Thanksgiving in Hawaii (Volcano, Kilauea, Poipu: mortgage, house, schools)

[cynmkolohe]

For those who celebrate, what are your traditions? Where will you have dinner? What is served?

I just made our reservation for dinner at Kilauea Lodge in Volcano Village. At 4,000 ft elevation, we get to feel like we are back at grandma's house in the winter! This has become a tradition for us when here on the island. My family will be gathering in the mountains of Virginia, so it's a way to feel like we are sharing the experience from a distance. The cozy fire and hot apple cider....I'll be looking forward to it for the next three weeks!

By the way, I called yesterday and was lucky to get an 8:00pm reservation--they serve beginning at 3:00pm and book early. Some folks who are regulars at the Lodge for the holiday book for the next year, from what I understand.

For more about Kilauea Lodge, click here: Kilauea Lodge Click on the Restaurant tab to see a great photo of the gazebo where they serve hot apple cider...it's a perfect mix of comfortable and elegant. And wonderful food.

[Frangi914]

Your Thanksgiving sounds lovely, have a great time. I can't wait to experience the holidays in Hawaii. Being I'm from the East Coast this time of year it starts to get really cold, this morning it's in the 40's - brisk to say the least. I am really looking forward to the holiday's and having the weather warm is going to be a welcomed friend!

[Jungjohann]

When I lived with the Akina family back in 1976, we'ld kalua a pig, throw a few turkeys with a bunch of sweet potatoes into the imu, and invite EVERYBODY!!!!!! Quite the feast, seeing as all the guests would bring something as well. Upon leaving, the guests would get a number of very large paper plates stacked with food, most of them would give these to those they knew who were less fortunate. Think I'm going to do the oven roasted kalua pork or turkey thing, was fortunate enough to get the recipe from another member of this forum.

Aloha

[Badatta2de]

Jungjohan, that sounds AWESOME! My friends parents had a huge party when they made their last mortgage payment. They got a huge piggy, and stuffed it with cornish hens, pheasants, duck, and tons of veggies. I ate till I almost popped, then ate some more!! Truly one of the best meals I've ever had!
I think I may have seen the Kiluea Lodge on the travel channel. It looked like a great place! Have fun Cyn!

[kani-lehua]

Originally Posted by Jungjohann

Think I'm going to do the oven roasted kalua pork or turkey thing, was fortunate enough to get the recipe from another member of this forum.

you know, i was wondering if the kalua oven pork recipe would work for the turkey? don't know if it would turn out the same as putting it in the imu (underground oven)? here in kailua, o'ahu, one of the schools does the imu prep, you bring your protein, whatever it is, in a pan and they kalua it for you for a fee. something like $15 per pan. think i'm going to stick to the traditional bird. i swear by the plastic bag method.

all the restaurants here get into the action and cater "thanksgiving-to-go" meals. even zippy's. another chinese restaurant in kapolei will be doing it and serving noodles as the starch. i think they might include gau gee, too?!
only in hawai'i!!

[KimoJimo]

Originally Posted by Jungjohann

When I lived with the Akina family back in 1976, we'ld kalua a pig, throw a few turkeys with a bunch of sweet potatoes into the imu, and invite EVERYBODY!!!!!! Quite the feast, seeing as all the guests would bring something as well. Upon leaving, the guests would get a number of very large paper plates stacked with food, most of them would give these to those they knew who were less fortunate. Think I'm going to do the oven roasted kalua pork or turkey thing, was fortunate enough to get the recipe from another member of this forum.

Aloha

You've brought forth some memories of when I lived on Kauai...! I miss Hawaiian food so much! Can actually taste what you have described!

As an aside, in 1982, while still a visitor to the Islands, a hurricane hit Kauai (Iwa, I think it was called) the day before Thanksgiving and we watched our room at the Sheraton Poipu go out to sea! Then we moved to Kauai permanently and in 1992 we were hit by Hurricane Iniki! Now we live in Georgia (yuck) but are planning to move to Oregon within the year. Then I 'll hafta watch out for Tsunamis!!!

[kani-lehua]

Originally Posted by KimoJimo

You've brought forth some memories of when I lived on Kauai...! I miss Hawaiian food so much! Can actually taste what you have described!

As an aside, in 1982, while still a visitor to the Islands, a hurricane hit Kauai (Iwa, I think it was called) the day before Thanksgiving and we watched our room at the Sheraton Poipu go out to sea! Then we moved to Kauai permanently and in 1992 we were hit by Hurricane Iniki! Now we live in Georgia (yuck) but are planning to move to Oregon within the year. Then I 'll hafta watch out for Tsunamis!!!

if you want the recipe for the oven kalua pork or oven laulau, dm me. it's really easy. the only thing is that the pork takes at least 4 hours.

have some very good friends in smyrna, georgia. isn't your state experiencing an extreme drought?

also have family in oregon (forgot the city).

[Jungjohann]

You could probably do the oven kalua turkey, but you'ld have to debone it first. Definitely calls for some Hawaiian chili pepper water with shoyu, and some Hanalei Poi, an some lomi salmon, little taco and ahi shoyu poki, