness of God, and so we begin each day in darkness – in the absence of light – and move into the light the shines in the darkness…a reminder of the light of joy, hope and love from God. That’s why Jesus was born in the darkness, and then came into the light – because he IS the light of the world.

One last note on taste and flavor. We all know that Jesus was born in something called a manger. A manger is a feeding trough for animals. The word itself comes from the French word “manger,” which means to eat.

I don’t think it is coincidental that Jesus is identified with something to eat, to taste. When Jesus grows up to be a man, he teaches, he heals, he astounds, and gives hope and joy to people who needed it badly. And then when he was to give himself as a sacrifice for the world, he had a final meal with his disciples, and told them that to remember him, they would need to symbolically taste him in the life giving elements of food and drink…and that from then on, when we taste the goodness and flavor of food and drink, we give thanks for the flavor and joy and goodness that Christ gives to everyone.

So…may you go from the absence of flavor and the absence of light in your lives to taste and experience the light fullness of joy, goodness, happiness, peace, hope, and love.

May you know that no matter how your life is now, that there is the hope that it will be so much more in Christ…

And may the light that shines in the darkness, Jesus Christ, born in a manger, a place that provided taste, flavor and nourishment, be with you and remain with you this Christmas, and always….Amen.

Grace and aloha - and Happy New Year!

Tom

The Princess and the Frog - The Power of Love and Food

2009-12-22T19:01:00.002-10:00

Opening boxes from our move to our new home, I was pleasantly surprised to come across some movie passes that were gifts from a thoughtful friend a few Christmases ago. With most of the groundwork laid for Christmas Eve and Sunday, I decided to take my daughters to see Disney's latest animated film, "The Princess and the Frog." The trailers looked like it was going to be a light, fluffy film, but it had some pretty good lessons and subtle faith messages.

The film is an updated version of the Grimm's fairy tale, but instead of being set in Germany, it is set in early 20th century New Orleans. Tiana is the daughter of a hard working family that nonetheless has time for family and friends, especially with food as the centerpiece. Tiana shows skill at cooking gumbo, and her benevolent father invites the entire neighborhood, basically saying that food builds community (hence, its appropriateness for this food blog).

The years pass and Tiana is now a hard working double shift waitress, trying to make enough money to buy her own restaurant. Her childhood friend, the wealthy Charlotte, is vying to marry a prince, and one happens to be visiting New Orleans - Prince Naveen from country of Maldonia.

Into the picture comes Dr. Facilier, AKA the Shadowman, a voodoo magician who turns Prince Naveen into a frog and plots to have Naveen's crooked butler, Lawrence, help Facilier gain the fortune of Charlotte's father and control New Orleans.

Naveen convinces Tiana to kiss him so he can be restored to human form, but instead, Tiana turns into a frog. The rest of the movie is the resolution of this crisis and also the development and resolution of the relationship that develops between Naveen and Tiana.

This is a well made film that belongs in the pantheon of Disney classics such as Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Mulan, Pocahontas, etc. It probably won't be quite as beloved as those named, but I think it is one that will grow on you.

The characters of Tiana and Naveen are very well developed, and are very much appropriate to contemporary tastes. Tiana, for example, is bright, independent, and goal oriented - and the goal isn't a man and living happily ever after with him and doing what he wants.

The score is by Randy Newman, who is known to many as the composer of such pop songs such as "Short People" and the theme song to the TV series "Monk." Newman, however, comes from perhaps the most prestigious family of film score composers, beginning with his uncles, Alfred, Emil and Lionel Newman, and his cousins, Joey, Maria, David, and Thomas Newman, the latter the composer of the scores of such films as "The Shawshank Redemption," "The Green Mile," and "Pay It Forward." Randy's score is playful, diverse, and appropriate to the jazz birthplace that is New Orleans.

The key themes are: that the love of others is more important than fame, fortune and ambition; that one can rely on good luck or even divine intervention only so far, that personal dedication and effort are key to realizing one's dreams.

One of the most important, but perhaps overlooked, subplots is the star that various characters make wishes to. The star is named Evangeline, which means "the bringer of good news." For me, it alludes to the star that shone over Bethlehem pointed the way to the ultimate definition of Good News: Jesus Christ, born in a manger, to give hope, joy, and peace to all, and taught that love is the greatest force in the universe, and transcends all other values.

May that Good News be brought to all of you during this time and always.

Merry Christmas.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

Carrabba's Spicy Sausage and Lentil Soup - My Take

2009-12-10T19:35:00.000-10:00

Those of us who live in Hawaii and California are fortunate in almost every way, except that we don't have a Carrabba's Italian Grill near us. I would describe it as Italian-American food in the very best way that term can mean. It isn't super authentic Italian food, but it is as good as a chain restaurant gets, which in this case, is very good: http://www.carrabbas.com.

I think they make terrific steaks, good chicken dishes, and the pastas are fine. But what I love and crave is their Spicy Sausage and Lentil Soup they make often. The service is also very good. We went to the location in Mechanicsburg, PA (a lot better than it sounds). I was crushed when they said they didn't have the soup that day. The waiter slipped away for a moment, came back and said, "My manager said, 'Tell us when you can come back, and we'll make it especially for you.'" Now that's great service! We did go back a couple of days later, and it was great.

It doesn't sound like much, but it is a hearty, deeply satisfying soup that goes great with the rustic Italian bread they serve with it.

I won't be making it back to Mechanicsburg anytime soon (although I found a Nashville location, so there's a good chance I'll make it there in the spring), so I've been trying to come up with a reasonable facsimile of my own.

So here's my take...it's adapted from guesswork and different recipes I've seen. I think it's pretty good...maybe not quite as good as Carrabba's, but I can make it anytime. Served with some good, crusty bread, it makes a terrific winter time meal.

For the vegetarians, you can omit the sausage and substitute vegetable stock. My sister, Portia, who has been published writing about the wonders of lentils, likes the vegetarian take. I'm not so sure, but lentils are packed with iron and are high in protein, especially when eaten with rice or other grains. In any version, so good and good for you.

1 pound Italian sausage (spicy or mild, depending on your family's taste)
1 pound lentils
2-3 round onions, depending on size, chopped
3 carrots, chopped
3 celery, chopped
1 can (14-16 oz) stewed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4-6 cups of chicken stock, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: Hot pepper flakes
Bay leaf, basil, oregano
Vinegar (apple cider or balsamic)

In an eight quart Dutch oven, sauté sausage in olive oil, breaking up sausage into small pieces. Drain all but one tablespoon oil if needed.

Add lentils, onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes, garlic, chicken stock, black pepper (I waited until near the end to see if it needed salt), and optional hot pepper flakes (if you prefer to use Italian herbs, you can add them now if desired – I usually don't add them; I think it turns out much better without, and so does Becky, but is a personal taste thing).

Bring soup to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours or until lentils are tender. Add water or stock during cooking if the soup becomes too thick. Adjust for seasoning if necessary before removing from heat.

Serve with good crusty bread. If desired, pass around a bottle of vinegar and invite diners to add a small amount to each bowl. Start with a few drops or more to taste. I like a little bit of vinegar, Becky and the girls don't care for it.

Enjoy....

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Lentils show up often in the Bible. For example, when Esau sells his birthright to Jacob, it is for a bowl of lentil stew. When fleeing from his rebellious son, Absalom, King David and his men were strengthened with a meal that included lentils. It's interesting to know that such a humble legume played an important role in biblical narratives.

Corn Souffle - An Easy and Good Dish for the Holidays or Anytime

2009-12-01T11:14:00.002-10:00

At Thanksgiving time or potluck time other times of the year, my wife Becky and I will often make something called Corn Souffle. It is very easy to make and it is delicious. It's been a part of Becky's family for many years.

I've been asked for the recipe often, including this year, so I am posting the recipe so that anyone can access it at any time.

One warning: it is not a diet dish! As my seminary literature professor, Peter Hawkins, might describe: it is "heartstoppingly" rich. I usually double the recipe for potlucks and dinner parties.

Corn Souffle

Ingredients:

2 sticks of butter (melted then cooled)
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 can corn (w/liquid) 11 oz. (we prefer the Green Giant White Shoepeg variety)
1 can creamed corn 15 oz.
1 box JIFFY corn muffin mix

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat egg and mix with both cans of corn. Add sour cream and cooled melted butter, mix together well.

Add muffin mix, mix together until well blended.

Pour into casserole dish and bake at 350 for approximately 1 hour until golden brown & not obviously runny.

My good friend Deborah Tom decided to make it at the last minute. She forgot to add the eggs and substituted cream cheese for the sour cream. She said it still turned out well.

Enjoy!

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. If I had to choose a quintessentially American food product, it would have to be corn. That is both a good and bad thing. Great things come from corn: popcorn, corn on the cob, even the best environmentally friendly picnic ware.

Corn also turns up in an incredibly high percentage of food products, especially sweetened foods. High fructose corn syrup shows up in almost anything sweet nowadays. There are big debates about the healthiness of high fructose corn syrup, and while I don't have the personal knowledge to make a judgment either way, it does give one pause at how ubiquitous it is. It's worth taking an inventory and understanding what we are ingesting into our bodies.

By the same token, it's also worth taking an inventory at what we are ingesting into our souls. We may be surprised at how much or how little we are receiving in terms of spiritual nourishment.

The season before Christmas that we are now in is called Advent. It means "coming," in other words, the coming of Christ. It has been traditionally set apart as a time for reflection and meditation on the meaning and significance of Jesus. The hustle and bustle of commercialized Christmas has basically taken that completely away from most.

This year...please carve out some time to reflect prayerfully and seriously. If "Jesus is the reason for the season," let's take some time to figure out exactly what that means.

Deep Fried Turkey - The Best Way to Cook a Turkey

2009-11-21T01:57:00.004-10:00

If you haven't tried deep fried turkey, you are missing out on one of life's true pleasures. There really isn't anything like it. The skin is crisp and delicious, the white and dark meat are moist and tender, and it generally takes less than an hour to cook. I will often fry several and do the following: the first one is usually the "pickin' turkey" where it comes out hot and people just pick off bits of skin and meat - it really is the best that way, kind of along the Krispy Kreme doughnut principle where the sooner it comes out of the fryer, the better it is; one or two more will feed people on Thanksgiving; one or two will be carved and frozen for another day...alas it never seems to last as long as I want. I also take the carcasses and will make a good turkey jook (or soup) the next day.

Frying for the first time can be a bit intimidating, but after awhile, you'll find it is very easy. Here are some tips that I've learned over the years:

1. Get good frying equipment and make sure the stand for the fry pot is sturdy. Don't forget to fill the propane tank in advance.

2. If I do it optimally, I will brine thawed turkeys (that are no more than 15 pounds, although 12-14 pounds is best) the night before in a solution of about a cup of kosher salt to each gallon of water with ice, enough to cover, along with some peppercorns and maybe some poultry seasoning. I'm not a big fan of adding sugar to the brine, but that's up to you. If I'm doing several, I will brine the turkeys in a clean cooler. You can also use a clean, unused paint bucket if you are only doing one and have enough room in your fridge to put the bucket in.

If I'm lazier (which I tend to be more these days), I will buy frozen turkeys that have been injected with a broth solution already (the Safeway sale turkeys are like that). The day before, I will place the frozen turkeys - still in their wrappers - in the cooler, cover with water, and they should be thawed by the next day (but watch the temperature of the water and make sure it still is cold enough). The downside of this method is that some of the brine will diffuse out of the turkey and the flavor loss may be noticeable to some, but it is a whole lot easier.

3. Make sure the turkey is completely thawed. If doing the lazy method, you will often find that the cavity is still a bit frozen. Soak in cold water without ice for a bit.

4. Make sure that the turkey is absolutely dry, patting down with paper or lint-free cloth towels, making sure you dry off the pesky cavity. Water is the enemy of the deep fryer - you will have painful and dangerous oil spatter if you aren't careful; the dry rub doesn't stay on as well either.

5. The classic seasoning for deep fried turkey is Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning (pronounced Satchery as in hatchery - don't ask me why, it's a Southern thing). Liberally sprinkle and rub all over the skin and inside the cavity. You can add some freshly cracked black pepper as well.

Some people like to inject the birds with different things...after the first year, I did not. If you brine the turkeys or get one of the pre-injected turkeys that haven't lost a lot of broth, there will be plenty of flavor.

5. Make sure that the turkeys come close to room temperature. It will keep the oil from cooling down too much and make the turkey more greasy. When making several, I bring the next one out right after I lower a turkey into the fryer.

6. Use oil that has a very high smoke point. Peanut oil is the classic, but it is the most expensive (although the prices this year are about 40% cheaper - about $30 for the big container), but since one of my daughters has a peanut allergy, I use liquid vegetable shortening - yes, I know about trans fats, but it tastes a lot better than canola. Costco has it for about $20.

7. Remember that oil is different than water!! It takes time for the oil to come to temperature (no higher than 375 degrees). Don't be tempted to put the heat on very high to speed up the heating process. You will find that it will seem slow and then all of a sudden be too hot. The oil cannot be taken to the smoke point, or else it will break down and the quality will suffer. You also run the definite risk of burning your turkey, because oil also takes a long time to cool down.

The converse of that is that you should not let the oil go below 325 degrees, which usually means your turkey was too cold to begin with. If it does, do not fiddle with the flame too much, if at all. The oil should come back to temp. Increasing the flame even a little too much will cause the turkey to burn black - I know, this happened to me the first year. Remember the principle: oil is slow to heat, and slow to cool. Patience is the key.

8. When lowering the turkey into the fryer, you must be very careful, or else there will be spatter that will burn you, or the oil will bubble over and there is a real fire danger.

I have developed a "teabag" technique where I dip the turkey slowly so the bottom of the bird gets seared, then dip a little bit more so more gets seared. After doing this a few times, I will very carefully dip so that oil gets into the cavity, then pulling it out immediately, so there is no spatter. The cavity tends to have the most moisture, so the dipping method sears the inside as well as the outside. I repeat this procedure again, a few more times, and then slowly lower the turkey into the fryer. If the oil is still bubbling too much, raise the turkey and lower again. This takes a lot of practice, so be very, very careful!

Once all the way in, I will fry for about 3 1/2 minutes per pound. You may wish to experiment. Use an instant read thermometer until the breast reads at least 165 degrees (although I usually cook it until the temp is at least 170; the dark meat can reach 180 degrees). Even if the temperature is a little higher than than that, it's okay, because trying keeps the meat moist.

I usually place a cardboard box on the ground with several sheets of newspaper and paper towels on top and place the beautifully browned turkey on that, and remove carefully from the caddy.

The only downside to deep fried turkey is that you can't put stuffing into the cavity or the neck. But it is a small price to pay for something so absolutely delicious!

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. The first Thanksgiving might not have had too much turkey. Venison almost certainly was the main meat, along with duck, and perhaps fish, such as cod. Corn was prominent.

The one thing that hopefully never changes from the first Thanksgiving is the gratitude to God the Pilgrims had in surviving a harsh first year in Plymouth, Massachusetts.

May your Thanksgiving be blessed!

Kikuya Restaurant in Kaneohe - Classic Local Style Japanese

2009-11-18T19:32:00.007-10:00

Aloha...many of you thought that I may have starved to death since it has been a month since my last post. We've been in the midst of moving from Kailua to our own home in Kaneohe and it's been a crazy time. We've been eating at fast food chains a lot and didn't think you needed thoughts on those places.

Yesterday, however, a group of United Methodist pastors and I had lunch at a place I had heard about a lot, but had never been to: Kikuya Restaurant, 46-148 Kahuhipa St, Kaneohe, HI (808) 235-2613. It's located in the industrial section of this Windward Oahu town.

This is old fashioned Local Hawaii style Japanese food - not too fancy, in spartan decor, but reliably good.

The four of us opted for three of the combination plates. Two got the fried ahi with tempura.

I got a taste of a bit of the ahi. It was good and full of flavor. Gilbert, who frequently comments on the blog and who took these pictures, thought that the fish was cut a little thin and that made it just a touch dry, but he thought the flavor was terrific.

Another combination chosen was chicken katsu and tempura.

My pastor friend thought that the chicken katsu was very good, better than most.

I got the chicken teriyaki and tempura.

This is chicken teriyaki like I love: marinated through and through and the chicken has been charred nicely on the outside, but the inside is tender and juicy. The one thing I really appreciate about Kikuya is that they are not afraid to season their food. There are too many times when other places under-season their food. As much as I love Dean's Drive Inn most of the time, for example, there are times when they will under-season food. Absolutely no problem at Kikuya. Everything was seasoned extremely well.

We all thought that the tempura was good. I would probably pick a few other places' tempura to be a bit better, but I don't have any complaints.

The potato salad was also enjoyed by all.

The prices are good: about $9.50 for a good sized plate is a good deal.

A bonus: they do a brisk take-out business as well, with mini-plates like the chicken katsu and teriyaki dishes for only $5.

I would say that the other three pastors and I definitely recommend this place for a no frills, but thoroughly enjoyable meal. You're going to doubt the word of three men of the cloth? :>

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. I briefly mentioned Dean's Drive Inn in this post. One thing that you'll notice is that it closes at 4:00 p.m. on Fridays and they are closed on Saturdays. This is because the owners are Seventh Day Adventists (SDA's). This is a Christian denomination that tries to honor the entire Bible and considers the Old Testament Law to be authoritative for their lives. SDA's believe that Saturday is the Biblical Sabbath and do no work on that day and the evening before. My mother-in-law is SDA, and she will not watch television or cook meals during the Sabbath. SDA's will also not eat pork or other foods that would be considered by Jews to be non-Kosher.

Most Christians (including myself) hold to St. Paul's teaching that they are freed from the law because of the work of Christ, therefore do not feel compelled to observe Sabbath and dietary laws. Moreover, since Jesus was resurrected on a Sunday, most Christians will worship on Sunday as the Day of the Lord.

I do, however, have a healthy respect for SDA's (and would even if my mother-in-law was not SDA, BTW) and their determination to have integrity about their faith life.

Flavors of Kailua - First Take

2009-10-16T10:43:00.006-10:00

As I was driving down Kailua Road, I saw a sign for a new place in Kailua called Flavors of Kailua, featuring shave ice and Chicago Hot Dogs.

I decided to check it out. I discovered that it is located on the corner opposite Zippy's on Oneawa Street. There is no parking that is immediately apparent (unless you want to risk the ire of Zippy's management). I figured out that if I went around the block and parked in the public parking structure between McDonald's and Lucy's, I would be just a few yards away. If you know to do that right away, the location is pretty accessible, but it is not intuitively obvious.

I'm not sure what Chicago Hot Dogs have to do with the local flavors of Kailua, but I guess since many residents here are from somewhere else, I was willing to go with it. I tried the No. 1 combination with a Chicago Dog, chips, and a drink, all for $5.50, tax included. The service was what I would call "laconic, local style," but the server/food preparer had a pleasant enough demeanor.

The Chicago Dog was fine, although a little heavy on the mustard. It's not as good as Hank's (or Portillo's in Chicago, for that matter). But it was authentic Vienna Beef, and I didn't have to drive into Honolulu or fly to Chicago.

I was just about to try the shave ice, but as I was finishing my meal, the man behind the counter suddenly closed up the place at 12:45 p.m. (I was eating outside, so I was not displaced). Apparently, he had to respond to the call of nature.

I decided not to hang around.

Overall, the experience itself was actually okay, and the price was certainly good. But is it worth all the trouble to go around the block to get parking and feed a meter? Not sure yet...got to try the shave ice first. I would not give it my highest recommendation, but I wouldn't discourage anyone from going, either. Since it is a new business, I would encourage people to give it a try once for the benefit of the doubt. Supporting a local business is in the genuine spirit and flavor of Kailua.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. The latest book I am reading is called UnChristian. It's about why so many 16-29 year olds do not go to church and even think that Christianity is irrelevant. I'll give some more updates as I work through the book.

Steak Plate at Times Market - Oahu's Best Known Secret

2009-10-09T19:25:00.004-10:00

The plate lunch has been raised to an art form in Hawaii. An entree (or two) with two scoops of rice and (usually macaroni) salad is ubiquitous. There is no end to the possibilities. Gracie's Drive-In was and is known for their chicken katsu. President Obama took his family to Rainbow's on Kapahulu. L&L Drive-In is the most common these days.

A relatively recent phenomenon is the steak plate: a half-pound of steak, served with two scoops of rice, tossed salad, and a drink, all for about $7. You will see lunch trucks all over selling these plates, often with a side of garlic shrimp. Blazin' Steaks is probably best known by tourists and it's okay, although the steaks are cooked on a flat top grill. Blazin' Steaks offers different sauces and styles of cooking, such as Thai and Korean.

But for those in the know, hands down, the best steak plate in Hawaii comes from Times Supermarkets. The tender Sterling Silver brand sirloin steaks (according to one of the cooks they are seasoned with McCormick's garlic pepper and Hawaiian alae salt) are grilled outside of the stores on gas grills and the flavor is much better than those cooked on a flat top grill.

A bonus is that you can get a la carte portions of steak and shrimp for about $5 each. Our standard Friday dinner is two portions of steak and one portion of shrimp. We make rice at home and open a can of Niblets corn. All for about $17. It's a good and delicious deal. It is so popular that at noon and after five, the line at the Kailua location goes halfway down the produce department. I always see at least one person I know every Friday, and sometimes there are enough of my church members there that we could hold a decent worship service.

The catch is that you have to know which day Times is serving up steak, as each location offers steak once a week (most locations offer other items on different days, but the steak is the best, although I do like the huli huli chicken Wednesdays at the Kaneohe store). Here's the schedule of steak (and shrimp) plates by location:

Mondays: Kahala, Liliha, Royal Kunia
Tuesdays: Kaimuki
Wednesdays: Waimalu
Thursdays: Aiea, Beretania
Fridays: Kailua, Koolau, McCully, Waimalu
Saturdays: Kaneohe

You can check out the full menus at the Times website: http://timessupermarkets.com/tasteoftimes.asp

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. I was in Nashville most of this past week for a meeting of the United Methodist Study on Ministry. It is a group evaluating various aspects of ordained ministry in this denomination.

One of the things that is at the forefront of the discussion is the need for the United Methodist Church (and its ministers) to rethink how it approaches doing church ministry. For the past several decades, the emphasis has been to appoint a pastor to a church, and the assumption is that the flock that is already in the church is the main emphasis, and the pastor takes care of the flock primarily.

There is a movement to change that understanding so that pastors are appointed to a community, of which the church congregation is a part, but not the only focus. Those who are not yet in the church are equally important.

It means a quantum change in how most churches function. The focus is more outward than inward, which will be difficult for many church members accustomed to their pastors at their beck and call. It will also mean pastors will need to emerge from their offices and spend time in the community.

This is, of course, the way it should be and even used to be. Somewhere along the line, many Mainline Protestant churches have evolved into nice but insular clubs. One pastor I know called it becoming "warm, spiritual Jacuzzis." It's no wonder that so many people outside it think that the Church is an irrelevant relic of the past.

I welcome this change of perspective on the part of church leaders to emphasize appointing pastors to a community. The Good News of Christ is something so great. Those in the Church need to make sure all know about it.

Chestnuts from Girolami Farms - The Return of An American Treasure

2009-10-02T08:33:00.023-10:00

Before the days of year-round available produce from high tech farmers and Southern Hemisphere countries, there was a seasonal quality to produce that defined that time of the year during my formative years.

Winter, especially at Christmas, was marked by big boxes of oranges and apples that church members gave to our family as gifts.

Spring meant strawberries, especially the huge, sweet, and scrumptious ones from Camarillo, California. Cherries signaled the beginning of summer. Peaches and watermelon were synonymous with the height of summer.

But autumn was truly autumn when on a cool evening, our family roasted chestnuts, with the sweet aroma filling our home, and we anxiously peeled the chestnuts, trying to be careful not to burn our fingers. It was a sweet, chewy, deeply satisfying taste that defined my childhood.

Chestnuts have not been a big part of American palates for a long time. It's a part of holiday lore in Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting in an Open Fire," most famously recorded by Nat "King" Cole, but I never knew anyone who ever actually did that. I saw recipes for turkey dressing that contained chestnuts, but again, I didn't know too many people who actually did that. When I visited New York on a vacation, there was the chestnut cart that had the cones of newspaper filled with chestnuts that Becky and I enjoyed.

Chestnuts are big in Asia. I have enjoyed tiny ones from China and Japan, and there are huge ones from Korea (which I actually like the least). Europeans use chestnuts extensively; traditionally, for example, hogs used to make prosciutto were fed chestnuts. I remember that in the film, "Amadeus," composer Salieri served Frau Mozart a special confection that only the aristocracy ate: Roman chestnuts in brandied sugar.

Chestnuts are so prominent that the description for brown color is used in many languages. Marron in French, often used to describe dark brown hair color, means chestnut. In Korea, the term for brown, pahm sekal, literally means "chestnut color" (incidentally, the word for orange in Korean is kahm sekal, or persimmon color).

What many don't know is that chestnut products were an incredibly significant source of sustenance in America in many ways. At one time, chestnut trees covered much of America, and were used as timber, fuel, and of course, food. Chestnuts are gluten free, high in fiber, high in nutritional value, low in fat, and versatile. Ground into flour, chestnuts can be used for cakes, bread, pancakes, etc. It is an ingredient for sweet or savory dishes, and can be used as a sweetener. The chestnut tree allowed many Americans to survive during difficult times. Some health food stores call them the perfect health food.

Unfortunately, a blight afflicted the millions of American chestnut trees, nearly wiping out the entire species. By the 1940's, only a few trees remained. Even if new ones were planted, it would take decades for a suitable crop, since chestnut trees yield their best nuts at 60 years of age.

For many years in America, most of the chestnuts one would see at the marketplace were from Italy. With immigration, the Asian varieties began to pop up here and there.

The problem for me was that I didn't care for the Korean variety (just didn't like the flavor somehow), the Japanese and Chinese ones were just too small, and the Italian chestnuts, which I love, would often have a high rate of spoilage, which was even worse when we moved to Hawaii.

Happily, there is now a good supply of delicious American chestnuts. For the past few years, I have ordered them from Girolami Farms, a family owned business in Stockton, California. I highly recommend them. Girolami Farms have wonderful chestnuts - large, sweet, with a nice texture. The great bonus: none of them were spoiled or had that green rot that is present in so many of the supermarket chestnuts I find.

They are $5.75 per pound for the jumbo (which I ordered), and $6.50 per pound for the colossal. The price may seem a little high (although in Hawaii, it isn't bad), but remember that the quality of the chestnuts is excellent and there is no waste from spoilage: what you pay for is what you get. They also have pre-cooked and peeled chestnuts, chestnut flour, and cookware specifically designed for chestnuts. There are also recipes and directions for preparing the chestnuts.

Here are some tips and info for cooking chestnuts: 1) I recommend roasting to boiling; boiling makes them easier to peel, but the flavor loss is noticeable. 2) The open fire method may be romantic, but is a lot of trouble and requires constant attention; so only do this if you are planning to monitor the cooking every second of the process! 3) It will take some experience to know when the chestnuts are cool enough to handle and peel, but not so cool that that the inner skin sticks to the nutmeat; I use an oven mitt to start the first ones straight out of the oven.

4) If using a chestnut knife (which does work well and you can order from Girolami Farms), I wear a bandage (in advance) on my thumb so I don't have to worry about the tip of the blade cutting me and I can work much faster. 5) Cooking times definitely vary, so even though the website says 15-20 minutes in a 375 degree oven, test one and make sure it has a light golden brown color and you can begin to smell the aroma. It shouldn't have any trace of a crisp texture (such as from a raw carrot or a water chestnut - which is completely unrelated to the chestnuts we've been talking about BTW) or have a slightly astringent taste. Properly cooked chestnuts have a unique texture that is tender but firm.

5. Make sure that you cut slits in them to avoid exploding nuts, release steam, and facilitate easier peeling. I usually cut an "X" on one or both sides and make sure that I cut into the tough hull a bit as well.

Order them directly from the website: http://www.chestnutsforsale.com

Enjoy!

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. One of the great things about chestnut time in our home growing up is that it was a communal event. Because there is a small window of time to peel the chestnuts before the inner skin sticks irretrievably to the nut (and then you would have to peel them with a knife, sacrificing nutmeat and aesthetics), we would all gather as a family and peel them together. As I look back, it was one of the few activities that everyone in the family took part in. Maybe that's why I have a nostalgic view on chestnuts: the warmth of the chestnuts warming up a cool autumn evening was made even more wonderful by the warmth of our family together, working on a common purpose.

Maybe that's why I'm so gung ho on the church. There is something simply unmatched by the connection of a community that comes together for a common purpose and a common experience. It's like no other place on earth.

Pepper's Place - Cheesesteak in Hawaii

2009-09-29T04:10:00.008-10:00

Perhaps no food item is so closely identified with a city as the Philadelphia cheesesteak. For the few who do not know what it is: it is thinly sliced steak cooked on a flat top grill and placed into a long roll (the one made by the Amoroso Bakery is de rigueur). Cheese is melted on top. Believe it or not, Cheese Whiz is the traditional topping. Grilled onions are also a traditional part of a cheesesteak. It is optional, and you order a sandwich "wit'" or "wit'out" onions.

Pat's the King of Steaks on Passuyunk Ave. in Philadelphia is the original. Pasquale "Pat" Olivieri invented the cheesesteak in 1930 and the family still owns the company. A relative of the family, Rick Olivieri, has his own version, Rick's the Prince of Steaks. Other well known places are Geno's (a location also on Passyunk Ave., catty corner from Pat's), Jim's, and Tony Luke's (who was featured on an episode of Bobby Flay's Throwdown).

I had my first cheesesteak at the original Pat's several years ago. I ordered a "Whiz wit'," Cheese Whiz with grilled onions. It was an amazing experience. It is true what they say: no one ingredient is the key - it is the combination of meat, bread, cheese and onions working in complete harmony that makes the sandwich sublime.

I went back a few years ago to Rick's, when his place was in the Reading Terminal Market (he's now at the Food Court at the Bellevue). It wasn't quite as good as Pat's, but it was still excellent. Becky was with me on this visit, and she got provolone cheese, which is her preference to Cheese Whiz.

Here in Hawaii, I've had the cheesesteak at Zia's (it really isn't a cheesesteak - the bread is wrong, there is too much cheese and it's mozzarella, and they automatically add peppers; it's okay, but they shouldn't call it a Philly cheesesteak). There is a place on Kuhio Ave. in Waikiki that claims to have authentic Philadelphia cheesesteak, but it somehow fell short for me. Dave and Buster's has a cheesesteak that is surprisingly good, and actually could be the best one I've had in Hawaii.

This brings us to Pepper's Place in the Kailua Shopping Center near Times Market. Their logo proclaims it to have the world's best Philadelphia cheesesteak. I'm always skeptical when a place has to advertise that it is the world's best at something. It usually means it isn't. In fact, it often means it isn't very good at all.

In this case, Pepper's Place falls somewhere in between, although favorably so. They use an Amoroso roll, and the meat and onions are done well. They have their own proprietary blend of cheddar cheese and provolone (they claim that Cheese Whiz is too salty so they came up with this combination). This costs them some authenticity points, but I appreciate that they thought it out.

The verdict? I think that it is a good cheesesteak (you'll notice that I do not add Philadelphia to the description; I agree with a Philadelphia native in my church who says that you have to go to Philadelphia to get a Philadelphia cheesesteak), although not the world's best. It doesn't come together with the same harmony as Pat's or even Rick's, but it is enjoyable nonetheless. Pepper's Place won't quite replace the memory of cheesesteak from Philadelphia, but it does ease the pain of being so far away from one of the definitive American sandwiches from the City of Brotherly Love.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Phileo is the Greek word for friendship or affection, aka brotherly love (hence, the first part of Philadelphia). It is one of a number of words in Greek for love. One of them is eros, or romantic love. Another is stergo, or familial love. Finally, there is agape, which is defined as Divine love or unconditional love or self-sacrificing love. Much of the time, subtlety is lost in translation from the original languages of the Bible into English.

For example, in John 21, Jesus and Peter have a conversation where Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love me?" The first two times, Jesus asks, "Do you love (agape) me?" Peter responds "Yes, Lord, I love (phileo) you." The third time, Jesus asks, "Do you love (phileo) me?" And Peter says, "You know I (phileo) you." Scholars differ greatly in their interpretation of this change in words. It is clear to me, however, that Jesus has one expectation for loving him, and Peter has another. Perhaps it is that Peter isn't quite ready or not yet able to comprehend enough to embrace the kind of self-sacrificing for which Jesus asks. Over time, however, Peter does understand and embrace agape love. It is then that he truly experiences the depth of a relationship with Christ.

I think to love (agape) Jesus is a difficult concept. It happens over time. It becomes clearer as we learn more about Christ, especially His agape for us.

Five Dollar Family Feast - Fish

2009-09-24T20:20:00.005-10:00

Ahi tuna is one of Hawaii's most famous foods. Most enjoy ahi in a few basic ways: as sashimi, in sushi, cubed in poke, and pan seared rare. In each case, the fish is derived from a boneless fillet. But ahi is a bony fish...what happens to the bones after they are filleted?

Thanks to my wife,Becky, I have discovered what happens to some of the bones, and deliciously so.

Becky works for the State of Hawaii, and her office is in Kalihi, on School Street. Every few months, a woman comes by selling fish out of a cooler (not an uncommon thing here). One of the unusual things she sells is something called ahi bone, which are the leftover bones of ahi after filleting. She sells a bag of about 20 pieces of leftover bones - each about the size of the palm of a hand - for $6. Becky split a bag with a co-worker, bringing the price down to $3 for 9 pieces (Becky gave the extra pieces to the co-worker, who had a larger family).

Each piece looks like a cut from a smaller fish (I'll take a picture the next time we get it...especially for Bennett). There is a thin layer of meat on both sides of each piece. Becky seasoned the fish simply with garlic salt, dredged in a little flour and sauteed. There is a row of very large bones that kind of resemble shark's teeth, plus some smaller bones, but none of the bones are so small as to be a danger, and are easily removed. In fact, you can get a few mini fillets from each piece that I made sure had no bones and gave them to my 5 year old daughters. In fact, it was kind of fun to work through the pieces of fish - just enough work to feel a sense of accomplishment, but not so bony to be a pain, like eating bluegill.

The fish was delicious, perhaps even more so because we fed our family of four very well(five adequately the first time, when my mother-in-law was with us). Add rice and a can of Niblets corn from Costco, and this meal cost us about five dollars. You can't beat that!

I would imagine that any good fish monger will have these bones hanging around and he/she should sell them to you for next to nothing. But watch out, they may catch on and could become the newest thing, and the price could skyrocket, just like oxtails (I just can't believe what they cost now!). So get them now and enjoy a delicious meal at current economy friendly prices!

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. The fish is one of the enduring symbols of Christianity. The earliest symbol of Christianity in the catacombs was the fishes and loaves, what Jesus used to feed the five thousand men plus women and children. The tilapia is known as St. Peter's fish in many places, referring to Peter's profession.

You may have wondered what the Jesus fish stands for. It is an acrostic based on the letters which form the word Ichthys, which is "fish" in Greek. The letters stand for the phrase "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior."

I'm actually not a big fan of the Jesus fish (if you have one, God bless you, though). I think that it tends to trivializes Jesus (remember Elaine Benes from "Seinfeld"?) and I think anytime you parade a religious symbol without personal relationship is missing the point.

Something as important as all that Christ signifies and symbolizes should be celebrated at the forefront of one's heart, and not pasted onto the back of one's car's trunk.

Hank's Haute Dogs in Kakaako - Hot Dogs' Greatest Hits

2009-09-22T15:41:00.004-10:00

Kanani, one my most dedicated blog readers, suggested I try Hanks "Haute" Dogs (get it, francophiles?), 324 Coral Street in the Kakaako section of Honolulu, just off of Ala Moana Blvd., between OfficeMax and the now defunct CompUSA. There is now a location in Waikiki, in the International Marketplace.

Any conversation about a hot dog place will invariably include something to the effect of "Okay, maybe it's good, but is it that much better than a hot dog and a drink at Costco for $1.50?" For some, you will never be able to convince them that what breaks down to a 92 cent hot dog or Polish dog (if you subtract the 58 cent solo drink price from the combo price) could possibly be topped.

For the others, you'll find Hank's to be a great place to sample hot dogs prepared in different styles.

I got a Chicago dog, which uses the correct ingredients: a Vienna brand all beef hot dog served on a poppy seed roll with yellow mustard, onions, tomatoes, a dill pickle spear, very green relish, hot peppers, and celery salt.

When I got it, it was a little smaller in size than the ones I've had in Chicago, but I have to say that it was excellent. The hot dog had a nicely textured casing and the meat was very flavorful and tender. I enjoyed it very much.

I have to admit, however, that I liked what Becky ordered better, although you might have predicted so. She got the Fat Boy: which is a hot dog wrapped in bacon and deep fried(!!!!). It comes with lettuce, tomato, and mayo. You might think of it as a delicious hybrid of a BLT and a plain hot dog. It was fabulous!

Kanani urged me to get the fries cooked in duck fat. Alas, these are only available on the weekends, when they make a duck and foie gras sausage. But the regular, twice cooked fries were good, although I prefer fries made from peeled potatoes. The gourmet dipping sauce made from wasabi and tobiko was very good.

They have a daily exotic hot dog. On this day (Tuesday), it was alligator sausage. I have to go back and try Sunday's special: a Wagyu Kobe beef hot dog. There are also hot dogs made from rabbit, buffalo, and lobster.

There is a Polish dog, but that seems like going to a great steakhouse and ordering a hamburger.

The drinks are a delightful bonus. The jasmine iced tea was particularly good, especially with some simple syrup (they call it liquid sugar) added. The hibiscus lemonade was good, although I would say that this is an adult drink, not too sweet and pretty tart.

There is a vegetarian "No Dog," with avocado, tomato, onion, cucumber, cilantro, spicy chipotle mayo, and cheddar, which I'm sure I will never order (why go to a hot dog place if you're not going to eat a hot dog?). There is a keiki dog, but I think if I take my children, I'll have them split a Fat Boy (partly because I won't mind eating their leftovers).

The service is a bit uneven. There was one front-of-the-house person who was very helpful and enthusiastic - he seemed to be more of a management type. The other person we experienced was devoid of energy, did only what was necessary, and was clearly hired help. She didn't detract too much from the experience, but I like good service no matter where I go.

All in all, however, Hank's is a very enjoyable place. For me, it's the best hot dog place in Hawaii. And yes...I would go there anytime over Costco...and pay the higher price.

For Becky...it's another place (not Costco)...I'll blog about it soon.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P.S.

One of the best books that I've read in a long time is Darkness Is My Only Companion. It chronicles the experiences of Kathryn Greene-McCreight, with whom I went to seminary, and who went on to receive a Ph.D in Theology from Yale and become an Episcopal priest.

After the birth of her second child, Kathryn would eventually be diagnosed bi-polar, would be hospitalized a number of times, and though she has shown some great improvement (with psychotherapy, medication, and by her description, the grace of God), she will probably always live with the illness.

The book is a great witness of a sufferer of mental illness who nonetheless remains steadfastly Christian. The podcast of my latest sermon goes into a bit more detail.

For anyone who has suffered depression at any level, or struggled with the diseases of the mind, this book is an illuminating resource.

Langer's - When Done Right, the Best Pastrami in the World (Sorry, New York, It's True)

2009-09-19T07:32:00.005-10:00

Back in June, my family and I made a pilgrimage to Langer's Delicatessen in Los Angeles at the corner of Alvarado and 7th (there is validated parking in a lot that is one block east of Alvarado on 7th). Langer's is legendary for its pastrami sandwich, especially No. 19 - pastrami on rye with cole slaw on top of the meat.

What makes Langer's so good first has to do with the fact that they simmer the meat long enough so that it is very tender. Most of the fast food pastrami I've had (and some of the restaurant kind) is tough and rubbery. You would think that this would be a simple thing - just cook it longer - but Langer's is one of the few that gets this right.

The second thing is that Langer's uses remarkable rye bread (to get any other type of bread with pastrami at a deli is simply sacrilegious): a very nice crust with the inside of the bread very tender but firm enough to hold the sandwich (kind of like al dente pasta - notice that this is a running theme with me).

I've been to delis all over the world, including some of the best in New York City, like Carnegie Deli and the now defunct Wolfe's Deli, but Langer's is hands down the best - when it's done right.

Okay...so what am I getting at with the "when it's done right" business? What truly sets Langer's apart from the others is the hand slicing of the meat. I once mentioned this to someone, and he replied, a bit cynically, "And that makes a difference?" I emphatically said yes, but actually wasn't sure.

On this last trip to Langer's, I found out the hard way. We ordered our sandwiches, and when they came, the meat was clearly machine sliced! It was still an excellent sandwich, but it was lowered to the level of a good New York deli, merely among the better in the world. When I asked the waitress about this, she said,"Oh, you can request it to be hand sliced." Having bitten into my sandwich already, I decided not to make a bit deal of it, but there is definitely a difference. The meat isn't quite as juicy as the thicker slices by hand. And there is just something disconcerting about something that was so good and above reproach, and now has bowed to the god of efficiency ("Don't worry, it saves time and money, and no one will notice."). Ah...but we do notice!

So MAKE SURE that as you are ordering, you request hand slicing. While No. 19 is the most popular (it was featured on Food Network's "The Best Thing I Ever Ate"), some don't like the cole slaw, so just get it plain.

And make sure you go during the day - Langer's closes at 4 p.m.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. The disappointment of finding machine sliced meat at Langer's makes me think about how we often go through life striving for "just good enough to get by," and not on what is the best possible effort we can give. The delusion of "no one will notice," is a strong one, and one that will eventually rob us of meaning and fulfillment in life.

I think this is particularly true about our relationship with God. It is too often left neglected or not nurtured as much as it might be. We (including myself) might often think, "God is all loving and all forgiving, so it's okay that I don't pay attention as much; in the end, God will accept me."

And while that is true, the question isn't about whether or not God will still love us or forgive us. It is whether or not we are missing out on an incredible relationship with our God, one that is not only individual, but also communal, in places like the church.

I think about my girls and I am mindful of the time I spend with them. In the enormous demands of a pastor, I am tempted to spend less time with them, knowing that they love me and will forgive me. But I watch them grow so quickly, and the joy and blessing of each stage of their lives is gone forever in seemingly a blink of an eye, and I have to make sure I set aside enough time to appreciate truly what I have in these moments with them. It's similar with God.

In the end, it isn't whether or not God loves you and forgives you...that's a given. It's whether or not you and I benefit from that love, and experience the joy and blessing that comes from knowing - as fully as we can - our God in each of the stages of our lives.

Dean's Drive-Inn in Kaneohe - Upscale Fast Food

2009-09-16T16:17:00.004-10:00

I ordinarily wouldn't post again so soon, but the Cheap Eats guys on KHNL, Lyle Galdeira and Russell Yamanoha, reviewed a place called Dean's Drive-Inn at 45-773 Kamehameha Highway in Kaneohe. Today, Becky's aunt and uncle called to say they were coming over and were going to bring lunch from Dean's, because they saw it on T.V.!

This isn't your typical plate lunch place, although there are some dishes like loco moco. The cooking seems to strive for something more ambitious. One of the obvious signs of this is the thin strands of vegetables that garnish every place - a very nice touch.

Here's what we tried:

1. Two kinds of soup - cream of spinach and chicken noodle. The cream of spinach was a bit too thick, as if it had too much cornstarch. The chicken noodle was hearty, with big pieces of chicken - definitely the better of the two.

2. Mahi mahi, pan sauteed with a mild sauce that had capers. I didn't taste enough flavor to discern a real sauce, but it looked like picatta. It was okay but not something I would order again.

3. The chicken teriyaki was grilled with a nice char and a delicate teriyaki sauce. It was pretty moist. My daughter liked it, and I thought it was pretty good.

4. The next dish was called chopped steak. It looked like a stir fry with onions, celery, carrots, and strips of beef. I thought this had more flavor than the previously described dishes - in general, the food seemed a little under-seasoned.

5. The best dish by far was the lamb chops. I would order these again and again. The most impressive thing is that you get several (6-7) chops that are cooked simply and nicely (again, gently seasoned, but in this case, the full flavor of the meat was all there; there is mint jelly served on the side for those who like that with their lamb). They are the kind you pick up by the bone and just gnaw on them for all they are worth.

We did not try the ahi-cakes that were featured on T.V., kind of a local take on crab cakes. I'll have to try those next time, along with a couple of orders of lamb chops.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Lamb has an important place in Judeo-Christian history. Lamb was the main item sacrificed during the Passover festival, which was the final event that led to the Hebrews securing freedom from the Egyptians. However, instead of just burning it on an altar, the Hebrews were to eat the entire animal, an evolution in the understanding of sacrifice (Rob Bell's video "The God's Aren't Angry," gives a great explanation of the progression of sacrifice and the deepening understanding of the divine.

When Jesus is about to give himself up to the Romans to be arrested, flogged, and crucified, it is at a Passover meal, or seder, at which lamb was presumably served, although it is not mentioned in the Gospels but it almost definitely was. Perhaps the lack of mention of the lamb was intentional, because throughout history, Jesus became known as the Paschal lamb, the true sacrifice on behalf of all humankind.

So enjoy lamb and keep in mind the grace symbolized in it.

Washington D. C. - Fantastic Food Town

2009-09-15T21:14:00.004-10:00

Most people think of Washington, D. C. mostly as the seat of the federal government and free museums. This is true, but it also has some of the best restaurants I've ever experienced.

I spent several weeks in Washington while getting my doctor of ministry degree through Wesley Theological Seminary, which is adjacent to American University. For those who know the area, it's in the northwest part of the city, in a nice section called Tenleytown. It was very convenient to go from there to almost anywhere in the city by the Metro, a great subway system.

So here are some of my picks for the nation's capital (just for my Sasabune hosting friend, Linda Quarles) counting down to my favorite:

10. Clyde's, several locations, including Georgetown, Chevy Chase, and the Gallery Place/Chinatown area. This is a reliable American restaurant to which you would take a multi-generational crowd. Good meat and fish. The Chevy Chase location has a cool interior with model trains going around and kind of a mini-car museum downstairs. It's a safe choice if you are with traditional, non-adventurous people (it's where I would have taken my parents if they were still living...that's not to say it's bad, it's good...but not overly exciting or cutting edge...just good old American food).

9. Two Amy's Pizza, 3715 Macomb Street, NW. Two Amy's is reputed to have the best pizza in the city. I would disagree, but it is still good pizza. The best part is the crust, which is thin, Neapolitan style. The toppings are pretty good to very good. My favorite was the Calabrese: tomato, onions, anchovy, fresh mozzarella, parsley, olives. I think it is worth going to once, but I didn't it make my regular pizza place.

8. Saint's Paradise Cafeteria, Shaw District, NW. This is a good soul food place run by a large Pentecostal church. Meat and a couple of sides is what you would get. I had the fried chicken, macaroni and choose, and cornbread (they were out of collard greens the night I went, much to my disappointment). The food was good - not as good as the Loveless Cafe, but solid. Elbert Kim, one of the pastors of the First United Methodist Church of San Diego, is crazy about this place, especially on rib night, which I believe is on Thursdays.

7. 5 Guys Burgers and Fries, many locations. This is one of the better burger places you will find. Very good burgers on a good bun, accompanied by high quality fries. Lots of stuff to put on your burger.

Okay, the above are good to try, but not essential eats. Here are the places you shouldn't miss:

6. Crab - various places. Spiced blue crabs (steamed with a spice mix, often with Old Bay Seasoning, served on a butcher paper covered table) are a true delicacy in these parts, and there are many places to go and opinions about which are better. The Dancing Crab in Tenleytown was recommended to me, and I've been there a few times and thought it was pretty good...until people told me that there were much better places, and kind of looked at me with some disdain when I said I liked it (I still actually think it's fine). I thought the Bethesda Crab House was good. My all-time favorite, though, would have to be the Fairfax Crab House, mainly because it was all-you-can-eat crabs. I haven't been there in many years, and a quick check on the internet seems to indicate that it has changed ownership, but they still have all-you-can-eat crabs. Maybe Linda or others know a better place. But spiced crab is something not to be missed if you've never had them.

5. Ben's Chili Bowl, 1213 U Street. Could be the most famous greasy spoon in America. You may recall that President Obama and Vice-President Biden ate there around the time of the inauguration. The thing to get is a half-smoke: a split sausage with onions, chili, and cheese. Definitely heart-stoppingly delicious!

4. Zaytinya, Gallery Place/Chinatown. Spaniard Jose Andres is one of the world's best chefs and restaurateurs, and he has several restaurants in Washington. Zaytinya is a Greek/Mediterranean restaurant specializing in mezze, or small plates. I liked the stuffed grape leaves, the fried eggplant, marinated prawns, and lamb chops, but so many of the dishes looked good that I didn't try. Caution: this place is described as being moderately priced, but I think it creeped up on expensive. NOTE: Zaytinya's executive chef, Mike Isabella, is a contestant on Top Chef Las Vegas.

Okay...These last three are truly great restaurants and the ranking is not based on which is better tasting, but more on which I am most likely to visit the most, basically based on the price.

3. Kinkead's, Foggy Bottom. No, this isn't the restaurant chain you're thinking of - Kincaid's at Ward Warehouse and other locations. This is one of the best restaurants anywhere. It is so good that the sous chef (and not the head chef) was a contestant in the Bocuse D'Or, probably the most prestigious cooking competition in the world (she lost to the French chef). I was fortunate enough to have been treated here by my sister and brother-in-law a few years ago. I've been assured that it is still great. It was one of the most memorable meals I've ever had. Even something as simple as clam chowder was elevated into another level; a natural clam broth with country ham instead of bacon - it really demonstrated how the simplest of preparations are the best when done right. I also had a perfectly cooked and seasoned piece of fish, once again, simple but absolutely delicious. This is an expensive restaurant, but a great place for a very special occasion.

2. Jaleo, several locations. These are Jose Andres's flagship restaurants. Spanish tapas prepared unbelievably well. Yet again, my sister and brother-in-law hosted this meal for my family for my graduation. There are too many dishes to recommend, but two that you shouldn't miss are the paella (we chose the one with shrimp and cuttlefish) and the incredibly tender and flavorful braised short ribs.

1. If, however, I had to pick just one restaurant in Washington to eat at, it would be the Matchbox at Gallery Place/Chinatown. It is across the street from a Baptist church pastored by my classmate, the Rev. Dr. Amy Butler. If you need a good restaurant recommendation other than these, she has always been spot on. And the Matchbox was her best recommendation.

It is a hip casual dining place. The appetizers are terrific, things like mini-burgers (really good sliders with something called onion strings on them - excellent), shrimp and grits, and crab cakes.

The apple/pear salad is out of this world! Mesclun greens, candied pecans, gorgonzola, with a honey-balsamic vinaigrette. It is just the best.

The Matchbox is known for its pizza, and it's hands down better than Two Amy's (sorry!). Just about all of them are excellent, but two stand out for me. Fire and Smoke is not for the timid; it is very spicy: fire roasted red peppers, spanish onions, chipotle pepper tomato sauce, garlic puree, smoked gouda, fresh basil.

But my all-time favorite was off of the specials menu on one visit: arugula (rocket greens for the British readers) and prosciutto. So simple yet so good! My mouth still waters just at the thought of it!

Just thinking about the apple/pear salad and the fire and smoke pizza makes me think that if vegetarian food was all this good, I'd eschew meat forever. Then again, those braised short ribs at Jaleo are awfully good....

So there you have it...my take on my favorite places in our nation's capital. I'd love to hear from the D. C. residents to know what they think and what other recommendations they would make.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Great discussion on science and religion from the last post! One of the things that intrigues me about those who dismiss God on scientific grounds: they will often argue that given time, one could eventually have a complex universe based on pure chance and not on an intelligent God (unlike Cara's observation).

Well, I guess it's theoretically possible that a sandstorm somewhere whipped up and swept through an iron mine that was on top of an oil deposit and there was am earthquake and suddenly a fully equipped turbo charged Volvo appeared in the sand.

The question is, which is more likely to happen: an intelligent God who creates a world in which people eventually build a Volvo? Or random occurrences that result in a Volvo?

Side Street Inn - If I Had to Recommend Just One

2009-09-14T03:40:00.006-10:00

When it comes down to it, most of the people I know, if they could only recommend one restaurant on Oahu to people visiting Hawaii, would recommend Side Street Inn, 1225 Hopaka Street in Honolulu, across the street from the Ewa side of the Ala Moana Shopping Center.

Side Street's chef, Colin Nishida, creates the kind of food that sophisticated gourmands and down home eating people can all love. The restaurant was featured on the Hawaii episode of Anthony Boudain's No Reservation program, with Bourdain eating dinner with many of Hawaii's most celebrated chefs. It is said that the best chefs in town go to Side Street to eat after hours.

When saying that if I could only recommend one, it's not to say that Side Street is the best restaurant in town, nor is it necessarily my favorite (although it is certainly up there; we don't go as often because it is more of a bar restaurant and it is not the best place to take children, especially young children). But if I had to pick one place that best represents what food in Hawaii is about, Side Street is that place.

When you approach the restaurant, you might get the feeling you are in the wrong place. The restaurant is literally on a side street, and near a red light section. But there is valet parking and when you get inside, you are greeted by a crowded interior teeming with people and good food. Hopefully you will be seated fairly quickly, and then you will try to make choices from a huge menu. I would suggest going with at least three people, because you will want to order several dishes.

The pork chops are legendary. Lightly dredged and fried (according to a Honolulu Star-Bulletin article, the dredging ingredients are cornstarch, flour, pepper and garlic salt), they are comfort food at its most delicious.

Also highly revered by many is the fried rice. I'm not as wild about it as others, but it is good. It has a very distinct flavor, and I am guessing that they add dashi (Japanese fish based soup stock) to it in addition to lup cheong, Chinese sausage instead of the usual char siu. They also add frozen peas and carrots, which takes the dish down a peg for me. But if you are there for the first time, you have to try it and judge for yourself.

The lilikoi (passion fruit) baby back ribs are terrific. Sweet and succulent, they are everything you hoped that Hawaii style ribs should taste like but rarely do.

There are also nods to Hawaii Regional Cuisine: try the furikake (a Japanese seaweed based condiment) encrusted mahi-mahi, or the pesto encrusted ahi. The Manila steamer clams are garlicky and buttery and served with garlic bread to sop up the scrumptious liquid that is formed during the preparation. The famous Nalo Greens (to me, the absolute best mesclun salad greens) are utilized in various ways and a fabulous addition.

I could go on and on, but by now, you have decided to go and try it for yourself. It will be a great experience.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. When I get into discussions with non-believers, the most common complaint is they are scientifically based people, and faith in God and Christ cannot be empirically proven by the scientific method. The problem is that the scientific method is not designed to measure or verify human experience. For example, if I say that I love my wife and children, how can you prove that with the scientific method? You can measure certain physiological changes when I'm with them, you might be able to isolate and categorize brain wave activity, but you cannot qualify by this method what it means to love.

Another problem is that the scientific method is inherently limited, because it is a human enterprise restricted to the finite nature of human cognition. How can something finite have the ability to measure something that is infinite?

Still another problem with the scientific method is that it requires detachment from the thing being studied, so that a more "objective" conclusion can be reached. But detachment is exactly the opposite goal of religion (which is from the Latin word, ligare - to connect - which is the same root word as ligament, which connects muscle to bone; re-ligion is to re-connect humans with God). You cannot understand religion unless you are making an active pursuit of connection with God. This would be at cross purposes with the scientific method (I do embrace the scientific method wherever it is appropriate, by the way).

In any case, I've always felt the logical, scientific perspective presented by non-believers is really a smoke screen. When it comes down to it, all of the non-believers I've spoken to begin with a logical, scientific objection to religion, but eventually reveal a highly emotional experience that turned them away.

Bill Maher's film "Religulous" illustrates this, which is ironic because Maher spends the whole film trashing religion (I highly recommend this film...it actually strengthened my faith in a strange way; although I would suspect that if you were anti-religious going in, you would be even more so at the end). Maher shares that his family attended church with his Irish Catholic father, and didn't know for many years that his mother was actually Jewish, which would have been almost scandalous in the pre-Vatican II (and at times anti-Semitic) Catholic Church. Because of a disagreement with church dogma, his father stopped taking the family to church when Bill was 13. This had to be a volatile set of circumstances for a young adolescent that would affect profoundly his views on religion.

In the film, Maher meets with a men's group from a storefront church. After one of the more regimented members, offended by Maher, stalks off, the remaining members continue the conversation. At the end, these men ask Maher if they could pray for him. He allows them to do it, keeping his eyes open and staring at the man praying for him with intense scrutiny and curiosity. At the end, he says to the remaining men, "Thank you for being Christ-like, and not just Christian."

That was a pretty extraordinary statement from one who has been so vitriolic against Christianity. I think what it comes down to is that Maher opposes extremist religious people, which is what he mostly experiences. I think he is secretly much more open to God than he lets on. I'd love to see a conversation between Maher and someone like Rob Bell - who thinks moderately and scientifically - instead of the admittedly preposterous people Maher interviews in the film. In fact, I believe most Christians also find the extremist religious people to be pretty ridiculous as well, as they are more about personal power and control than an authentic desire to do God's will.

In the end, faith in God and Christ is much more about personal experience, and not about detached, scientific observation.

You can read my blog posts faithfully, but if you never go and actually experience the restaurants or food I write about, you will never truly know what I am talking about. It's the same with faith: you can read about it, argue about it, but if you don't truly seek an authentic experience with God in Christ, you'll never know what I'm talking about.

Ramen - Japanese Comfort Food

2009-09-11T04:15:00.007-10:00

My last post was about saimin, and this one is about ramen. Some people may think they are one in the same, but they are distinctly different. Saimin is an evolution of the many cultural influences on a dish that in part, comes from the Japanese noodle soup ramen (the word and dish which, like many things from East Asia, has ITS origins in China). But the two dishes differ in the same way that pizza from CPK is different from pizza in Chicago.

Like many, my first experience with ramen was the red, square cellophane packages with the brand name Sapporo Ichiban. I hesitated to eat it for a long time because of what the package said it was: alimentary paste. I didn't know what that was, but it sounded awful. I would later learn that FDA regulations required this description because for something to be labeled "noodles," it would have to contain a specific list of ingredients. I guess the FDA has become more culturally enlightened, because now they are described as Japanese Style Noodles.

In any case, I learned to love these noodles cooked in a broth that was chock full of salt and MSG. Again, maybe it was because it was in the small canon of dishes my dad knew how to prepare with love. Even though my dad never lived in Hawaii, he did a local spin on ramen: he usually boiled a hot dog in the broth (it drove my mother crazy out of concerns for his health). Perhaps taking her cue, I never developed a taste for the hot dog in the broth, but ramen always reminds me of my childhood, and the simpler and loving days of home life back then.

Ramen (the word itself means a type of noodles, which is the "men" part; in different cultures, the word will be spelled "min," "mein," and "myun," all meaning noodles) is usually served in a broth made from dashi (fish stock) or meat stock. The most basic style is shio, which means just salt is added. Other flavorings for the broth include shoyu or miso, and/or ingredient additions, such as wakame (seaweed) or tanuki (tempura bits).

My wife Becky and I have long favored Ezogiku Noodle Cafe, which is a franchised ramen restaurant chain from Japan, specializing in miso ramen, using a secret recipe for the miso. It is a delicious and unpretentious bowl, with bean sprouts, a little bit of chopped pork, and kamaboko (fish cake). The restaurant has some great combination deals, which can add fried rice and gyoza, crescent shaped dumplings which in a Chinese restaurant you might call potstickers, and in a Korean restaurant you would call mandoo. Ezogiku is a great deal, especially the combinations; adding gyoza at most other ramen restaurants bumps up the price considerably.

One caveat: the franchise locations can vary in quality. I recently went to the location at University and Beretania after taking my daughters to their music classes on the University of Hawaii campus. Our server was definitely pleasant and efficient, but the cook had long hair that wasn't covered, and the restroom was cramped because of the supplies piled in there (no food, thankfully enough). A peek into the kitchen saw a couple of youth sitting in the back amongst the food and cooking utensils either playing video games or texting; they moved to a table in the restaurant when the lunch crowd died down. A counter employee returned from a break with a hotdog, which he proceeded to eat at the counter, in full view of customers (not exactly a ringing endorsement of the food). While our meal tasted fine, my daughters and I are still alive after the visit, and I didn't find any long hairs, the unprofessional atmosphere left me a bit uncomfortable, and I am unlikely to return anytime soon.

Ezogiku's Waimalu location (a couple of doors down from Shiro's Saimin Haven) is much better. The main part of the kitchen is in plain view, so you know what's happening to your food, and the staff is professional, yet local-style friendly.

Rai Rai Ramen in Kailua is actually quite good, but I don't go as much because of the rather charmless service: the staff isn't rude and the service is efficient, but it just seems like they don't seem to care whether you are there or not (kind of like another famous Kailua restaurant, but more on that in the future).

Nani-wa Ya Ramen in the food court of Ala Moana Shopping Center is okay, but the prices are rather high for a food court, and again, charmless service.

I recently tried Goma Tei, also in the Ala Moana Shopping Center, but in its own space on the makai (ocean) side where a Chinese restaurant used to be. The interior is contemporary and clean. The management shrewdly put in a 30 seat counter for quick, in and out service - very welcome in the mall where the biggest anxiety in the food court is whether or not you can find a place to sit. There are tables as well. When I was there, the restaurant had a nice number of diners to inspire hope that there was good food to be found, but there was no wait, which was a relief.

Goma Tei did not seem to have my favorite miso preparation, so I opted for tan tan ramen, which is flavored with sesame paste, and extra char siu (note: Japanese style char siu is not like the red, sweetish, chewy BBQ pork you will find in Chinese restaurants; Japanese style is very tender, natural colored and savory rolled pork). This is the first time I've had the sesame based broth and while it was okay, I found the sesame flavor to be a bit overwhelming (I apologize if this is an idiotic neophyte observation) and the broth itself a little too oily. But maybe that's because of the huge amount of char siu I was given - definitely a great deal. I also thought the service was efficient and attentive, a step up from other places I mentioned.

My L. A. friends responded to an SOS with some great suggestions for ramen around the City of Angels, but the one I want to highlight is the best ramen bowl I've ever had: Santouka Ramen, which is, believe it or not, in the food court of the Mitsuwa Marketplace, a Japanese market chain, with several locations in Southern California (I went to the Torrance location). This is authentic Japanese ramen: a subtle, but profoundly flavored broth, with perfectly made and cooked noodles which are like top quality pasta cooked al dente. This is ramen at its very best; it doesn't bang you over the head like Goma Tei, but like a Noh Theater play, once you begin reflecting on what you are eating, the realization will set in that you've been given an experience that is truly extraordinary. Santouka is so authentically Japanese that with one of the combinations, you can get natto (fermented soy beans that are either revered or reviled, depending on your opinion of the aroma)!]

Eating noodles has a measure of good luck involved as long noodles represent long life (which is why cutting noodles was and is discouraged). So live long and enjoy the pleasures of ramen!

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Some of you may go to Santouka and wonder what the fuss is about. You may shrug and say "what is the big deal?" Once again, it takes some time to reflect on the experience, and it often takes multiple experiences, truly to come to appreciate the amazing qualities of this preparation of ramen. I don't know how many times I've tasted something for the first time and either did not like it or shrugged my shoulders, but over time, developed a taste for it and have become so grateful that I was willing to be patient and discover something truly extraordinary in my life.

In a similar and much more profound way, faith and church are like that. If you experience church once, you might think, "What's the big deal?" and never go back, or become an ETC Christian (you make it to church on Easter, Thsnkgiving, and Christmas to please your parents or grandparents). When that happens, the span between visits is so long that each subsequent visit feels somewhat like the first time: a little awkward and unfamiliar, so it is distracting to the authentic experience.

So develop a taste for church and faith: visit for several weeks in a row...after awhile, you give yourself the best chance of experiencing Christ the way it is supposed to be experienced: in community with others, and sharing in something truly special. It's a taste I hope you will develop that will last a lifetime.

Shiro's in Waimalu - Still the King of Saimin

2009-09-06T18:43:00.005-10:00

Saimin is one of the definitive dishes of Hawaii, perhaps THE definitive dish. Although the name is Chinese - the word means "thin noodles" - it has its roots in plantation life when Hawaii was the primary producer of sugar and pineapple for the world and attracted laborers from all over the world. The noodle itself is very similar to Japanese ramen, although to me, saimin has a slightly different texture, maybe just a bit more glutenous than ramen. When the different ethnic groups came home from a long day, different things went into a soup pot, like Korean won bok, Chinese char siu and wonton, Japanese dashi, maybe green onion from a Filipino garden, eggs from a Hawaiian hen house, Portuguese sausage (although this is rarely an ingredient in saimin now). As the dish evolved, Spam became a standard ingredient. Saimin is ubiquitous - even McDonald's has added it to their menu in Hawaii.

While Zippy's saimin is probably eaten the most - and it is very good - my favorite is still Shiro's Saimin Haven in Waimalu, just past the Pearlridge Mall on the way to Pearl Highlands. Owner Shiro Matsuo is now 90 years old, and is still in good health - not doubt because of the health benefits of saimin. Known as “Mistah Saimin,” the former tenured professor turned restaurateur serves up a perfect bowl of saimin.

When I first began eating at Shiro's 25 years ago, the restaurant was a definite hole in the wall, with that old fashioned 60's look. Shiro is a poet/philosopher, and many of his sayings graced the wall in plain paper, usually with the salutation "Dear Hearts...." Here is his description of the restaurant:
"The place with a song in its heart and dedicated to the proposition that the hard working people must be taken care of with invigorating, nourishing, soulsifying food that is not too skimpy, plenty tasty and geared to the pocketbook."

Several years ago, the restaurant received a complete makeover, and now has a bright, attractive interior. Shiro's musings are still on the walls, only now framed and with Local Hawaiian pictures and prints in the background.

Shiro's has a huge menu: there are 60 varieties of saimin (Shiro likes to say that while Baskin-Robbins only has 31 flavors, he has nearly twice as many). There are also standard Local Hawaii style coffee shop items, but in a quarter century of dining there, I have never had anything but saimin.

The saimin choices differ in the kind of garnishes you order. The standard is a bit of char siu, won bok, carrot, and green onion. You can get roast duck added to the saimin (broadcaster Joe Moore's favorite, No. 59), you can get a hot dog, tripe stew, laulau, pork adobo, or even scallops. No. 60 is always reserved for a local celebrity's preference. These days, it's Linda Lingle saimin: one beef teri stick to accompany a standard wun tun min.

On this visit with my family, Becky got wun tun min and the girls got got one order of keiki saimin for both of them, which was plenty. All enjoyed theirs.

For the benefit of my blog readers, I got No. 58, the Dodonpa, the specialty of the house: 10 different garnishes (in addition to the basic ones) including one deep fried shrimp served on the side, Chinese Roast Pork, imitation crab, egg pancake sliced into a cake, roast beef, luncheon meat, mushroom, wun tun (the local way to spell wonton if it goes into saimin), mushrooms, and of course, Spam. It is served in a huge Chinese style soup bowl, like when you serve several guests at a banquet. I haven't had one in years, but it is still terrific: the broth is subtle but just right, and all of the ingredients really do work. If that wasn't enough, I also had a side of kimchi, made the local Hawaii style: a lot of ginger and not too much garlic.

One of the best things I love about Shiro's is that you can order the noodles three different ways: rare, medium, well done. As someone definitely from the al dente school of preparing pasta, I appreciate the option of having my noodles with a shorter cook time, so that they remain firm and chewy throughout my meal. There is not much worse than soggy noodles (Koreans even have a specific word for it, which sounds something like puh-duh-suh). Becky also ordered her noodles rare, and really enjoyed them as well.

Shiro's is definitely a local hangout. What you will come to notice is that many locals will eat saimin in a distinctive way. I remember my friend Val (the Punahou foodie) being on the mainland, and someone asked her how long had it been since she moved from Hawaii. She asked, "How did you know I was from Hawaii?" The reply was, "The way you eat noodles."

The local way to eat saimin (also adopted by some non-local longtime residents like me): dip the Chinese soup spoon into a dish of shoyu and Chinese mustard and get just a bit; get some broth from your bowl, being careful not to let the shoyu mustard run off into the bowl; top it off with noodles and/or garnish or wuntun; then take the entire spoonful into your mouth. It's a delicate balancing act at times, but it's a delicious way to do it...a burst of flavor, which is more satisfying than slurping some noodles first, then taking a spoonful of broth; or pouring shoyu mustard into the entire broth.

Live long and well, Shiro...you are a living treasure.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Yesterday we had Holy Communion in church, which is one of the two sacraments (visible signs of God’s grace, or unconditional love, favor, acceptance; the other is baptism) in the United Methodist Church and most Protestant denominations. The Roman Catholic Church has 7 sacraments, which include penance (confession), marriage, and last rites. The Protestant churches have reduced the sacraments to the two “necessary” ones.

Holy Communion has its beginnings in the last supper which Jesus had with his disciples before his arrest, flogging, crucifixion and resurrection; the meal itself was a Passover Meal, one the most important holidays in Judaism, which remembers God delivering the Hebrews from Egyptian slavery. At this meal, Jesus said for his disciples always to remember him whenever they ate or drank.

That Jesus chose the most basic of human activities as the way for them to remember him is amazing and utter genius, which probably does not do Jesus justice as a description. Let me share a few excerpts from my sermon from yesterday:
“Why do I blog about food? Because I believe that food is deeply spiritual. Just on the surface when is it that most people pray? When it is time to eat. The most frequent time that most people pray, is at mealtime. Even non-religious people are usually okay about mealtime prayers.

“Food is a gift of grace from God. We even call that prayer at meal times grace: the unconditional love of God.

“In Luke 24:35 is says that ‘he had been made known to [a few of the disciples] in the breaking of the bread.’

“It was in food that they saw glimpses of Jesus…of God’s unconditional love…of the understanding of wonder, joy, and deep satisfaction.

“The next time you eat, I want you to be aware of the gift that food brings…of how it gives us glimpses of God….”

May it be so for you always.

Burgers on the Edge - Gourmet Fast Food on Kapahulu

2009-09-04T14:47:00.005-10:00

Roy Yamaguchi is a celebrity chef, known by some as Iron Chef Asian on the short lived TV cooking conpetition Iron Chef USA (which featured William Shatner as the Chairman), and best known for his empire of eponymous Roy's restaurants. Yamaguchi started out in top L. A. restaurants such as L'Ermitage and Michael's, then came to fame during the '80s as the head chef of 385 North, a trendy restaurant on La Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles, near the Beverly Center.

I've eaten at Roy's a number of times over the years, mostly at the Hawaii Kai location, but also in Scottsdale, AZ. I feel that the food at Roy's has been good to very good, but not great. To be fair, I have never been to Roy's when he was in the kitchen...I understand he is an amazing chef.

Yamaguchi has entered the fast food business with Burgers on the Edge, which is in a shopping mall on Kapahulu Ave. (the one with the fancy looking Safeway). The theme is gourmet hamburgers and sides. Perhaps the most attention getting item is the Wagyu (similar to Kobe) beef that is an option for your burger (ground chuck is the other beef option; there is chicken, turkey or portobella mushrooms for those who eschew red meat).

I had lunch with my longtime friend from Pomona College, Val, a Punahou grad, who really gets much of the credit for introducing me to many of the great food places in Hawaii. When the soba place we were first going to go to was closed, she suggested Burgers on the Edge. I was very excited, since I had heard about this place for a long time.

I ordered Roy's "My Own Burger," his custom burger consisting of Nalo Greens (the best mesclun salad mix of all time), Maui onions, Tillamook cheddar cheese, A-1 Steak Sauce, and a fried egg (perhaps he's been to Fatburger?). I opted for the 1/3 pound Wagyu beef for the protein (you can also get a 1/2 pound patty as well) and the regular bun (whole wheat is the other option, which Val got on her standard Wagyu burger).

Okay...what you must know about me is that I am one of those guys originally from Southern California who thinks that In-N-Out Burger is the best ever (I'll tell you why in a future post). You either agree, or roll your eyes and cry, "What is the big deal?" I also grew up loving Tommy's hamburgers and Fatburger as well, so you will know my bias.

So what did I think of my burger? Well, for the good stuff: I thought the bun was great - soft, with good flavor, and not too big. My complaint about burger places like Teddy's and Kua Aina is that the buns are too big, and they overwhelm the meat. Roy's bun is thoughtfully paired with the meat. I also loved the greens, which were much better than the greens Teddy's, for example, puts on theirs. The Maui onions are the best to put in a burger because they are milder than regular onions and don't overpower the rest of the sandwich.

The Wagyu beef itself was terrific, but unfortunately, it was cooked to medium-well, so the benefit of having such great meat was diminished. I think I want to go back and try the 1/2 pound burger and see if there is a difference. The fried egg didn't seem to add anything, and though I liked the A-1, most people I know are not neutral about it, so it depends on your palate.

Val liked her burger, too, but thought that the whole wheat bun wasn't as good as the regular one.

Something worth noting are the sweet potato fries, which are excellent. Very lightly coated, they are very crispy on the outside (hard to do with sweet potatoes), and tender and full of sweet potato flavor on the inside. They have regular potato fries as well, and while they were fine, I would put them below McDonald's (which is still good, as I think McDonald's has great fries).

So what's the final verdict? I would say that Burgers on the Edge was like my other experiences at Roy's restaurants: good to very good, but not great. As it happens, the day before going to Burgers on the Edge, I ate one of McDonald's new 1/3 pound Angus burgers, which I thought was pretty good. I would definitely take Burgers on the Edge over McDonald's, but if you gave me a choice, I would take a Double-Double from In-N-Out 9 times out of 10. But I would take Burgers on the Edge over Teddy's and Kua Aina by a small margin.

For more information, directions, and the menu: http://www.burgersontheedge.com

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. My friend, Jane Shohara, told me she has ordered the Rob Bell video, "Everything Is Spiritual," that I mentioned in an earlier post. I hope others will follow suit, especially those who are skeptics of religion. He uses quantum physics and other scientific perspectives along with a brilliant explanation of the Creation Story in Genesis. You might not come to faith watching it (although there is a good chance), but at least you'll come away having to admit that the plausibility of God is high.

You might also check out Bell's Nooma videos, which I mentioned earlier as 12-14 minute video talks which are visually interesting and features Rob's riveting narrative. Nooma is a clever phonetic spelling of the Greek word "Pneuma," which means wind, breath, and spirit, from which we get the term Holy Spirit. You might recognize this word in such English terms as "pneumonia," an illness of the lungs, where breath comes. If you were starting out with Nooma videos, I would recommend: "Lump," which is a powerful way of explaining God's grace; "You," which helps explain why the early Christians chose Jesus in the midst of a bunch of other gods and even another prominent figure first called "The Prince of Peace"; and "Dust" which is great for those who feel that they don't quite measure up to feel comfortable talking about God or serving God. Start with those, but don't miss the others, because nearly all of them are great.

When Costco has the best at any price

2009-09-02T07:12:00.005-10:00

You have to love Costco...I find excuses to go. I think that most of us think of Costco as a place to get things cheaply. But I have found that some of the Costco products, mostly under their Kirkland brand, are not only "about as good," but the best I have had. Just a sampling...maybe others can chime in on your favorites as well:

1. Chocolate Macadamia Clusters. Hawaiian Host makes something called Caramacs, which are caramel and macadamia nuts covered with chocolate. They are just fine, but Costco's Kirkland brand Chocolate Macadamia Clusters are waaaaaay better. I think that they use more macadamia nuts, but the real key is that they nuts are salted, which give them a scrumptious sweet/salty taste that most people just love (one of these days I'll write about the wonders of "Sweet, Salty, and Nutty" at Trader Joe's). Good news: the Chocolate Macadamia Clusters aren't just in Hawaii; the first time I tasted them was at Uncle Albert's house (the one from Loco Moco fame; see an earlier post) in Southern California. He got them at the Costco in Monterey Park, I believe.

2. Super Jumbo Virginia Peanuts. Planters may be okay for some, but there is nothing like super jumbo sized peanuts like you can get from The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg. And as Pastor Mike and Cris will no doubt echo, there is nothing quite like peanuts from Virginia. Here's the catch: to get them to Hawaii, you have to order them online at a cost of $16 plus at least $6 shipping for a 40 ounce can (merchants often tack on an extra fee for shipping to Hawaii). Costco has a 40 ounce can, again under the Kirkland brand, for about $10, and I would swear they were at least as good, if not better: Perfectly seasoned, large size, great peanut taste, satisfying crunch.

3. USDA Prime Steaks. Most of the time, I am just fine using my Jaccard on cheaper cuts of steak (see my earlier post on the meat tenderizing Jaccard). but after I came back home from graduation, I decided to try the prime New York steaks from Costco. They were the best steaks I have ever had at home (and I like to think that I can make a pretty good steak). The meat was tender, juicy, and flavorful unlike any other.

4. Okay, we're supposed to be talking about Costco, and some of my friends will be upset that I am talking about Sam's Club, but there are a few items from the Wal-Mart spinoff that are also the best: The Bakers and Chefs brand of spaghetti is to me as good as DeCecco (the gold standard of consumer based dried pasta) spaghetti, at a fraction of the cost. BTW, don't get the Costco spaghetti under the Garafolo brand - it is the worst spaghetti I have ever tasted...by far...especially the odd, rough texture.

5. The Burnett brand of heat and serve meat products at Sam's Club has been a lifesaver in our family. Take your pick: beef pot roast with gravy, turkey breast with gravy, or tri-tip au jus. Six to seven minutes in the microwave, a pot of rice, and a can of Green Giant Niblets corn (I do put it in a dish) and that's how Daddy makes dinner on many a night! It really is hard to beat.

Costco also has a line of pre-cooked meat, but I don't find them to be as good as Sam's Club. The pot roast kind of gets mushed when you slice it, and you end up having a lot of long fibers of meat.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Some may wonder why a pastor should be blogging about food. Shouldn't I be talking about "spiritual" matters in the main part of the post? Perhaps...but I have come to realize that in the Bible and in faith, the idea of food is central to the understanding of God. The writer Luke records that the early church spent time in prayer, in teaching, in fellowship, and interestingly, in the breaking of bread - in other words, eating food. It is my firm belief that the act of eating is a sacred act that we have often lost in the rat race world we live in, choosing instead "fast food" so we can get back to what we're supposed to be doing. The act of eating is a gift from God, and the enjoyment of it is a major part of the grace that God gives to us. Some may eat to live, but I live to eat, because it satisfies a part of the hunger that resides in me, that is symbolic of the hunger for the joy and blessing that comes from God. Eating wonderful food is but a small but significant reminder of that. May we all come to find that joy and blessing in every moment, including in the simple gift of food.

Angelo Pietro - Japanese style Pasta plus Great Salad Dressing

2009-09-01T02:56:00.006-10:00

Japanese style pasta has been popular in Japan for many years. In America, my favorite place has always been the Spoonhouse in Gardena, California on Redondo Beach Blvd. at Denker (I'll have to blog about that place one day). I went to Angelo Pietro in Honolulu (next to Shokudo - see my earlier post) recently and was pleasantly surprised that the food was innovative and tasty.

The appetizers were good. The deep fried calamari rings were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The garlic aioli was fabulous and I ended up putting it on bread the rest of the meal.

The surprise of the night was the questionably named Raw Potato Salad. I had visions of inedible chunks of raw potato mixed with mayonnaise. It was totally different. It was raw potato grated into long strings, like the way daikon radish is prepared for sashimi. It is garnished with daikon sprouts. You then season the salad with your choice of Angelo Pietro's four famous salad dressings. Let me tell you, it is nothing like you might imagine. It is terrific.

Angelo Pietro's salad dressings have been wildly popular in Hawaii and are sold in most supermarkets and at Long's. With a $6-$7 price tag for a relatively small bottle, they are not cheap. I always wait until they go on sale at Long's or Don Quijote, and the current sale price is 2 for $8.

My overwhelming favorite is the Sesame and Miso dressing (brown cap). I put it on everything from broccoli (a reasonable facsimile to my mother's broccoli namool), to pasta (my daughter loves this), and broiled chicken. It apparently is everyone else's favorite, too: whenever I find out about a sale on the dressings, brown cap is always gone first (or will be by the time I'm there!).

I tried the Shoyu dressing (orange cap) on the Raw Potato Salad. It was good, a bit more subtle in flavor than the brown cap dressing. I'm not a fan of the Ginger dressing (yellow cap) or the Ume (Japanese pickled plum) dressing (red cap), but others I know like them.

Back to the restaurant: the main dishes are mostly pasta dishes served in different combinations. You have a choice of four sauces: tomato, shoyu, garlic oil, and cream. One of those is combined with your choice of a long list of ingredients. On a specialty page of the menu are other choices, such as the Pietro clam that I ordered, which is similar to spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams). To me, it's not quite as good as the Spoonhouse, but I still liked it very much.

Others with me for that meal had the pasta with tarako and ika (codfish roe and squid), pasta with chicken and broccoli in the garlic oil, and something called shrimp and mushroom doria (Japanese style rice gratin, that was kind of like a thicker risotto). They were all good.

I think there are enough choices to keep a vegetarian very happy...a little harder for a vegan, but possible.

I'm not a big dessert person, but the creme brulee was good, and the different scoops of ice cream were also fine. I'll have to try the bread pudding next time.

Note to parents: the kids meals are excellent with generous portions. Half of a large pizza with sides or a good sized portion of spaghetti bolognese (meat sauce) at a very reasonable price. In fact, the prices all around are very reasonable.

When I'm coming out of the parking structure, I will always tend to turn right and go to Shokudo, but if it's crowded and the wait is too long (as it was that evening), Angelo Pietro is a delicious alternative.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. On the theme of blending two cultures, I am remembering Bob Lott, who was a retired pastor who served in Hawaii for many years. Bob went on to the church triumphant this summer, but the memories will remain. I will never forget the story he told about the time he was at a United Methodist gathering and the subject was sharing particularly meaningful experiences. Bob got up and shared how he was part of a regiment that was going to be invading Japan at the end of World War II. The word came that the atomic bomb blasts at Hiroshima and Nagasaki forced the surrender of Japan, making invasion unnecessary. He recalled how happy they were that they didn't have to be a part of the invasion and they were going home.

Then Haru (Harry) Fujimoto, the Japanese language pastor for Harris United Methodist Church at that time, got up to speak. He was a teenager who lived in Hiroshima. His class just happened to be on a field trip the day of the bomb blast. When it was felt that it was safe to return to the city, Harry rushed frantically to his home to find his family. The house was nothing but rubble. He then went to the hospital where his sister worked, hoping to find her there. Again, nothing but rubble remained. Going through the ruins, he found a pair of knitting needles. His sister was always knitting when she had a free moment. He know that she was gone along with the rest of the family.

Two stories about the same event...drastically different emotions.

After the event was over, Bob went up to Harry and expressed his sorrow for his loss, and also for his now conflicted feelings about celebrating while his friend suffered.

Harry put his hands on Bob's shoulders and said, "Bob, we are new creations in Christ."

May the redeeming power of Christ bring peace to you...may you find a reason to move beyond incalculable loss...and may you and I experience the kind of power and strength that God gives us to become new creations in Christ always....

Noboru in Kailua - Perhaps the Best All Around Japanese on Oahu

2009-08-28T15:47:00.004-10:00

Authentic is a word that is used a lot but makes me nervous sometimes. For example, when someone says that a restaurant serves authentic cuisine, I tend to be skeptical. But in my opinion, Noboru Restaurant in Kailua (201 Hamakua Drive, across the street from Safeway and next to Zia's) qualifies as authentic Japanese cuisine. Chef/owner Akito Yoshioka is originally from Japan and is a highly skilled chef. Everything he does is with a mind to quality (and not necessarily quantity...this isn't a plate lunch place where you get tons of food). From noodle bowls to Teishoku dinners, Yoshioka prepares superb meals.

One of my favorites is the mini-don combination, where you get a small donburi (a savory ingredient served over rice, such as tempura) and a small bowl of udon (thick noodles in broth). It's a nice way to sample several flavors.

The tempura is outstanding, and while I have never tried the beef teriyaki or the steak, I have heard people rave about both. The sashimi is very fresh and expertly presented.

My favorite dish is the broiled saba (mackerel). It is probably the best in Hawaii by far. It is not the dish to order if your palette is on the American side, but if you love Japanese food, this is as good as any you might get in Japan.

For dessert, the green tea cheesecake sounds a little strange, but is absolutely delicious.

A considerable bonus is that co-owner Julie Yoshioka recently became one of only three or four certified sake specialists in Hawaii. You have to go to Japan and receive special training in order to be certified, so if you drink sake, you will receive expert advice and education. From time to time, Julie has sake tastings for education and enjoyment.

I have gone many times, and have always been satisfied. I think you will be as well.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. When I visited Japan with a group of United Methodist pastors and laypeople several years ago, I noticed that the Christian churches often did not have a cross, or it was not prominently displayed. In one church, instead of a cross, there was a giant crown of thorns. I learned that in Japan, the cross often has a negative connotation, one of Western imperialism. The crown of thorns was more in keeping with the Japanese sensibilities of the sacrificial, suffering servant model which Christ exemplifies.

Indeed, the cross as a symbol of the church did not come into popularity until the 4th century A.D., when the Roman Emperor Constantine dreamed that he was led in victory by a cross. Constantine became a Christian and legalized Christianity in the empire.

Up until then, the cross was such a horrific symbol of execution, that the early Christians also avoided using the cross as a symbol of faith (imagine wearing a neck-chain with a mini electric chair and you get the idea). In the catacombs, the symbol of the loaves and fishes was a common symbol of the gathered Christian community.

The Christianity I see portrayed on TV is so often the imperialistic, triumphal version. Maybe that's why so many people are turned off to church. Perhaps more emphasis on the suffering servant Christ and the community that comes from the loaves and fishes is needed to show the more "authentic" side of Christianity.

Shokudo - Japanese Fusion Cuisine as Good As It Gets

2009-08-24T22:09:00.003-10:00

One of the great things about having family visit is that you get invited to eat at restaurants. The other day, we went to one of Becky's and my favorites: Shokudo on Kapiolani Blvd., adjacent to the Ala Moana Shopping Center. Roy's is fancier, and Hiroshi Eurasian Tapas may ultimately be the best tasting of all, but for delicious flavors, variety, and reasonable prices, Shokudo is a hard combination to beat when looking for Japanese fusion cooking.

One of the things you might notice is that some aspects of Korean cuisine are present at Shokudo. You find this in the Shrimp with Garlic Rice, which is finished at your table in a stone pot, the same kind used to make dolsot bibimbap (there is a version of that on the menu as well). It produces a delicious essence to the rice, especially if you let the rice sizzle in the pot for awhile, and you get the delicious, dark roasted, nutty flavor in the rice Koreans call kosohae.

The sushi offerings are both traditional and non-traditional. My favorite is the spicy ahi on crispy rice topped with the most wonderful condiment ever: pickled jalapeno peppers, which I am guessing are sliced and simmered in shoyu and vinegar. You can ask for them on the side, and my nephew and I shared three of them. I can't get enough of them!

Something that doesn't sound like much is the tofu salad, but it is really very good. The tofu is homemade, is silky soft, and is seasoned perfectly.

Unusual is the unusually good mochi gratin: cubes of mochi topped with cheese and baked until it all melts into a mass of deliciousness not unlike baked brie.

Another nod to Korean cuisine is the Morioka cold noodles, Shokudo's take on naeng myun (more about that dish in a couple of weeks). The noodles are nice and chewy, and are served in a clear tangy broth with scallions, kim chee, and bean sprouts.

Just about everything is good at Shokudo. The french fries are among the best fries in Hawaii, seasoned with ume (Japanese plum) salt, which sounds strange but it works. The karaage chicken and tempura calamari are also winners.

The best known dessert is called honey toast: super thick toast cut into cubes, drizzled with honey and usually served a la mode. I really am not sure why it's so popular, because it is by far the most ordinary thing on the menu. Far better is baked banana (the restaurant's version of the classic Bananas Foster): a banana sliced lengthwise in a caramel sauce and flamed. Ice cream is served on the side.

Good news for those of you who live in Southern California: there is now a location in Arcadia and one in Irvine. The California restaurants are called Tokyo Table, but the menu is pretty much the same.

We were a three generation table for dinner and everyone enjoyed it immensely. I think you will, too.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. For those who may have some interest in religion, but are hesitant because of some unanswered questions, I would recommend checking out videos featuring Rob Bell, an amazing communicator and pastor from Michigan. He has a unique gift of making Christianity and faith understandable and compelling, even if you are a skeptic. If I had to pick one to start off with, I would pick the video called "Everything Is Spiritual, " in which Bell takes the story of Genesis, quantum physics, and somehow puts it altogether to use scientific theory to make the existence of God plausible. You can get it through online merchants such as Amazon.com or Christian bookstores. It is incredible stuff.

The Willows - at a bargain price

2009-08-21T07:10:00.004-10:00

The Willows Restaurant was a beautiful garden restaurant first opened in 1944. There were "grass shack" type eating areas and lush gardens. The first time I went there in the '80s, the highlight of the night were the roving Hawaiian musicians.

By this time, however, the place seemed to be kind of run down and the food was, quite literally, forgettable. I could not give you the faintest hint of what I ate. Not surprisingly, the restaurant closed down in 1993. Six years later, under new management, the restaurant re-opened with significant upgrades, both in decor and food. It became the standard by which all other Hawaiian oriented buffets were compared. All the food that you would expect to find at a luau was there - poi, kalua pig, laualau, lomi lomi salmon, chicken long rice, poke - plus local and buffet favorites like crab, barbecue chicken with teriyaki, multi-ethnic salad bar, carving station, and a table filled with desserts, such as pies (such as macadamia nut cream pie), cakes (especially haupia cake), and frozen yogurt. There also were Japanese dishes such as sushi, tempura and a soba bar where you can make your own noodle bowl.

The Willows is celebrating its ten year anniversary since re-opening. Becky's sister's family is visiting, so we all went to the Willows last night. For the month of August (and according to the waitress, perhaps even longer), there is a special tenth anniversary price: $24.95, which is $10 dollars below the regular price. This is definitely a good deal. You figure that at a conventional sit-down restaurant, the cheapest appetizer, entree, and dessert combination would equal or exceed $25. Throw in all you can eat, and it is a bargain.

An approximately 30% reduction in price, however, comes at a different kind of price. Becky and I independently thought the buffet was smaller, maybe by as much as 30%. The Japanese food was mostly gone (there was some nigiri sushi), and a lot of other items weren't there. The dessert table, while still good, didn't have as much as before (notably absent: Ted's Bakery chocolate haupia pie). The haupia cake was the best selection that evening.

But the all you can eat ahi limu poke (which I could get back my dinner price on that alone) was still there, the Hawaiian food in general was still good, and there's plenty to eat. Of special note: the server we had could not have been more friendly, attentive, or accommodating.

It's still a great deal, and the food is still good, and we're very grateful to have been hosted by Becky's sister's family, but it was a tick under the experience of previous visits over the last ten years. I would still recommend it at $25 per person, but not at $35, unless they restore the items omitted.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. "Hawaii Aloha" is a standard way to end occasions in Hawaii. Here's a link to a YouTube video of the song featuring Bruddah Iz (the late Israel Kamakawiwo'ole, whose version of "Over the Rainbow" has become nearly as beloved as Judy Garland's): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_17vGYa81s

What many people don't know is that the words to "Hawaii Aloha" were written by the Rev. Lorenzo Lyons, a Congregational Church pastor, and that the tune was originally written for the Christian hymn "I Left It All with Jesus," composed by James McGranahan. King Kamehameha IV liked the hymn-tune so much that he commissioned Rev. Lyons to write the new words.

When "Hawaii Aloha" is sung, it is customary to hold hands during the singing and raise them at the end of the last chorus. At our church, we sing "Hawaii Aloha" on the first Sunday of the month when we have Holy Communion, a fitting symbol of the community always formed by the Grace of Christ.

Ja Jang Myun and Cold Noodles

2009-08-19T22:10:00.005-10:00

I wasn't going to post quite so soon, but this morning I got a surprise call from the Rev. Dr. Woong-Min Kim, who is my boss, and the District Superintendent for the Hawaii area of the United Methodist Church. We have a very close relationship, as he was the last and best associate pastor serving under my dad (The Rev. Dr. Young Yong Choi) at the Robertson Korean United Methodist Church in Los Angeles (now LAKUMC). Rev. Kim's son, Stephen Kim, is the pastor of the West Los Angeles UMC, where many of the congregants I used to pastor now attend. There's a beautiful symmetry there.

Anyway, Rev. Kim took me to The Mandarin, a restaurant whose address is 725 Kapiolani Blvd., unit C123 in Honolulu, but don't bother looking for it on Kapiolani. The restaurant faces Cooke Street, and the parking is off of Kawaiahao, and you can access the restaurant from the parking lot.

Ja Jang Myun (the Korean pronunciation) is a Chinese dish (Cha Jiang Mein is the Chinese pronunciation) that has been adapted for Korean palates, as many Chinese, fleeing Communist China, settled in Korea and opened restaurants. Korean style Chinese food is a whole cuisine unto itself; it is neither completely Chinese or completely Korean, but it is, of course, completely delicious. The word "myun" or "mein" means noodles. According to Wikipedia, Ja Jang means "fried sauce." The more purely Chinese style of this dish really resembles spaghetti with meat sauce. I just can't help feeling that Marco Polo tasted this when visiting Kubla Khan, thought it was great and brought it to Italy, where it was adapted for Italian palates into versions like the rich and sumptuous Pasta Bolognese.

The version designed for Korean palates is more of a black bean sauce with onions and a small amount of meat, or with squid, sea cucumber, and shrimp. The numerous fans of Korean soap operas (many of whom are not Korean) know it as "black noodles," and I have accompanied friends wanting to try what they've been watching for a long time and not able to taste.

The Ja Jang Myun at The Mandarin is good, with wonderfully chewy, beautiful noodles. The sauce was a little milder than what I'm used to, but it was okay. I'm not a big fan of sea cucumbers, so I didn't want the seafood based sauce. Those more adventurous or more used to those ingredients might enjoy it more than the regular sauce.

Rev. Kim suggested that we share two main dishes. The second was simply called Cold Noodles. The same great noodles served in a cool sauce that I'm guessing had rice vinegar, a small amount of chili pepper, soy sauce, and something that gave it a slight nutty flavor, which I think was sesame paste. The bowl was topped with char siu (Chinese BBQ pork), matchstick cucumbers, carrots, and sliced omelet-like eggs. These were excellent and the highlight of the meal.

The service was attentive and friendly. The decor was nothing fancy, but clean and pleasant. I would recommend this restaurant and this combination.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Somehow, the omelet-like eggs that make their way to many Asian dishes remind me of my dad. For the first several years of my life, I never saw him in the kitchen. But when I was about 12 or so, my mother got into a car accident, was bedridden for awhile and couldn't cook. My dad cooked for us meals like hotdogs boiled in instant ramen broth and then the noodles were added - a complete meal in a bowl.

Then one day, he made what he called his version of Egg Foo Yung. It was the first "from scratch" meal I had seen him make. I asked what the recipe was. He said nonchalantly, "Eggs, bean sprouts, a little Lawry [Seasoned] Salt. It was pretty good. I was impressed that my dad could pull something off like that.

For some reason, I always remember him saying "a little Lawry Salt." It was the secret ingredient that gave the dish flavor. There was something so endearing about the those few little words and the way my dad said them.

Much later on, when I was in seminary in New Haven, Connecticut, my dad became very ill with Valley Fever, which is a lung infection caused by airborne spores that proliferated in Camarillo farmlands, which were near where my dad and mom lived. There was even a thought that he might die.

I called him one December day, just before finals. He heard my voice and he said, "Tom!! I love you." At age 24, it was the first time I had ever heard him say those words. I had definitely felt that my dad loved me, and he was more affectionate than most Korean dads I knew, but he had never said those words. There was something powerful and amazing to actually hear them.

In the Gospel of John, the writer talks about the Word becoming flesh, which refers to Christ. The description of the embodiment of God and the ultimate expression of grace - unconditional love - is as a word. A word is expressed and it is gone. And yet, it lingers, it remains, it is treasured.

"A little Lawry salt," "Tom! I love you," mere words which were uttered in the past, but will be etched in my mind and heart forever, even as the grace of Christ is.

Sushi and Kimbap

2009-08-18T22:07:00.003-10:00

Our Seekers group at church is having "make your own sushi" night this evening. So it's time to talk about one of the world's great culinary creations, plus something similar and closer to my roots.

Sushi begins and ends with short grain rice that has been seasoned with rice vinegar. Then the rice is shaped in the chef's hands and topped with delicately sliced or formed morsels, usually seafood. Ahi tuna (maguro), halibut (hirame), shrimp (ebi), ikura (salmon eggs) are just a few examples of this type of sushi, called nigiri. Often, a bit of wasabi (green "horseradish") is added.

When sushi is rolled in sheets of nori (thin, black, and seasoned sheets of seaweed), it is called maki sushi. When placed inside elliptically shaped pockets of light brown tofu skin, it is called inari sushi. Growing up in Los Angeles, my third generation Japanese American (sansei) friends irreverently called maki sushi "tires," and inari sushi "footballs." My wife Becky calls inari "elbow skin."

Spicy tuna is more of an American phenomenon, and some sushi chefs will refuse to make it. It is, however, delicious and a favorite of mine.

Cooked sushi is becoming popular. There is a hybrid version called broiled sushi, which takes imitation crab, mayonnaise, mushrooms, and other ingredients, placed over sushi rice and broiled. It is served by taking a sheet of Korean style nori (the kind you can often get from Costco in the little packs, with the sheets maybe 1/6 the size of a regular sheet) and spreading the broiled ingredients on it.

This brings us to kimbap, which literally means "seaweed rice." Where sushi usually contains seafood, the kimbap I'm most familiar with has seasoned and cooked beef, seasoned spinach, slivered egg (kind of like an omelette) and daikon or moo in Korean, all rolled with a sheet of kim, or Korean style nori and sliced. It's very hearty and makes an excellent appetizer or even a full meal in itself.

Where's the best sushi in Hawaii? The contenders would include Yanagi Sushi, which has long been a standard for high quality sushi. California Beach Rock N' Sushi is very untraditional, but very good. I would have to say that Yohei Restaurant, however, has the best tasting sushi I've had in a long time.

I have never been there, mostly because I don't have the money it takes, but Sushi Sasabune is supposed to be the best in Hawaii. I have eaten at the Los Angeles location - thanks to Carolina barbecue lover Linda Quarles - and it was fabulous. No menus, no requests, just trust the chef to make you an incredible sushi meal...and it was.

But the greatest sushi experience of my life would have to be at Morimoto Restaurant in Philadelphia. Yes, THAT Morimoto, Iron Chef in Japan and America. My sister and brother-in-law were kind and generous enough to treat me to a meal there. I was fortunate enough to have Morimoto working the sushi bar that night, and as one of the courses of my meal he made four very small pieces of sushi: hirame, hamachi (yellowtail), salmon, and the ultimate: toro (fatty tuna). All were sublime, especially the toro. It's just fish on rice, but somehow, the ultra freshness of the fish, the perfect seasoning of the rice, the exactness of the portions, resulted in something quite ethereal. It was the epitome of how utterly simple food can be the most delicious of all.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Far less sophisticated and gourmet was the kimbap my mother used to make. As a poor pastor's family, we had to come up with creative ways to eat cheaply but well. During the toughest years (to my family; I thought they were among the best years of my life), we had kimbap, but it wasn't made with the beef, spinach, eggs, and moo. My mom would layer rice on a sheet of kim, then pour a line of soy sauce, a line of sesame oil, and a line of roasted sesame seed salt (gae sogum), roll it up and and slice it. As a young boy, it was the most delicious thing - again utterly simple. The deliciousness of it lingered so strong with me that even when we could afford the fancier ingredients, I still wanted Mom's simple kimbap.

Maybe it was the love that my mother put into it that made it so special. I always felt very special growing up. My father was a pastor, and my mother had been seminary trained. They instilled a strong sense of faith in me. It led me one day to being called to the ministry. The day after I was ordained, my parents took me for a walk and explained that when my mom was pregnant with me, they had prayed for a boy (they already had two daughters), and that this boy would grow up to become a pastor and serve God as they had. That was why my Korean name Sungsoo means "Holy Chosen." They didn't tell me until the day after my ordination, so they wouldn't unduly influence me. It would have to be a pure calling from God. And it was. They never said a thing about it, but the way they always demonstrated God's grace to me, the way they brought me up in the church, the way my mom might not have the best ingredients, except a mother's love, but was still able to make some of the most delicious food in my memory - all of this continues to affirm my journey with God. I believe we are called, maybe not to ordained ministry, but we are called to first experience the deliciousness of the utter simplicity of God's unconditional love, and then share it with others.

Of Figs, Farmer's Markets, and Lemongrass Tofu

2009-08-18T01:56:00.003-10:00

After a week of cholesterol rich food in Nashville, I thought I might go a little easy on the meat and fat this week. A trip to Costco resulted in the purchase of some nectarines and to my delight, figs. I have long loved figs, in dried form, and most definitely, fresh. Figs are a big California thing, but I hadn't seen many in Hawaii.

In my trip to Los Angeles in June, I decided to check out the world famous Santa Monica Farmer's Market. My favorite podcast is KCRW's Good Food Podcast. It is hosted by Evan Kleiman, the chef-owner of Angeli Cafe, one of the first of the fresh new style Italian restaurants that popped up in the 80's. Every week, her show featured a visit to the Santa Monica Farmer's market by reporter Laura Avery (whose unmistakable voice I heard talking on a cellphone during my trip to the market).

There were some great peaches (white flesh or Babcock), a medley of berries in primary colors (yellow and red raspberries plus blueberries), and some fresh figs, which I hadn't had in years. Figs, when they are good, burst with flavor, and in Italy are often served with prosciutto, giving that deeply satisfying salty/sweet combination.

So when Costco had California figs, I grabbed a container full of them. They have actually been pretty good, and I learned a little bit about how to select them. These had various stages of green to purple. Basically, the more complete the purple color is on the skin, the sweeter the fig.

With figs for breakfast on Monday, I then decided I might have something vegetarian for lunch, which is unheard of for me. I went to the Kailua branch of Bale, a chain of Vietnamese restaurants. I usually have lemongrass chicken, which features that flavoring which resembles a mix of scallions and wood (which is what the texture will be like if you try ate lemongrass) so aptly named because of the earthy, citrus-y qualities. The great thing about tofu is that it absorbs the flavors of whatever you're cooking with it (which is why it tastes so terrible in many vegetarian dishes because I find the seasoning in much vegetarian cooking to be very bland, thus resulting in bland tasting tofu). In this case, the sweet/savory/spicy/acidic flavors were delicious and thought that this was a dish I could happily eat again and again.

I will now add Bale as an option when trying to figure out where to eat with a group of vegetarians mixed with carnivores (which happened often with a previous associate pastor Krista Givens, now ironically living in Germany as a missionary, which has one of the most meat dominated cuisines I've had). Italian has always been my standby, because a vegetarian (even vegan) has many delicious options: pasta simply cooked in a marinara sauce or maybe just olive oil and garlic (which we have at home often and is a favorite of one of my girls). But lemongrass tofu or vegetarian pho are great options.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Figs figure prominently in the Bible. After eating of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil (the fruit is never named in scripture, it is only later presumed to be various types of fruit, apples and classically, the quince, which is a very ugly looking fruit), they took to covering their nakedness (their shame and embarrassment) with fig leaves. They leave the Garden of Eden, being denied the opportunity to eat the fruit from the tree of life, thus being "fruitless."

Later, in the New Testament, we find Jesus cursing a fig tree with no figs: a tree that is "fruitless." Perhaps this is an allusion to the Adam and Eve story, that when we are "fruitless" in our spiritual pursuits, it recalls the sadness God feels when we aren't ready for the grace of God or go the wrong way. Perhaps this relates also to when fruit isn't quite ready or ripe...the taste of it isn't very good. Maybe that's why faith is not very satisfying to many, because we haven't taken the time to let our faith mature and ripen to the right time.

Conversely, the eating of the fruit of the fig tree at full ripeness and sweetness gives us a metaphor of the sweetness of a fully explored, fully ripe relationship with Christ.

Julie and Julia - a Cinematic Feast

2009-08-16T17:28:00.002-10:00

So after I had that sumptuous feast at the Loveless Cafe in Nashville (did I mention that the fried chicken and biscuits were divine?), I went to see the film "Julie & Julia," starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as the 30 year old Julie Powell, looking for meaning in life and finds it by cooking - in one year - all 524 recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Let me say that I almost always fall asleep in films, no matter how good they are. Not this time. I was charmed, tickled, and heartwarmed throughout "Julie & Julia." It is an utterly captivating film, seamlessly moving back and forth between Julie's and Julia's lives. Streep's performance channels Child in a way that is astonishing. At times you mix up the real Julia with Meryl. You would expect Adams to be blown away by Streep, but she holds her own quite nicely, as does the underrated but always outstanding Stanley Tucci as Julia's husband, Paul Child.

The only minor flaw was that it became a bit too obvious at times that Streep was assisted by platforms, booster seats, and super high heels to appear as tall as the real Julia Child.

The film's main point is the need in life to have passion and meaning in whatever you are doing, and to pursue it relentlessly.

Of course, this film now takes its place at the very top of the pantheon of great movies about food, right up there with Ang Lee's "Eat Drink Man Woman," the two remakes in different cultures, "Soul Food," and "Tortilla Soup," with all three using food as a metaphor for love.

"Babette's Feast" deserves mention, because of its wonderful theme of food as metaphor for God's grace: wonderful, without cost, and transformational for the receiver; costly, daunting, and a labor of love on the part of the giver.

Some would probably name "My Dinner Andre," but I haven't seen it, and I am no longer as much into arthouse films as before. Maybe others can give their opinion.

To go from the sublime to the ridiculous, perhaps the two most memorable food preparation scenes to me are Clemenza making spaghetti for the mafia soldiers in "The Godfather," and Paulie in "Goodfellas" shaving garlic slices with a razor blade so the garlic would liquefy in a pan with a little olive oil, and the other mafiosi making spaghetti sauce (beef, pork, and veal for the meatballs, but you've got to have the pork because that's the flavor), and steak ("Medium rare...ah...an aristocrat!").

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. This season's semifinal show of The Next Food Network Star featured the three semifinalists watching an advance screening of "Julie & Julia," and creating a gourmet meal for chefs.

Melissa D'Arabian, the eventual winner, uttered some of the most profound words I've heard in a long time, let alone from a reality food show. She came out in front of the chefs and said that she had heard recently that one should not be afraid of failure; that one should be afraid of success in the wrong thing. After sharing that she had achieved corporate-world success, her mind was full, but her soul was undernourished. This led her to her passion for cooking and seeking the position with the Food Network. She quoted Julia Child's now famous "Don't be afraid!" And then she said, "So I'm standing before you, not afraid. I may fail, but I'm failing at the right thing."

I have to admit that as a pastor, I have long feared failure. Every Sunday has the possibility of failure. The task of bringing a message of faith in God through Christ grows more daunting in a world that seems to regard faith matters with greater and increasing disinterest. But yet I continue. Why? What Melissa said really hit a chord (I admit that I shed a few tears for one of the rare times in my life). I may fail, but I realize I will be failing at the right thing. The grace of God in Christ is an amazing thing - not what you mostly see in the media - and is even more satisfying than any food I've ever blogged about, and still worth talking about.

The Best Fried Chicken - The Loveless Cafe, Nashville, TN

2009-08-14T18:32:00.002-10:00

For my last full day in Nashville, after my meeting was over, I went down to the legendary Loveless Cafe. Now, one of the standard meals in these parts is Meat and Three, one meat, three vegetables. It seems that I've been more like Three Meats and Three. At Jack's, I had ribs, pulled pork, and brisket plus Beans, Mac and Cheese, and cornbread.

At Loveless, I had another three meats: fried chicken, fried catfish, and country ham plus fried okra, grits, and turnip greens. I also had some of Loveless's famous biscuits.

Often, when a restaurant has a great recommendation and reviews, I find it somewhat disappointing. Not in this case. So far, this is the best fried chicken I have ever had. Yes, Hawaii people, Zippy's fried chicken is very good, but the chicken at Loveless is ethereal: a thin, light but crispy crust, perfectly seasoned; underneath is plump, tender, juicy meat that is simply amazing.

The country ham was good, especially when I cut a piece and put it between one of the fabulous biscuits. The fried catfish was excellent.

As for the sides: the grits made me realize why Pastor Mike and his wife Cris didn't say much when I said I liked the grits at Denny's in Kaneohe. The grits at Loveless were so much better: stone ground and impeccably cooked. Fried okra is something that many people outside of the South haven't eaten. It is a wonderful vegetable when cooked properly, as these were: batter fried, crispy on the outside and tender and flavorful on the inside. The turnip greens were good, although they are my least favorite type of greens: I would rate collard greens and kale above them, and mustard greens are my favorite of all. Somehow, mustard greens remind me of Korean kim chee jigae, which is cabbage kim chee that is long simmered with "side meat," just like greens.

A bit of amusement and proof that there is a connection between the South and Hawaii (the most southen state in the Union): I looked at the middle of my plate and thought I was back home. There was something that looked just like andagi, the Okinawan deep fried doughnut (more like a doughnut hole). After a few seconds, I realized that this was a hush puppy, which are morsels of cornmeal that are deep friend. Hush puppies are savory (andagi are sweet), with a bit of onion inside - deee-licious! The name supposedly comes from the aroma of hush puppies frying, which drove pet dogs crazy. The cook would toss one to a dog, and say, "Hush, puppy!"

The other connection was when I thought the turnip greens were a little bland. I poured on them a condiment called Bruce's Tabasco Peppers in Vinegar, which was a bottle jammed with peppers and vinegar. It reminded me very much of Hawaiian chili pepper water.

I was too full to order dessert, but I did go to the Loveless Country Store, and sampled something called Piggy Popcorn: popcorn glazed with maple syrup and tossed with - yes, indeed - bacon! Extraordinary!

An incredible meal that ended a great week in Nashville.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. My reason for being in Nashville was for the Study on Ministry for the United Methodist Church. One of the highlights was a meditation given by one of our study members, Holger Eschmann. He shared from Isaiah 49:16 - "See, I [God] have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me." Inscribed is a word that is not used so much anymore. Holger explained that in studying the word, an alternate meaning is "tattooed." This means that God has tattooed us on the palms of His hands. There is a sense of permanence to a tattoo - it's always there. That speaks volumes about the love God has for us. We may forget, but God never forgets.

Barbecue!

2009-08-11T17:15:00.004-10:00

I just came back from Jack's Bar-B-Cue in Nashville, Tennessee, said by many to be the best barbecue in this city. I had the Three Meats Combo, and chose Tennessee Pork Shoulder, Texas Beef Brisket, and St. Louis Ribs. I also had three kinds of sauce: a Tennessee vinegar based sauce, a Texas tomato based sauce, and a Kansas City Sweet and Hot. It was all very good, especially the ribs, which had a deep, to the bone smokiness. On this day, the Kansas City Sweet and Hot was the best. The aroma of the smoke is still on my fingers. So as long as I have it on the mind, the nose, and fingers, let's talk barbecue:

1. Away from the South, many people think that barbecuing is preparing charcoal briquettes, putting down a grill and quick cooking cuts of meat like steak and burgers for several minutes. That's actually more properly known as grilling. True barbecue is to cook large pieces of meat for several hours by indirect heat using hardwood.

2. Many types of meat can be barbecued, such as pork, beef, or chicken. Most places famous for barbecue specialize in pork, such as spareribs. The Tennessee Pork Shoulder was a "pulled pork," meaning the cooked and tender pork is pulled apart and often chopped. When you say "barbecue" in North Carolina, you are also talking about pulled pork, chopped up and served on a bun with some cool, fresh coleslaw.

3. Texas is a place of its own when it comes to barbecue and almost everything else (perhaps it's for a good reason that it is nicknamed the Lone Star State). Texas is not really considered to be part of the South. Texans are, well, Texans. Texas is most famous for beef barbecue, usually brisket, instead of pork.

4. So who has the best barbecue? In my experience, I'd have to say that all around, Arthur Bryant's in Kansas City is the best, although Jack Stack, also in Kansas City, is right up there. For chopped barbecue, I loved Ted Hill's in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Believe it or not, Los Angeles has some excellent barbecue. The best is Phillips in Leimert Park, in the Crenshaw District, far away from the glitz of Hollywood. The pork ribs are very tender and the sauce is great. There are actually two types: mild and hot. The hot is very hot, so I have usually opted for mild and hot mixed. Worth mentioning for the slogan alone is Mr. Jim's, on Vermont Ave., with fall off the bone tender barbecue: "You don't 'teef" to eat Mr. Jim's beef."

5. Hawaii doesn't have great barbecue in the Southern style, but kalua pig, cooked in an underground oven known as the imu is in the same spirit of slow cooking. Kalua pig is somewhat similar to pulled pork. In fact, I know of a few restaurants who put Kansas City style barbecue sauce on kalua pork.

Deb Hopkins used to have a retail outlet known as Deb's Soul Food in Kailua. It was actually excellent Soul food, if a bit pricey. She still markets a very good barbecue sauce especially for ribs: http://debsribs.com.

So...what's the best 'cue to you?

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Barbecue is the descendent of the primitive open fire cooking first done by our ancestors. In a podcast, I heard that food writer Michael Pollan decided to go back to the basics of eating and hunted animals, butchered, and cooked them to see if he could still eat meat when he had to go through the entire process, instead of just picking up a cellophane wrapped cut at the market. He found that not only could he continue to eat meat, but that the whole process made him much more grateful for the sacrifice the animal was making to feed him. He said that he understands much more clearly why people say grace over meals, because of the gratitude of being able to eat and the gratitude for the animals that made their meals. I hope that we always are grateful for the food that we are blessed to have, and to thank God for ultimately being the one who has provided it for us.

Rice

2009-08-09T18:24:00.004-10:00

The other evening at our Thursday Bible study, Doug, one of our members and host of the study, made a delicious dish with the retro name of Shrimp Diable, from a cookbook that looked to be from the 1960's: Shrimp sauteed in a brown sauce with brandy, shallots, chervil, parsley.

Doug requested rice. What kind to bring? Well, let's break them down:

1. Rice comes in many forms with three basic sizes: short grain, medium grain, long grain. Rice is also differentiated based on stickiness.

White rice has been processed to remove the bran, which gives brown rice its color. In an earlier time, the disease beriberi became widespread among people who began to eat white rice. It was discovered that the bran that was polished off contained much needed thiamin, and when brown rice was re-introduced, the disease was controlled.

2. In the 1980's, the late actor Jim Varney (Jed Clampett in the film version of the "Beverly Hillbillies") portrayed a character in commercials named Ernest P. Worrell ("Hey Vern...know whut ah mean?"). Based in Nashville, Varney did a string of commercials for a local Hawaii bank. One of them had Ernest telling his unseen pal Vern about the items at his casual luau. I remember reading a newspaper article which revealed that the script originally called for Ernest saying, "I've got your sticky rice," until the Mainland based director cut the word "sticky." The Hawaii representatives insisted that the word be restored, saying that "sticky rice is something we like."

Sticky rice is most often associated with short grain and most medium grain rice. Short grain rice is used to make sushi or Korean kimbab (kim is Korean style seaweed sheets like Japanese nori, bab is the Korean word for cooked rice - sal is the word for uncooked rice) because it has the right amount of stickiness to hold together the shapes the rice is molded into but it isn't so sticky as to distract from the other ingredients. Japanese and Korean cuisines tend to use stickier, shorter grain rice.

Sweet rice is the stickiest, usually short grain and is often made into Japanese mochi or Korean duk. The one exception is Thai sticky rice, which is long grain rice that is very sticky (and very prized).

3. Long grain rice tends to be less sticky, and in the case of Jasmine rice, can be highly aromatic. Chinese and Indochinese (Vietnamese, Thai, etc.) cuisines often use long grain rice.

Europeans and Americans tend to use long grain rice as well, so when Doug asked for rice, I made a pot of long grain rice.

4. One of the most unusual weddings I ever did was for a couple named Brian (who was Chinese) and Rika (who was Japanese). They actually wrote in their vows that each would love the other despite the fact that each ate the wrong kind of rice (long grain versus short grain).

Here in Hawaii, shorter grain, sticky rice dominates. I have found an interesting compromise: at New Mui Kwai Chop Suey Restaurant in Kailua, I always thought that the rice was different there than anywhere else (my daughters just gobble it up). I learned that they use a combination of short grain and long grain rice, perhaps to keep somewhat true to the Chinese standard, and yielding to the local Hawaii preference.

In my house, brown rice is mixed in with white rice, because I don't care for the taste and texture of brown rice (yes, I know it's good for you, but if God wanted human beings to eat bird seed, we would have been created to be birds). There is a new process that improves the taste and texture of brown rice, but I suspect that the nutritional value is stripped away just like white rice.

5. Jook, or Chinese rice porridge, is a great winter dish or breakfast meal. It's also terrific when you are feeling sick. Here's a super easy recipe (it's not fancy at all, but you can dress it up with cilantro, more ginger, peanuts, etc.). My kids love it.

To make jook, remember to use about ten times as much liquid as rice (must be short grain or medium grain white rice). I do about a 1 to 1 ratio of water to chicken broth. I usually empty the contents of a 46 ounce can of chicken broth and add about 8 cups of water (I prefer to use an enameled cast iron Dutch oven). Add a few slices of fresh ginger. Bring it to a boil and then add a cup and a half of rice. Lower heat and simmer until the consistency of porridge. Add shoyu to taste. My daughter and I prefer it plain, but you can add the ingredients mentioned above along with a drizzle of sesame oil.

Enjoy....

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Japanese Theologian Masao Takenaka wrote a book called "God Is Rice." In it, he shares a poem by Korean poet Kim Chi Ha. It speaks eloquently to rice as a metaphor for God: heavenly, nourishing, and important for community:

Heaven is rice
As we cannot go to heaven alone
We should share rice with one another
As all share the light of the heavenly stars
We should share and eat rice together
Heaven is rice
When we eat and swallow rice
Heaven dwells in our body
Rice is heaven
Yes rice is the matter
We should all eat together

Loco Moco, Clarified

2009-08-05T15:37:00.005-10:00

Albert Lau, Becky's uncle, saw my post on Loco Moco in Hawaiian Food, Part 2 - Local Style. He told me that he and his friends used to help out at a restaurant in Hilo. They got to asking for the combination of rice, hamburger, eggs, and brown gravy. This is what he wrote:

"It started at the old Kinoole Drive In. The word loco was named by the waitress who used to call us loco for ordering that dish. My friend, [the late] Herbert 'Shange' Asakura, asked her, 'Why don't you put it on the menu?' The waitress asked what we should call that dish. We all thought and Shange came up with the name moco since it sounded good. That how loco moco got its name."

The dish caught on, including, presumably, the Lincoln Grill, credited by Wikipedia for inventing the dish. According to Uncle Albert. Cafe 100 apparently trademarked the name, which is why loco moco is identified with that restaurant.

There you have it. Authentic oral (in every sense of the word) history! Thanks, Uncle Albert: I definitely think yours is the genuine story.

The Best Shave Ice?

2009-08-03T22:32:00.004-10:00

Okay...my longtime friend Doug Sakurai asked me to mention a particular shave ice stand. So it's time to run down the best shave ice places on Oahu.

Shave Ice (yes, grammar mavens, I am aware that in proper standard English, I should use the adjective "shaved," but if you're complaining, you don't live in Hawaii, and you probably have never had shave ice) is the perfect treat for the warm weather in Hawaii. It probably came to Hawaii courtesy of Japanese immigrants, who likely brought over the practice of shaving ice with sweetened azuki beans. This evolved to flavored syrups, with azuki beans, ice cream, mochi balls, and taro chunks added to the bottom of the cone. Shave ice is often topped with condensed milk, snowcap (a sweet creamy topping), or even li hing mui (a tart/spicy powder).

The quality of shave ice is mostly in the fineness of the ice shavings. The crunchy, coarse kind is favored by some, but it's not for me...you might as well have a sno cone (which just doesn't compare). Flavors help some, but is not the deal maker.

President Obama stopped by Island Snow in Kailua (Kailua Road near the beach) for shave ice. I would rate Island Snow as making a solid, good quality shave ice cone: pretty fine texture, and pretty good flavors.

Matsumoto's in Haleiwa is the best known shave ice place in Hawaii, and I have to admit they probably have the best tasting flavors, but I find the ice to be the coarser, crunchy kind. Baldwin's Sweet Shop is kind of like that as well. I've been told that Aoki's and H. Miura's are in that category.

Tat's Shave Ice truck is really great - good, fine ice texture - but I don't know where he is anymore, since I rarely see his truck parked at the Kokokahi YWCA in Kaneohe. He should be on Twitter. His vanilla ice cream is probably the best: he uses real vanilla beans in his ice cream.

Shimazu's is without a doubt the biggest shave ice ever as well as being one of the best. The "Big Larry" is as big your head, if you have a big head! The ice texture is very good and the flavors are as well. Shimazu's is hard to find and it's harder to find parking: it's at 330 School Street near the H-1 onramp Ewa bound near Liliha Street. If you've never been there, you should endure the endless search for parking and the long line at least once.

But I still have to say that the best shave ice on Oahu is at the Waiola Store, 2135 Waiola Ave (near King and McCully) and another location on Kapahulu Street near Waikiki. Hands down the best ice texture...I don't know how they do it...so soft that it's almost like pudding. They have ice cream, azuki beans, mochi balls, snowcap, li hing powder, condensed milk, the works. They also have a traditional Japanese style azuki bowl. To be honest, I think that some other places have better tasting flavors, but that is trumped by the otherworldly ice texture.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. My friend Doug always teases me about a sermon I delivered when I was a student pastor at Christ UMC in Honolulu over a quarter century ago. He and his friends were visiting and we went to Waiola Store for shave ice several times. When he and his friends came to church, I decided, on a whim, to shoe horn an illustration in the sermon and said "God is not like shave ice." They all thought it was the worst sermon they had ever heard.

P. P. S. Many years later: our church has been making shave ice for a decade to benefit the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life. We're at the annual Kailua Fourth of July parade and other events. We are proud and blessed to have been able to raise thousands of dollars to benefit the effort to battle cancer....with shave ice. Something as innocuous as shave ice has been used to be a blessing in surprising ways.

Hawaiian Food, Part 2: Local Style

2009-08-03T09:36:00.005-10:00

Now we get into what is confusing for many people about food in Hawaii. Saying simply "Hawaiian food" should refer to what I described in the last post: food traditionally prepared by indigenous Hawaiian people. Local style food from Hawaii refers to the following:

1. Food that has been adopted or adapted from other places. A lot of this originated in the ethnic mix that resulted from the workers from many places to work the plantations, the largest and most common being those plantations owned by sugar companies. I would highly recommend a visit to the Hawaii Plantation Village, which preserves buildings and history from that bygone era of Hawaii's history. http://www.hawaiiplantationvillage.org/

The different groups (Hawaiians, Japanese, Okinawans, Portuguese, Filipinos, Chinese, Koreans, Puerto Ricans, and others) lived among each other and both preserved their culture and also shared it. Food became a common denominator.

Nowadays, you see the evidence of that. To name just a few: Japanese teriyaki (a sweet and savory preparation for beef, chicken, and fish) and chicken katsu (breaded chicken deep fried and served with a special sauce), Korean kalbi (short ribs) and kimchee (usually spicy pickled cabbage), Okinawan sweet potatoes (the purple kind, easy to prepare: just boil or bake and slice), Portuguese sausage (the first successful commercial brand was Gouvea's in 1933, and some of the original company's family members attend Kailua UMC - the brand is now owned by a different company), Filipino lumpia (kind of like egg rolls but longer), Chinese gau gee (also like egg rolls, but longer and bigger), saimin (noodles in broth), oxtail soup, etc.

Rice became the dominant starch, and not only because many of the plantation workers were Asian. Rice was and is a staple that is simpler to prepare and has a longer shelf life than potatoes. With potatoes, the quantity of cooked to uncooked product is basically the same; you also have waste water as most of the cooking water is not used. Cooked rice absorbs all of the cooking water and becomes larger in quantity than uncooked rice. Plantations looking for a cheap way to feed the workers soon preferred rice over potatoes.

This led to the widespread development of the ubiquitous macaroni salad, which is the traditional accompaniment to any plate lunch. Potato salad was made, but again with the problems of storage, shelf life, and extra cooking steps (boiling, cooling, chopping). Sometime along the way, someone figured out that macaroni, a dry pasta with a longer shelf life and that also increases in size with cooking, would be cheaper and easier than potato salad.

2. Local style food also evolved from the realities of living on the most remote island chain on earth (the Hawaiian islands are the furthest from any continental land mass) and from the use of Hawaii as military installations. Canned food was prevalent because it could be shipped on boats safely and for long periods.

The best known of these is Spam, Hormel's celebrated and reviled "SPiced hAM," but actually made mostly from pork shoulder.

Spam makes its way to many local dishes, such as an accompaniment to eggs and rice for breakfast, a garnish for saimin, and in Spam musubi, rice formed into an oblong shape with a slice of fried Spam on top, all wrapped in a sheet of nori, which is made from seaweeed.

3. Some local dishes were apparently an invention of necessity. Loco moco is a legendary dish in Hawaii: a bed of rice, a hamburger patty, eggs (for me, over easy), and brown gravy poured all over (absolutely delicious, but yes, heart-stoppingly rich). There are many different theories as to how it was invented. Wikipedia credits the Lincoln Grill for the invention. Loyal to my family, I contend that the idea was conceived by my wife's uncle, who worked at a restaurant until late at night. When work was pau (finished), he wanted something to eat and what was left was rice, hamburger, and eggs. He had the cook put brown gravy over it, and there was the first loco moco, although he didn't name it that.

However the actual origin, there is no debate that it was invented on the Big Island of Hawaii, and most agree that the Cafe 100 in Hilo made loco moco popular. Apparently, the name was invented because the dish was described as crazy, and loco is the Spanish word for crazy. The moco part was added for rhyming reasons, without any idea what that meant.

When I talked about this dish with one of the members of my church who spoke Spanish and was from Texas, he was absolutely mortified. He said, "Do you know what loco moco means? It means "crazy [mucous]!!" Oh well, gross name, great dish.

You can get good loco moco almost anywhere. In Kailua, the best are from Cinnamon's and Times restaurants. If you had to ask me, however, which one is my favorite, it would probably be the one at the Like Like Drive-in on Keeaumoku Street in Honolulu. But it's definitely a personal thing and there are different opinions as to whose is best.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Another thing I love about Hawaii is the ethnic diversity. There is no majority group here, and although prejudice is still present in some forms, there is definitely much more understanding and respect for different cultures and ethnicities than just about anywhere else. I think this is on the right track to what God had in mind when all of the languages of earth were understood by the people at the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). Who knows, maybe it had something to do with the food...just a little later on, the people were all eating and sharing together. Maybe it was a big potluck and eating each other's food was a great way to connect. Thank God for diversity and food!

Traditional Hawaiian Food, including Haili's

2009-08-02T20:20:00.004-10:00

Sometimes, there is a little confusion about exactly what Hawaiian food is. Basically, there are three categories: food that native Hawaiians have traditionally prepared; local food that developed from the ethnic mix unique to Hawaii; and Hawaiian Regional Cuisine, a gourmet fusion style of cooking by top chefs. I'll start this post with traditional Hawaiian food, and blog about the others in future posts.

Traditional Hawaiian food consists mostly of selection that have their roots in the Polynesian culture. Most of the time, we identify Hawaiian food with the feast known as the luau. Often, a luau will consist of some or all of the following:

Poi is taro - kalo in Hawaiian - that has been pounded into a paste and eaten as a staple, like rice. Some complain that it has no taste, but it has a delicate flavor. Poi is not ordinarily meant to be eaten by itself (unless it was your baby food, as it was for my wife Becky, and both of my daughters) but eaten with other savory foods. Some prefer poi that has fermented a few days, so that it is more sour. If you are new to poi, you may prefer fresh poi. If you are in the latter category, I would recommend Hanalei Poi, which is made by a special process that keeps the poi fresher much longer.

Kalua Pig, salted, smoked, and pulled pork that has been roasted in the underground oven known as an imu. It is sometimes sauteed with cabbage as a stretcher.

Laulau is pork, fish, or chicken that is combined with luau leaves (young taro leaves) and wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.

Squid or chicken luau is a stew-like dish made from simmering luau leaves with coconut milk and adding the squid or chicken to it. It kind of has the consistency of thin creamed spinach, and it doesn't look very appetizing, but it is absolutely delicious.

Poke is usually raw (or sometimes flash fried) fish that has been but into cubes and highly seasoned. Ahi tuna is most commonly used in poke, but au, or marlin, is also commonly used. Sometimes other ingredients are used, such as crab, tofu and even steak (all are terrific!). Limu, or seaweed, is a common ingredient, as is inamona, a condiment made from kukui nuts, which most people recognize as the black stone-like objects made into lei. Modern poke is often made with shoyu, onions, sesame oil, and sometimes tomatoes.

At a very traditional luau, you might see opihi, limpets, that are eaten raw. These are very precious delicacies, as they are dangerous to harvest. Harvesters must look for them among seaside rocks. Because they usually have to turn their backs to the surf, they risk being pounded into the rocks.

Pipikaula is Hawaiian style beef jerky, smoked and salted, but not quite as dry as the beef jerky you might find at a supermarket.

Haupia is a dessert made from coconut. You will find it served by itself in squares, or added to pies or cakes, such as the justifiably famous haupia custard pie from Deluxe Bakery in Kaneohe or the chocolate haupia pie from Ted's. Haupia cake is also great. I have to say that the best one I've ever had is actually from Ishigo Bakery in Gardena, California.

Chicken long rice is luau food, but I question if this made its way from Polynesia to Hawaii back in the day. The ingredients are chicken, broth, long rice (aka maifun, or rice stick noodles, which were invented in Asia), ginger, green onions, and salt. My guess is that Chinese cooking influenced Hawaiian homes, and this dish emerged.

Lomilomi salmon is another dish that I question as purely Hawaiian food. It is made from salt salmon, onions, tomatoes, and salt. I am guessing that salt salmon, a preserved fish, was one of the few seafood items that could be shipped to Hawaii safely, before air freight became more common.The salmon is squeezed and pressed to make smaller pieces, or in other words, massaged. The Hawaiian term for this is lomilomi, which is also why you would want to receive lomilomi if your back is sore (the massage, not the food).

Today, my family and I discovered Haili's Hawaiian Food, a dining truck in the parking lot next to Ward Warehouse and across from the Ward Entertainment Center. I learned that they had previously been at the Ward Farmer's Market but lost their lease. Good Hawaiian food at pretty good prices. Becky had a pulehu (Hawaiian style grilled) steak plate with a romaine and mesclun (mixed baby greens) salad for $7.50. I had a Hawaiian poke bowl for $5.50: a generous portion of ahi shoyu poke over rice with two pieces of Okinawan sweet potatoes. We'll go back again.

Aloha pumehana (warm love to you),

Tom

P. S. There is something very special about Hawaii and the work of the Holy Spirit. Just being here can't help but evoke something very powerful about the creative work of God. Take a moment to give thanks for this incredible place that is evidence that a great God exists and loves us very much!

Italian Cuisine, Part One

2009-08-01T09:54:00.006-10:00

Our Thursday Night Bible Study group had Italian night as the dinner theme. Italian cuisine is simply one of the best in the world. If I had to pick just one cuisine to eat every day, I would probably choose between Italian and Chinese (maybe because of the Marco Polo link?). I've visited Italy twice, once several years ago for five weeks when my sister, brother-in-law, and niece lived there (my sister and brother-in-law are back living there now for a couple of years).

1. The main dish was pasta pesto. Pesto is a multi-purpose sauce usually made with sweet basil, parmesan cheese, garlic, pine nuts, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. It seems that many Italian food products have a special city or region which is considered the definitive place for them. Pesto originated in Genoa, Christopher Columbus's hometown. Parmesan cheese is, naturally, from Parma. The best kind is called Parmigiano-Reggiano. I have to admit that because of the price, my family usually uses Kraft brand parmesan cheese, but on special occasions, nothing beats a good Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Extra-virgin olive oil refers to oil that comes from the first pressing of olives in the production of the oil. It is the most flavorful. Believe it or not, Costco has very good extra virgin olive oil.

The pasta shape used Thursday night was farfalle. Called "bow-tie" pasta in America, the word actually means "butterflies," a prettier name. Italians have great names for pasta, such as spaghetti ("little strings"), the corkscrew shaped fusilli ("little spindles"), and linguini ("little tongues"). Perhaps the least appetizing name in English is vermicelli (little worms).

2. We had delicious bruschetta at dinner. A little Italian pronunciation lesson: in English, the "sch" combination is pronounced like "sh," as in "shell;" in Italian, it is pronounced "sk" as in "skate." So the delicious dish which often consists of toast rounds, tomatoes, cheese, is pronounced broo-sket-ta, and not broo-shet-ta. I know...way too nit-picky, but I have a thing about pronunciation, especially, for some reason, Italian pronunciation. Please forgive me.

3. We had a homemade balsamic dressing to go along with the salad. The bruschetta that night had a wonderful balsamic reduction. Balsamic vinegar is most famously from Modena. Like olive oil, there are several grades of Balsamic vinegar, and the best is somewhat to very expensive. Top quality balsamic vinegar has a wonderful, delicate taste that even goes well with many things, including avocados (a little bit poured in the "bowl" formed by the removal of the pit) and even strawberries.

4. The mention of balsamic vinegar with strawberries sparked a discussion about pairing fruit with other things. The Italians often pair prosciutto (ham) with melon. We then talked about how many in the United States salt their watermelon. This is common in the South, but I first learned this from a friend from Michigan. The salt somehow enhances the flavor of the watermelon. I haven't done it in awhile (I get plenty of salt in other food), but have enjoyed it when I have. Who else in America salts their watermelon?

5. In America, we usually think of Ragu as a brand name for spaghetti sauce. In Italy, ragu refers to just about any meat based sauce. Perhaps the most famous Italian version is the one from Bologna. In America, we are more familiar with the ragu from Naples.

6. There is often quite a bit of difference between Italian and Italian American cuisine and customs. For example, the seafood stew we know as cioppino originated in San Francisco (just like you won't find chop suey in China - it also originated in America). If you go to Italy, don't cut your spaghetti and don't ask for a spoon to twirl it. Those are both American traditions.

7. The best Italian restaurant in Kailua? I think there are four contenders: Zia's (which means "Auntie's"), Buonasera ("Good evening"), Assaggio's ("Taste"), and Baci ("Kisses"). I think each has its merits. I think Zia's is the most friendly to traditional American palates (although one of our members who lived in Italy for many years said that Zia's was the most authentically Italian restaurant in Kailua...I'm not as sure, but it is good...and you're most likely to see members of my church there). Assaggio's has the best ambiance, and is the best at using garlic (e.g., the Caesar salad and the "clam Scampi," which is the closest to an authentic spaghetti alle vongole that I've had in Hawaii); Baci uses fresh pasta and feels the most like an Italian trattoria (casual restaurant). Buonasera has interesting combinations of ingredients, and one person I've dined with called it "the best Italian food I've eaten in my entire life."

What do you all think?

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. One of my favorite podcasts was about traveling to Italy. It was interesting that this podcaster (who never identified himself as a Christian) would frequently mention visiting churches as an important and natural part of touring Italy. I'm pretty sure he was recommending the churches strictly for their architectural and artistic qualities, but there is something truly powerful about the experience of these places that I hope - if you ever visit Italy - you will discover. My faith was definitely deepened during these visits. Perhaps the most powerful was the simplest. I don't even remember the church, because it was not really on the "must see" list in the guidebooks. It was in the midst of a very busy part of Rome, with cars, buses, motorcycles buzzing all around. I went into the church and then to the cloister in the middle of it. It was amazing. Even though the cloister was open air in the center, it was peacefully quiet. Somehow, the place was engineered so that the street noise could not be heard. All I could hear was the gentle trickle of the fountain at the very center of the cloister. It was a reminder that the peace that God offers takes an intentional effort to seek the quiet and spiritual.

It was also a reminder that the presence of God can be powerfully felt in unexpected places, even in a church.....

Southern Cuisine Explained, Part 1

2009-07-23T16:46:00.013-10:00

Last night, at our church's "Seekers" dinner/fellowship group, the theme was New Orleans/Cajun cooking. It ended up being a bit more generally Southern. A lot of questions came up about Southern cooking such as grits, Frogmore Stew, etc. I'm not from the South (unless you count Hawaii as the southernmost state in the Union), but I have spent a fair amount of time there and I have many friends there. Most influential is the Styers family of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. I spent a week with them during my seminary years and gained 10 pounds in six days eating unbelievably delicious Southern cooking. It was there that I first learned to love chicken and dumplings, fried okra, real fried chicken, and coconut cream pie. So I'm not an authority, but I do love Southern cooking a lot, and here's a little primer on some basics:

1. What are grits? Grits is a corn based side dish that is often served at breakfast, but is also served anytime. The most traditional version is hominy grits, corn that has been soaked in a lye (or other alkaline) solution that removes the hulls, and is stone ground. It is then simmered to reach a porridge-like consistency. Cream of Wheat is a consumer product that looks the most like grits (but isn't the same). As I said, you often hear of grits served at breakfast (remember My Cousin Vinny, where grits were an important part of the defense strategy), but one of the most delicious dishes imaginable is Shrimp and Grits, which I first tasted at the famous Crook's Corner restaurant in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Bobby Flay also lost a Shrimp and Grits Throwdown in a recent episode.

Here in Hawaii, you can get grits at Denny's in the Windward City Shopping Center.

2. Sweet Potato Pie versus Pumpkin Pie. At the dinner last night, many people mistook a sweet potato pie for pumpkin. Definite differences! I suspect that for Southerners, pumpkin pie is Yankee food, and sweet potato pie is superior. I happen to like both, and it's kind of like comparing apples with pears. They are kind of similar, but definitely different, and usually you are going to prefer one over the other. Or maybe it's just regional/seasonal. With Southern food, I couldn't imagine anything other than a sweet potato pie; but for Thanksgiving, pumpkin.

3. Frogmore Stew. This was served last night as well. No, it doesn't have any frogs in it. I learned that the name comes from the place it originated in South Carolina. It is technically a boil, a soup-like broth with crab boil, Old Bay Seasoning, new potatoes, corn on the cob, shrimp, and smoked sausage. It's terrific - I especially found the combination of the Old Bay based broth with the sweetness of the corn to be wonderful.

4. Louisiana Hotlinks. For many years, I thought Louisiana hotlinks were from Louisiana. Nobody from Louisiana that I've ever met understood what I was talking about. I have received the exact same reaction: confused silence, then the question, "Do you mean Boudin (a brand name) sausage?" No, I replied, I meant something called Louisiana hotlinks. Each person from Louisiana would shake their heads and said there was no such thing. But everyone I knew in Los Angeles knew exactly what I was talking about. Well, a couple of years ago, I saw some at Costco. I looked carefully at the package and learned that it was called Louisiana (Brand) Hotlinks...made in California. Okay, so they aren't authentically Louisiana, but these plump, spicy sausages are my pick over a hot dog or even a Polish dog any day.

5. Country Ham versus City Ham. Okay, we didn't have ham last night, but when I think of the South, especially Virginia, I always think of country ham. It is a salty, flavorful bit of heaven, and served on a biscuit with a slice of bursting ripe tomato, it is one of the world's great delicacies. Smithfield hams must be made from one of the four approved manufacturers around Smithfield. Originally required to be made from peanut fed hogs (as compared to the also superb Italian ham called prosciutto di Parma, which is traditionally made from chestnut fed hogs), country hams are prepared painstakingly and for a period of several months.

City hams, which are what we get most often here in Hawaii, are produced by a far quicker process (days instead of months). The flavor is milder, is usually prepared to be much sweeter, but for me, is generally an inferior product.

The knock on country ham is that it is too salty (this shouldn't be a problem for people from Hawaii, should it?), but my good friend from Virginia says that if you soak the ham in water a couple of times for several hours, up to a couple of days, it will lower the salt content to a palatble level without losing the great flavor. Real country ham is just fabulous. Smithfield hams are the best, but for a milder, less salty ham, consider Williamsburg country ham, originally from another town in Virgina.

As long as we're talking about pork...here's a good one from the internet: if you get an email warning you not to eat tinned pork because of swine flu threats, ignore it. It is....

ready?

SPAM

I welcome your comments.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. As long as we're talking about the South: former president Jimmy Carter of Georgia has reiterated his break with the Southern Baptist Convention after nearly a lifetime of membership. His dissatisfaction with the Southern Baptist leadership's denial of women to be ordained and the insistence that wives be submissive to their husbands and what Carter believed to be major (and unbiblical) changes to Southern Baptist policies led to the break. Take a look at these links: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4984885 (this is a breakdown of his initial dissatisfaction in 2005), and http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/12/jimmy-carter-womens-rights-equality (his most recent statement). I applaud Mr. Carter for being an alternative (and correct) voice to speak out against using the Good News of Jesus Christ to exercise control and subjugation of people. The Gospel I know is about the grace (unconditional love) and servanthood model of Jesus Christ.

Best Chinese Food on the Windward Side?

2009-07-17T14:03:00.008-10:00

I was asked this morning which restaurant had the best Chinese food on the Windward side of Oahu, in Hawaii. I have an incomplete opinion, as I have pretty much settled on two restaurants as having the best. I invite others to respond with their opinions. For example, many people think that Kin Wah restaurant in Kaneohe is the best, but I haven't been there for a long time, so I can't give an informed opinion.

Anyway, I think for everyday Chinese food, my favorite is the New Mui Kwai Chop Suey Restaurant in Kailua: 132 Oneawa St, Kailua, (808) 262-7800 (next to Checker Auto Parts and near the Jack-in-the-Box). The prices are reasonable, and the food is very good. Try the shrimp with crispy garlic (it's not on the menu, but it is on the additional menu items page underneath the glass table tops), anything with black bean sauce, the beef sin choy (sliced beef with a kind of Chinese vegetable prepared in a sour/sweet sauce, vaguely reminiscent of bread pickles, but better), crispy gau gee (long dumplings, deep fried), and the Singapore style noodles (rice noodles in a somewhat spicy, curry based preparation). Note: I am only referring to the Kailua location, as I have not tried the other locations of this small chain.

For a special occasion, Pah Ke's Restaurant in Kaneohe is the place: 46-018 Kamehameha Hwy, Kaneohe, (808) 235-4505. There are really two types of food prepared there: standard Chinese fare and creative, contemporary takes on Chinese food. The thing to focus on is the page that says Hawaiian-Chinese specialties, such as the scallops with deep fried spinach, the asparagus beef, and other great choices. A great off of the menu item is the Chinese "Nachos," which is a bed of seasoned mashed potatoes with deep fried wonton skins, sweet potato chips, etc., and surrounded by triangles of deep fried wonton skins topped with a little guacamole, Chinese roast duck, hoisin sauce, and scallions (you usually have to order these in advance).

The best thing to do is to is to speak to Raymond - the very personable owner - in advance and order a special menu or special dishes. Every time I have done so, it has been fabulous. My niece had her wedding rehearsal dinner there and we got an amazing banquet, with some of the dishes I mentioned above plus others. I will never forget the whole fish served two ways. Even though the wedding reception was at the Halekulani Hotel, and the meal was impeccable, my family members still rave that the Pah Ke's dinner was the most memorable and still ranks among the best meals they have ever had.

Also, don't skip dessert. Raymond was once the pastry chef at the Halekulani and his desserts are truly outstanding. For example, the soy milk custard sounds unappetizing and aimed for the health conscious (which anytime I see health conscious menu items, I usually interpret it as insipid and bland). In Raymond's hands, it is opulent, and absolutely delicious - not to mention vegan, too! But all of his desserts are good (you won't believe what he does with chocolate).

One final note: neither restaurant is very fancy looking, but the food is great, and that's the most important thing.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. In Acts 2, the writer (Luke) specifies that the early church people focused on four things: Apostles' teaching, prayers, fellowship, and the breaking of bread. To me, that means that eating food with others is spiritual! I definitely agree. After all, the word "companion" means "the one I eat bread with." Or in the case of this post, the one I eat great Chinese food with. I definitely have grown closer to everyone I've eaten with at these restaurants. And after a great dinner in places like this, I just thank God for delicious food - it is unquestionably evidence of God's love for us!

The Jaccard

2009-07-16T15:50:00.007-10:00

As I promised, the new approach to this blog will sometimes not resemble a church blog at all (which is part of the idea). It will often focus on my love of food, which I share with most people in the world. This post is an example of that.

Our Wednesday evening church group called the Seekers has kind of morphed (for the summer, at least) into a fellowship/dinner group. I volunteered to bring grilled steak this week.

One of the challenges in feeding a large No. of people (15+) is that steak is pretty expensive. Buying expensive cuts of meat like New York strip, Ribeye, etc., is not possible. But serving tougher cuts of meat is not acceptable.

Happily, I've been using - for some time now - something called a Jaccard meat tenderizer. It is basically a spring loaded device which has 15 thin blades. You stab the meat with the Jaccard all over. The idea is to break up the connective tissue, which makes the meat very tender.

I bought both top sirloin (the cheapest cut in this case) and some tri-tip steak. Both were very tender using the Jaccard. I grilled them using a Weber grill and charcoal (more on grilling in a future post). It ended up costing 1/3 to 1/2 less than more expensive cuts.

Those who live on the island of Oahu should be able to find one at the Compleat Kitchen. You can also find it online at Amazon.com. One of the church people (who always looks for a better deal), saw it cheaper on EBay. I have the 15 blade one with a black handle. There is a 45 blade version (with three rows of blades) which is more expensive, but might be worth it, as you triple the "Jaccarding" with the same effort as the 15 blade version.

Happy "Jaccarding"!

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. In honor of a post dedicated to meat, I share a poem by George Herbert, which is an invitation to sit at the table of God (portrayed by Herbert as love). The person invited keeps giving excuses, not feeling worthy enough to come to the table. One thing about God: we are always invited and are always loved.

"Love Bade Me Welcome" by George Herbert

Love bade me welcome, yet my soul drew back,
Guilty of dust and sin.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning
If I lack'd anything.

"A guest," I answer'd, "worthy to be here";
Love said, "You shall be he."
"I, the unkind, the ungrateful? ah my dear,
I cannot look on thee."
Love took my hand and smiling did reply,
"Who made the eyes but I?"

"Truth, Lord, but I have marr'd them; let my shame
Go where it doth deserve."
"And know you not," says Love, "who bore the blame?"
"My dear, then I will serve."
"You must sit down," says Love, "and taste my meat."
So I did sit and eat.

A New Blog Approach

2009-07-16T15:43:00.003-10:00

Needless to say, it's been a long time since my last blog post. I've decided to take a different approach to the blog and talk about a number of subjects...as Rob Bell, one of the most popular Christian preachers says (among others): everything is spiritual. So this blog will focus on different things, sometimes with a more specific spiritual reference, and sometimes much less so.

The new title of the blog reflects my new approach. Those who know me are well aware of how much I love food. So a lot of times, I will talk about food that I've actually eaten.

But I will also talk about things that are just food for thought: trivial things, how-to ideas, commentary, etc. Hopefully, I will tie it all up with something that leads us just a little bit closer to the divine.

Anyway...glad to be back blogging.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

All Saints Day

2008-11-01T04:12:00.002-10:00

So...did you have a good Hallowe'en? Did you know that the ghoulishly identified celebration actually has a Christian connection in some ways? The name itself is a shortening of the term "All Hallows Even," which would translate to "All Saints Evening." Take out the "all" and the "v", and you have the name we have today: "Hallowe'en" (That's why the apostrophe is there: because of the missing "v").

November 1 is All Saints Day. In the Catholic Church, there are days set aside for those in Christian history who have been chosen to be saints, or specially venerated people. Probably the best known would be St. Patrick, whose day is March 17.

Since there are only 365 days in the year, there would eventually come a time when the saints would outnumber the days. So November 1 was set aside as a day when all of the saints, including more minor and future saints, would be recognized.

In the Bible, the terms saints was used more to refer to Christians in general. That's how Kailua United Methodist Church uses the term. The Sunday which falls on or just after November 1 is called "All Saints Sunday," and we kind of use it as the Christian Memorial Day. We will have some special worship elements, including a slide show of those who have died since the last All Saints Day, or for those whose loved ones were not included in a previous year.

We will conclude with Holy Communion. A part of the celebration of this sacrament (a sacred sign of God's unconditional love; in the United Methodist Church, the two sacraments are baptism and communion) of the church is the recognition of the "communion of the saints." It is a belief that though death may part us with our loved ones, the eternal hope is that one day we will be reunited.

It's a comforting thought, and one of the big reasons I remain a Christian: the hope not only for eternal life for me, but the far more exciting prospect of being reunited with those whom I love, and to finally meet in person, God my Creator and God my savior in Jesus Christ.

Endangered Species: Church

2008-10-15T05:30:00.004-10:00

One of my colleagues in ministry in the United Methodist Church is Pastor Erika Gara, who pastors in Southern California. She has a great blog called Endangered Species: Church. What a great title for a blog! It reflects perfectly what is a reality: that many churches are in danger of extinction if we don't address very carefully the needs not only of the present generation which dominate church attendance (those over 50, but also, if not more so, the ability to address the needs of the generations which are under 50.

I like Erika's post on Pink Floyd and Psalm 23, on how a professor at Boston University (Peter Hawkins, from whom I was privileged to take courses during seminary - although at a different school than BU) read the 23rd Psalm and asked young people where they had heard of it. Their answers were interesting: few of them knew that it was from the Bible. Check out her blog to learn some of the surprising places this scripture passage shows up: http://www.endangeredspecieschurch.blogspot.com.

I also like her post on "Tinkerers," which talks about how younger people like churches which tinker with different approaches and ways of thinking. This can find a lot of resistance among older people, many of whom really like to keep things the way they always were.

I'm grateful that Kailua United Methodist Church, for the most part, has kept an open mind and allowed for experimentation and new ideas.

Hot Dog Eating Contests and Spirituality

2008-10-09T07:07:00.002-10:00

Take a look at this YouTube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4BU2pOLvxA. It features Takeru Kobayashi, many time champion of the Nathan's Hot Dog eating contest (since dethroned by Joey Chestnut) at Coney Island, New York. In the video, you see that he consumes 53 1/2 hot dogs in 12 minutes, and you see at the end a chart which reveals that he consumed the equivalent of 8 1/2 days worth of the average daily caloric intake (2000 calories per day).

Now...what if they said to Kobayashi: "Congratulations! Your grand prize is a gourmet meal right now at any of the finest restaurants in New York City."

No matter how good that gourmet meal would be, I'm sure that Kobayashi or any of the contestants would not care for or want that meal.

Here's the point: it doesn't matter how wonderful and satisfying Christianity is. If you and I are filling ourselves with other things in our lives that we are so full...it's likely that we will not care for or want Christianity.

Maybe if we unclutter our lives, we just might find that following Christ is the most wonderful, satisfying thing in the universe.

Trying to find a Bible passage?

2008-10-06T15:08:00.003-10:00

One of the things that a lot of people don't like to let on is how little they know about the Bible. One of the best ways to become more familiar with the Bible are the online sites, such as Biblegateway.com or crosswalk.com.

The easiest way to access this is to go to our website, kailuaumc.org, and in the lower right hand side, there is a search panel. Just put in a key word or passage, and you will transported to Bible Gateway and the verse will come up!

Happy searching!

Hello from L. A.

2008-10-04T04:45:00.002-10:00

It's morning in Los Angeles. Pastor Mike Tolbert and I are here for something called Leadership Academy #8. One of the best pastors in the United Methodist Church, Rev. David Bridgman, is here to teach the 150 or so pastors and laypeople from various United Methodist Churches in Southern California and Hawaii. The basic theme is how to grow a church beyond the 150+ range.

It's been very refreshing and revealing to both of us. The basic question is, "Is yours a pastor driven church, where most of the ministry is done by the pastors, or are you a lay driven church, where much of the ministry is done by the laypeople?" Rev. Bridgman said in no uncertain terms that if a church is mostly pastor driven, it will get to a certain size and stay that way. It will create a bottleneck that will prevent the church from growing larger.

I have to confess that ours is definitely a pastor driven church. Pastor Sam, now Pastor Mike, and I pretty much handle most of the ministry duties, such as pastoral visitation, worship leadership, leadership of groups and studies, and a lot of the administration.

What's wrong with that? Isn't that the way it's supposed to be? Isn't that why we hired the pastors? Well...in one form of church culture, that's true. But I have come to believe that the true purpose of the church is for pastors to train and encourage laypeople to do ministry leadership.

And the main reason is that the laypeople can experience the amazing joy of being in active ministry for the sake of Jesus Christ. And that is an incredible experience indeed.

Back to Blogging

2008-10-01T09:05:00.004-10:00

It's been nearly a year since my last post! A lot has gone on since then: my twin daughters are in kindergarten; the church has added a great new associate pastor in Michael Tolbert; one of my best friends, Grant Hagiya, was elected biship; and I turned 50 this year.

As I look at the date of my last blog (October 26, 2007), I realize that this corresponds with the trip I took to visit my mother for the last time with all of my sisters and my uncle, my mom's only living sibling. I think there is a lot to this, because the grieving process for my mom probably started in earnest then, reached its culmination on March 27, 2008, when her body joined her mind (she had had Alzheimer's Disease for many years).

I'll be talking more about this in future posts (hopefully not a year from now!). But I think blogging is a sign of a new stage in my grieving process. So thanks for being there for me.

Grace and aloha,

Tom

P. S. Today is my lovely wife Becky's birthday!

Being Christian and Being a Disciple

2007-10-26T10:25:00.000-10:00

I was attending a seminar and the thought came to me (either by the speaker, Brian McLaren, or the random firings of my brain) that being Christian can be approached the way people sometimes approach being an American.

If you think about it, what does it take to be an American? For most people, all it takes is being born on American soil or of American parents. At the most, the minimum requirements to being an American are a period of residence and passing a test to see if you know some basic facts about American, plus a pledge of allegiance to the nation.

While it would be nice if there were more to it, that really is all it takes to be considered an American. You really don't have to do anything else for the rest of your life to be considered an American.

I think there is a significant number of people who have a similar idea about being a Christian. Being Christian is something that you are born into, or at the most, when you have your confirmation of baptism, you pass a test and make a vow of allegiance.

And pretty much after that, while it would be nice to do more, the attitude becomes that you really don't have to do anything else for the rest of your life to consider yourself a Christian.

That certainly is not what Jesus intended for his followers. To be Christian is to pursue a life that become closer and closer to Christ so that your life is as nearly interchangeable with the life of Christ as is humanly possible.

Maybe what we should do is change the name we most use. The term "Christian" appears in the Bible only 3 times. The term "disciple" and its derivatives appear in the Bible 261 times (this one I did get for sure from Brian McLaren). That means, as far as I'm concerned, that being a disciple is 87 times more important than being a Christian.

Are you a disciple of Jesus Christ or a Christian? It makes a huge difference.

Between the Trees

2007-09-24T16:10:00.000-10:00

If you look through the Bible, you will notice that there is one object that basically begins the story of faith and ends the story of faith. From the beginning in Genesis 2, to the end of Revelation, the tree of life is mentioned. It’s the key to life and anyone who touches it will have life everlasting.

One problem: in Genesis, there is another tree, the tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Adam and Eve, goaded by the serpent to become like God, take a taste of the fruit of that tree, and suddenly, there is no access to the tree of life.

Incidentally, the fruit of this tree has traditionally been the apple, although the exact fruit is never mentioned in the Bible. One theory is that the Latin word for evil and for apple is the same: malus.

The wonderful thing about the Christian faith is that time and time again, the story is about failure, death, and hopelessness being completely turned around.

In 1 Peter 2:24, it says: “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.”

The tree that the writer is talking about is the cross. Think about that for a moment. The crucifixion cross was the most horrific method of execution of the Roman Empire. It was known by some to be the tree of death. The crucifixion was such a horrific symbol, that it was not used as a symbol of Christianity for the first 300 years of the faith, until the Roman Emperor Constantine had a dream about the cross, and when he decided to follow the Way of Jesus, he made the cross the symbol of Christianity.

The reason? Because Jesus Christ, by his resurrection and triumph over death, has turned the tree of death into the new tree of life! We live between the trees but no matter what challenges face us, through Christ we have the possibility of that turning around for good. And that’s wonderful assurance.

Passing on the Faith

2007-09-06T05:52:00.000-10:00

For those who missed the sermon series at the church, :Passing on the Faith," here's a recap of the important points:

1. The realization that our society is becoming more individualistic and inwardly focused. Listen to the words of the song "The Greatest Love of All." A previous generation would have said "the love of God," "a mother's love of children" or "love of country" as the greatest love of all. The song says that the greatest love of all is "me."

This is good in creating self-expression and creativity. But it also leads to vastly increased rates of depression and anxiety. It also lowers the ability to relate to others effectively.

Look at the narcissism in a song taught in preschools all over the nation (sung to "Frere Jacques"):

I am special, I am special
Look at me, you will see
Someone very special, someone very special
It is me, it is me

Our task as parents and mentors: teach that it is the love of God that is greatest of all, and move the focus from ourselves to God.

Listen to this great song: "Jesus, Lover of Me Soul" ("It's all about you, Jesus...it's not about me, as if You should do things my way").

A great book: "Generation Me" by Jean Twenge, which gives facinating (and sometimes frightening) analyses of research done over the past 50 years of college freshmen and their attitudes.

2. Is God a hobby for you? Are church and faith in the optional category? In passing on the faith, you need to move church and faith from the optional to the essential category.

3. Learn to communicate Gary Chapman's Languages of Love:

a. Words of encouragement
b. Quality time
c. Gifts
d. Acts of service
e. Physical touch

Which one of these is what you prefer to receive. It may be that you commuicate love in this manner as well. It's important to learn how the other person prefers to receive love, and learn to express it that way as well.

4. Grace (unconditional love) and Hesed (steadfast love) are important biblical understandings of love to keep in the forefront of your mind and to instill in your children and loved ones.

Wooden Excellence

2007-08-10T19:56:00.001-10:00

I just back from Kansas City for the second time in two months. Yes...I did have more barbecue, this time having Jack Stack's and Gates' versions. Now that I've had the top rated barbecue places (see my earlier post), I have to say that Arthur Bryant's is the best, with Jack Stack second.

But I didn't just go to eat barbecue. I learned a lot at the School of Congregational Development. Here are two things:

1. One of my workshop leaders, Doug Anderson, shared a story about Coach John Wooden, who won 10 NCAA basketball titles at UCLA in the mid 60's through the mid 70's. One of the things he always reminded his players: "Gentlemen: never substitute activity for achievement." In all of life, we often are busy and do lots of things, but what do we do that is truly noteworthy? Especially when it comes to our faith? We might pray, read the Bible, help out...but is it with passion, is it with excellence?

2. In many places, including and especially church, we often lose effectiveness. Why? A common cause, according to Doug Anderson, is that there is an emphasis on personal preference and a tendency to stay within your own comfort level, instead of focusing on the mission and purpose you have for your life, your church, your career, etc. Move toward a mission focus in all things, and you'll be surprised at how much more your life has focus, direction, and effectiveness.

A Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition

2007-07-08T03:43:00.000-10:00

In my sermon for July 8, I mentioned the below printed prayer, which is just key to finding a fulfilling faith life, which is to take the attention from one's self and put into covenant with God. A covenant is a mutually beneficial, mutually responsible, mutually faithful agreement between two parties. Here is a Covenant Prayer in the Wesleyan Tradition. It's not an easy prayer to say, but if you can incorporate this into your life, it will make all the difference in the world:

I am no longer my own, but thine.

Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.

Put me to doing, put me to suffering.

Let me be employed by thee or laid aside for thee,

exalted for thee or brought low for thee.

Let me be full, let me be empty.

Let me have all things, let me have nothing.

I freely and heartily yield

all things to thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God,

Father, Son and Holy Spirit,

thou art mine, and I am thine.

So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,

let it be ratified in heaven.

Amen.

Cathedral Thinking

2007-07-05T06:05:00.001-10:00

I found this great article called Cathedral Thinking. If you've ever been to any of these great buildings, you are amazed by the scale, the beauty, and the engineering that went into it. The Washington National Cathedral (pictured here) is a good example. It's just down the street from where I go to school a couple of times a year. It is a magnificent example of Gothic architecture and was voted one of the three most beautiful buildings in America by the American Institute of Architects (The Empire State Building was ranked No. 1, and the White House, No. 2; go here for the full list; the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel on the Big Island was the only Hawaii building listed)

The article pointed out that many of the great cathedrals were built in a span of time that exceeded the lifetime of any of the participants of the planners and original builders.

For example, the Washington National Cathedral was first envisioned with the setting aside of land for a national church in 1792. Plans to build the cathedral weren't renewed until 1891, and construction didn't begin until 1907. The cathedral was completed in 1990. This means that 198 years passed from the beginning of the vision to its completion.

The people who first thought about building the cathedral knew that they might never see their ideas and dreams come to complete fruition in their lifetimes. That did not keep them from going ahead and putting this dream into reality. They wanted to build a place that would serve untold generations of people.

In anything in life, I think that cathedral thinking is important. Our thinking, planning, and dreaming should have the future in mind - what we do now will affect future generations, for good and for bad.

May what we do be remembered as something that was a blessing.

Of Barbecue, Strip Steak, and Resurrection

2007-07-02T15:11:00.000-10:00

I made it home to Hawaii last Friday afternoon, bringing along a little cough. I was in the Kansas City area for my Doctor of Ministry program.

It was great to be able to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the American Jazz Museum.

Those of you who know me also know that I am always interested in the local cuisine. Kansas City is known for two things: barbecue and the famous Kansas City Strip Loin steak. Over the two weeks I was there, I tried three barbecue places: K. C. Masterpiece, Gates, and Arthur Bryant's. Arthur Bryant's was by far the best, but to be honest, either of the other two places would be considered the best barbecue in Hawaii.

I was also able to find a delicious, but reasonably priced steak for lunch at Plaza III, where the price goes up double for dinner. Great steak, full of flavor.

Of course, I didn't go to Kansas City just to eat. For this session, we were blessed to spend time at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in nearby Leawood. It is one of the largest churches in America, with over 14,000 people. What it is unique to me about the place is that it is proud to call itself United Methodist.

The pastor of the church, Adam Hamilton, spent the entire second week with us. It was a great experience to be with someone who built up the church from just his family to that size.

What's his secret? I don't think there is really a secret. He has a strong vision, he is well thought out, and plans out ahead of time in great detail.

Oh yes...and it seems that everything his church does is dedicated to letting people know about the good news of Jesus Christ in some way. It isn't a hard sell like the stereotypical televangelist. Hamilton's way is invitational, low pressure, and friendly.

I learned a lot about how to do ministry there. It may very well be the most influential visit of my ministry. I've been to Willow Creek Church and Saddleback Church, and they are very impressive, but it seemed that what they did was just so out of reach, it was almost surreal. There is nothing about the Church of the Resurrection that any church couldn't do; maybe not as fancy - such as super high tech video - but they even taught us how to take consumer level equipment and produce good stuff.

I'll be unpacking a lot of stuff as we head into a great future at our church.

P. S. their website is cor.org.

Backup

2007-06-23T17:58:00.001-10:00

I'm here in the Kansas City area for my Doctor of Ministry program. It didn't start out too well. Two days before I left, the hard drive on my laptop computer crashed. This would ordinarily be cataclysmic, but I had backed up my hard drive shortly before and I was only missing a couple of weeks worth of work. Fortunately, I have drafts of most of the missing work because I e-mailed the office or in the case of sermons, I have the podcasts.

I packed very carefully, and I was proud of myself that I had forgotten nothing. Then, when I got to the TSA screening at the airport, I was horrified to discover that my laptop was missing! I had packed the power cord, but forgot the computer itself!

A call to my wife was to no avail. She had already gone to her hula class and the calls went to voice mail.

Fortunately, I called my assistant, who agreed to pick up the computer and deliver it to me. I am so incredibly grateful to him!

Backing up a computer is very important. But also knowing that you have people who will back you up is a great comfort.

And knowing that Christ is backing me up at all times is the greatest comfort and blessing of all.

Father's Day Article

2007-06-16T08:32:00.000-10:00

I'm in the L. A. area today. but I wrote an article for the Honolulu Star-Bulletin. They asked me not to post the article here, but here's the link: http://starbulletin.com/2007/06/16/features/onfaith.html

Happy Father's Day!

A Real Man

2007-06-12T11:50:00.000-10:00

Since I am going to be traveling for a few weeks, I'm not sure when I'll be able to post on the blog. So here's something I wrote a few years ago you might find interesting:

"REAL MAN"?
I read in a newspaper about a man who burst into a restaurant in New York, shot two people (fortunately, none were killed) and while brandishing a shotgun, began dousing the patrons with gasoline. He pulled out a fireplace lighter and apparently was about to ignite the people, when two brave women rushed at him and stopped him. Police arrived and in a struggle wounded the man.
In the initial interview with the police, he explained that he had hoped to be shot and killed by the police. It was also discovered that he had been living with AIDS and he said, "A real man chooses when he is going to die."
This is just another example of an unfortunate trend: people willing to die in the act of killing others. I think the answer boils down to this: they had lost a sense of the sacredness of life, and they had lost hope that living in the world was better than death.
A truly "real" man lived to show us a truly better way, truth and life. I believe what many people have been saying: that the church is the hope of the world, because we carryJesus' message of faith, hope, and love. This is the importance of sharing the message of Jesus Christ. I hope that this will be our growing conviction in a world that needs it so much.

Paris' Conversion?

2007-06-12T11:40:00.000-10:00

Paris Hilton had a conversation from jail with Barbara Walters, saying that the dumb act is no longer cute, and she wants to make a difference. Then she said, "God has given me a second chance."

It's hard not to be skeptical. Is this just another way to hype Paris' image? I hope not. Of course, only time will tell.

Actually, Paris' change of heart is pretty common for people who go to prison. Many also make jailhouse confessions of faith. The proof of the pudding is when Paris gets out, and she's back into the familiar setting of money, fame, and control over her life.

I think the critical thing will be if Paris decides to align herself with a faith system, rather than some vague sense of spirituality. Just as alcoholics (which, if Paris is honest, is what she is--no one gets stopped that many times for driving under the influence if they don't have a serious problem with alcohol) need an accountability group, so does everyone who has a soul. Souls weren't meant to function alone. God meant for us to connect with each other and with Him.

Hope that's true for Paris Hilton...and each one of us.

Setting Aside the Time

2007-06-08T02:54:00.000-10:00

Yes...I'm still alive!! I realize, rather embarrassedly, that it's been a month and a half since my last blog. By this time, I fear that most who used to follow the blog have stopped looking for it.

I have many reasons for this: we've had a transition in the office where we were without an office manager for a couple of months, and I decided to fill in and be both the pastor of the church and the office manager. When we finally did get a new office manager, I have been spending extra time training her and getting her acquainted with the systems and routines of the office.

I'm getting ready to continue my Doctor of Ministry program, and there is a lot of preparation that goes into that, so that's kept me away from blogging.

There's a joke about how pastors work only one day a week and have the rest of the time to play golf and fool around. I wish that were true. There was an article I read where "Peter Drucker, the late leadership guru, said that the four hardest jobs in America (and not necessarily in order, he added) are the president of the United States, a university president, a CEO of a hospital and ... a pastor." ("Pastors often succumb to job burnout due to stress, low pay," by Rev. Dr. Dan Chun, Honolulu Advertiser, November 18, 2006

Of course, being the father of twin preschool age girls is a tremendous challenge.

So, I'm sure that you understand why I haven't blogged for awhile.

BUT WAIT A MINUTE!!!!!!!

These are all legitimate and excellent reasons why I haven't blogged for so long. But when it comes right down to it, legitimate and excellent reasons are nothing more than excuses that make me feel smug and better about the fact I haven't done something which makes a connection with people, perhaps with some I'll never meet, which means a lot.

If I'm honest with myself, the real reason I haven't blogged for so long is that I've not set aside the time to stop long enough and think deeply enough to put something down that you might find worth reading.

And if that's the case, it also must mean that I haven't really been thinking very deeply about the spiritual life, because that's what this blog is all about.

Oh yes...I've been praying, and yes, I've been reading the Bible and devotional material all along. But most of the time, it's been for "business" reasons, or in the case of the daily devotional material, it's been out of guilt and to make sure that if asked, I can say that yes, I've been doing my daily devotionals.

For me, this blog has come to represent the state of my spiritual life, or as John Wesley, the founder of Methodism might ask, "How goes it with your soul?" You can bet that if there are long gaps in my blog, that it usually means that I'm only connected to God on the surface.

I've been preaching a series of sermons on the grace of God. It's a tough concept for many. It's first and foremost the unconditional love of God. It's not earned, or in most cases, deserved, but we get it anyway.

It's also the gift of discovering what makes life special, what makes life worth living. And that's the key...it's a discovery or a new appreciation.

One of our delightful and hard working members of the church shared a bumper sticker style quote: "Today is a gift. That's why it's called "the present." A little too cutesy? Maybe...but it's absolutely true.

Grace is something that requires setting aside time to experience it. Sometimes we live so much of our lives on the surface, just making it through. That's not life at its best.

I don't know...am I the only one who hasn't been setting aside time for God?

Mom and Pop Stores

2007-03-28T06:38:00.000-10:00

One of the sad things I've seen on the news lately is the closing of yet another "Mom and Pop" store. This time, it is the H. Hamada store in Kaka'ako. For four generations, the store provided all sorts of items, from groceries to even caskets at one time (see http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007703270302 for an article on the closing of the store).

Now on one hand, it really isn't a great loss. In terms of finding groceries, sundries, etc., your local Wal-Mart, Costco, or Safeway provides all of the things that Mom and Pop store provided and more, usually at lower prices. Higher costs of doing business, intense competition from the larger corporate stores are what is driving the Mom and Pop stores out of business. Many cannot provide the goods and services that a sophisticated group of customers which has higher expectations requires. They simply can't compete.

But on the other hand, there is something great that is being lost with these Mom and Pop stores. It is the feeling of family and aloha, of intimacy and a "home away from home."

Maybe that's why I tend to go to a place like the new Kalapawai Cafe for a cup of java in the morning, rather than Starbucks. I don't really have anything against Starbucks, and still will go once in awhile, but there is something special to me about locally owned businesses which use products from locally owned companies.

I've been thinking about how all of this relates to churches. Mom and Pop style churches are a vanishing breed. They are declining and even closing at an alarming rate. The rising costs of keeping a church open, the intense competition from mega-churches like New Hope, Hope Chapel and First Presbyterian are daunting for smaller churches. The mega-churches can provide the "goods and services" that people want, often at higher quality. The smaller churches just can't compete.

Or can they? I don't think that the mega-church is for everybody. I think there are a lot of people who want the Mom and Pop feel but with a higher level of quality.

In my Natural Church Development training, I've been learning that smaller churches can actually outdo larger churches in 7 of the 8 Quality Characteristics. The only thing that mega-churches are clearly able to do better on a consistent basis is the quality of worship.

Our church is in a very exciting position. We are small enough to provide a Mom and Pop feel, but large enough to be able to provide significant ministry (we are currently averaging about 230 in worship). We can't, however, just sit on our laurels and think that we won't go the way of Mom and Pop stores.

We must consistently raise the level of quality in our church at all levels (such as improving our facility), while maintaining a level of intimacy. I think the key to the intimacy is continuing to grow more small groups. That way, even if we do grow larger in size, people won't feel a loss of family and aloha. As one pastor said, "I don't mind growing larger, as long as we grow smaller," referring to small group development.

As we move forward in seeking a vision for what God wants us to do, it is important to keep that in mind. I want us to do what we can to preserve the intimacy of warm, family congregation, while raising the quality of what we do for the sake Christ and His church.

More Salt

2007-03-16T08:26:00.000-10:00

Since my last post, I have had several conversations about salt during Bible studies and other settings. Here are some more interesting thoughts on salt and how it might be used as a metaphor for the Christian faith:

One of the members of our Wednesday Morning Bible study, as we were discussing salt, mentioned that her mother dyes fabrics professionally, and that she had "pallet after pallet of salt in her basement." The salt is used to draw the dye into the fabric.

Another member remarked, "Oh yeah...when you use Ritz dye, the instructions call for using salt.

In another study, someone remembered that it was commonplace to soak bright colors in salt, to permanently seal the dye into the fabric before washing.

So salt as a something that gives permanence is a wonderful image of the permanence of God's love for us in our lives...it can never be washed out or taken out of the fabric of our lives.

Another use of salt was as money: the word "salary" itself is taken from the practice of paying Roman soldiers in salt. So salt as something of great value is an image of how God regards us as extremely valuable because of the grace that is in us through the priceless gift of God's grace through Jesus Christ.

Salt is used on icy roads to clear the paths of travel and keep vehicles from sliding into danger, just like faith in God can keep open the pathways of hope when we meet obstacles and danger.

And finally, salt is used as a key ingredient in the process for making ice cream, one of the greatest culinary gifts ever...certainly a great image for grace...THE greatest gift ever....

Salt

2007-03-14T06:26:00.000-10:00

When I was a child, I remember that church members (my dad was a pastor) would bring back fish for our family from their fishing trips. It would often be more than we could eat in a day or even a couple of days. I remember that my dad would pull out this interesting contraption: it was basically a large, hinged wooden box with a screen on the top. My dad would line it with newspaper, open the screen door, and place the fish in it to dry in the sun. The screen allowed the light and heat from the sun in, but keep the flies out.

What was important was that my mom salted the fish beforehand, as a preserving agent. It would, of course, give the fish a lot of flavor.

Even though we had a refrigerator, my mom and dad often used the screen box to prepare fish that way. I'm pretty sure that's what they did growing up in Korea with little or no refrigeration, and that's how they preserved the fish, but they also learned to like eating fish like that...maybe with a bit of nostalgia as well.

When I visited the South, I learned to love salt cured country ham (especially if it came from Virginia, Smithfield or Williamsburg in particular). These were prepared this way to keep the meat from spoiling

The ancient Hawaiians valued salt very highly and used it for many different purposes. One of them is a purification ceremony, in which Hawaiian salt is mixed with water for healing (see http://starbulletin.com/2001/03/05/news/story2.html).

Salt is also used in pottery, added to the fire at a certain point to form unique glazing patterns.

Salt has come into some bad press in these contemporary times for causing hypertension, etc. But for most of history, the image of salt has always been a positive one: purification, preserving, healing, seasoning, beautification.

In chapter nine of Mark, Jesus talks about having salt in yourselves. He had earlier talked about how everything that comes out of a person is unclean (pretty vivid image, if you have to think about it). But if one has salt in them, the whole host of good things happens: healing, preservation and purification of our souls; flavoring our lives; putting a unique stamp of beauty on each one of us.

Pretty good image....

Tale of Twelve Years

2007-03-11T17:28:00.000-10:00

This post is about two people in Mark, chapter 5 (and not how long it might have felt between this and the last post!!). After Jesus has encountered the demoniac among the Gerasenes and exorcised his demons, he is met by a named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. His daughter is dying, and he pleads with Jesus to come see him and heal him. But before he can get there, he is surrounded by a great crowd pressing around him and the disciples.

Suddenly, Jesus wheels around and says, "Who touched me?" The disciples say, "Are you kidding? Everybody!" But he focuses on one woman, who Mark says has had a slow flow of blood for twelve years. This would have meant that she would have been regarded as unclean by the society and an outcast. She believes that if she just touches Jesus' garment, she would be healed, and that's exactly what happens. Jesus even feels the power leaving him, which is why he ask who touched him. One of the people in our Bible studies thought that maybe this was the only "involuntary" healing Jesus ever did.

Jesus shows great compassion for this woman and tells her that her faith has made her well. But she is not only healed, but she is now restored into a wonderful relationship with God.

In the meantime, however, Jairus' daughter has died. What good does it do for Jesus to show up? But he does anyway. And in the presence of the household, Jesus raises Jairus' daughter.

The thing that is interesting is that Mark makes sure that we know that the daughter was twelve years old. I'm not sure why he does that, but it is striking to notice that Jairus' daughter has lived on earth that same amount of time as the woman has had the blood flow. Is there any intentional coincidence? I don't know.

But it is powerful for me to think that two people--one who grew up with privilege and one who lived as an outcast, but each for twelve years--were both given a new lease on life by Jesus. And that promise is there for each one of us....

Tear the roof off the....

2007-03-01T14:16:00.000-10:00

In chapter two of the Gospel of Mark, there is this wonderful story about a paralytic:

Mark 2:1-6—When he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 So many gathered around that there was no longer room for them, not even in front of the door; and he was speaking the word to them. 3 Then some people came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 And when they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him; and after having dug through it, they let down the mat on which the paralytic lay. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (NRSV)

Jesus had become so renowned that he had a tremendous SRO (standing room only) crowd at the house. Then four people brought their friend who had been a paralytic to have Jesus heal him. The crowd was so big that the four friends actually went onto the roof and dug through it (can you imagine what the church board of trustees might say about that?) just so they could get their friend to Jesus.

What dedication! They could have told their friend that it was too crowded…maybe they could go another time. But they didn’t…they took the risk of digging through a roof, doing whatever it took to get to Jesus.

It makes me wonder about how you and I might let obstacles, distractions, and challenges keep us from getting to Jesus.

In the movie “The Untouchables,” Jimmy Malone (played by Sean Connery) asks Eliot Ness (played by Kevin Costner), “What are you prepared to do?”

What are we prepared to do when it comes to trying to reach Jesus? Let the other things in life take priority and squander opportunity in this time, in this moment to experience the life changing power of Jesus Christ? Or do we do everything we can to access the grace of Christ?

Something to think about, and something to hope for. Thanks for reading.

P.S. Did anyone recognize the song reference in the blog title?

The "Titanic" Controversy about Jesus' Tomb

2007-02-27T05:34:00.000-10:00

The big news going around is this announcement that James Cameron, the director of "The Titanic," has produced a Discovery Channel special that supposedly reveals the actual tomb of Jesus. Among the bombshells: Jesus' bones are found, suggesting that he was not physically resurrected; Mary Magdalene's remains are entombed next to him, suggesting that Jesus and Mary were married; another ossuary says "Judah, son of Jesus." In addition, the remains of Mary and Joseph are purported there as well. This news supposedly shakes the foundation of the Christian faith. Does it?

Nah. Most credible scholars are quick to point out that several tombs with the title "Jesus, son of Joseph" have been discovered. The name Mary is one of the most common of all during that time, and Jesus and Joseph were also common names. It's like the movie "Goodfellas" when Karen was introduced to all of Henry Hill's friends at the wedding: "I think I met two dozen Peters and Pauls...and they were all with girls named Marie." It could have been the family tomb of several different families who just happened to have the same name.

In addition, Jesus' family was from Nazareth in Galilee, and Joseph died before Jesus' public ministry which included Jerusalem. Scholars point out that a Galilean family would not have their family tomb in Jerusalem. This tomb was for a fairly well to do family, which goes against the evidence we have about Jesus' upbringing.

The discovery of this tomb was made in 1980. Why hasn't this supposed earth-shattering discovery made waves before? If there was any credibility to the claim, it would have been big news much earlier.

Rather than shaking the foundations of faith, I think it is just another attempt to "shake down" the wallets and the time of people who will scramble to watch the special, buy the products advertised, then buy the book and DVD. One person who lives in the area around the tomb was delighted about the news, because Christians will want to live near the tomb and her real estate values will go way up. That says it all about what I think this is really about.

I have often said that if they ever found the bones of Jesus conclusively, I would give up the whole Christian thing. The key word is conclusively. In this case and in any case, how could you ever conclusively prove that a certain set of bones was actually those of Jesus?

Therefore, since I will never know conclusively that the bones of Jesus will be found, I don't waste my time on stuff like that (although I will probably watch the special to help other people with questions about it).

However, if all this fuss causes a few more people to investigate for themselves the life of Jesus Christ, and it changes their lives, it will be a good thing overall.

John Wesley's Questions

2007-02-23T03:38:00.000-10:00

John Wesley was the founder of Methodism. He founded "Holy Clubs" at Oxford. At these meetings, probing questions were asked very "methodically" in order to keep people accountable about their faith. Here are some of them:

The 22 Questions of John Wesley’s Holy Clubs

Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
Do I confidentially pass on to another what was told to me in confidence?
Can I be trusted?
Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
Am I self-conscious, self-pitying or self-justifying?
Did the Bible live in me today?
Do I give it time to speak to me every day?
Am I enjoying prayer?
When did I last speak to someone else about my faith?
Do I pray about the money I spend?
Do I go to bed on time and get up on time?
Do I disobey God in anything?
Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
Am I defeated in any part of my life?
Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
How do I spend my spare time?
Am I proud?
Do I thank God that I am not like other people?
Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard?
Do I grumble or complain constantly?
Is Christ real to me?

When I found these online, the link commented "ouch!" These are very probing questions and go to the core of what it means to be a faithful follower of Christ.

I particularly like question 9. It doesn't ask if I am praying regularly or something dutiful like that. It asks if I am enjoying prayer. This is a question which leads us to reflect if our prayer life is about going through the motions, or if we are truly taking advantage of developing a life-changing relationship with God.

Question 11 is one which I have never heard anyone answer yes, including myself when I first saw it. Wesley very much knew that money is the basis for much of our life focus, and wanted to make sure that we approach money with God in mind.

I would suggest going through these questions and focus on one which hits you especially at that moment. Or you might go through one per day and reflect on that.

I have definitely found these questions to help sharpen my focus on God. I hope you do as well.

Thanks for reading....

Welcome to the KUMC blog!!

2007-02-21T02:39:00.000-10:00

Hi...thanks for visiting the Kailua United Methodist Church (KUMC) blog. I decided to start this blog on Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. In the Christian calendar, Lent is a special time of reflection, meditation, and focus. It is derived from the 40 days that Jesus fasted in the wilderness as he started his public ministry (see in the Bible the Gospel of Mark, chapter one; you can find it here: http://bible.crosswalk.com).

Usually, people give up something (in the old days, they gave up meat or even fasted during the week, which is why if you count the days from today until Easter (this year, it's April 8--in a later blog, I'll explain why the date for Easter changes from year to year), it adds up to more than 40 days. That's because Sundays were considered "feast" days, so people could eat (or eat more complete meals) in order to survive.

The day before, on what is called Shrove (penance) Tuesday, people who were going to give up meat for Lent ate up the meat left in their homes. This led to people gorging themselves on this day since they would be deprived of meat. Some had parties for this, called a "carnival." Notice that the first part of this word is the Latin word for meat, carne, as in carnivore. In French, the day came to be known as Mardi Gras.

Anyway, instead of having people give up meat, I am encouraging people to read the Gospel of Mark. This is the oldest book about Jesus in the Bible. All of the sermons during Lent at church will be based on this book. Our Bible studies will also be based on Mark.

If you can't make one of the studies, you might consider reading the blogs. If you are coming to the Bible studies, check the blogs for background material for the studies.

*******

The Gospel of Mark was probably written during the period of the First Jewish-Roman War (A.D. 66-73...for more info go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Jewish-Roman_War). It was a time of great turmoil and led to the destruction of the Temple. That was a debilitating symbol. When planning the 9-11 attacks, Osama bin Laden targeted economic, military, and political symbols of American life: the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the Capitol Building (which was spared when UA Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania). He knew that this would have a devastating effect on the American people.

The destruction of the Temple was probably even more devastating for the Jews. Not only was the very symbol of their life and culture destroyed, the symbol of their faith and hope was destroyed.

So Mark was written at a very important time. Most likely a follower of Peter, he wanted to give a word of hope and good news to a distraught community, devastated by these events (Peter himself was executed by Nero in A. D. 64; it is thought that Peter asked to be crucified upside down, because he felt unworthy to be crucified like Jesus).

Mark's book is called a "Gospel," which means a good story, or good news. It is, I hope you will discover or re-discover, the greatest news of all time. It even begins "The beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ."

I hope that it will be good news for you. Thanks for reading....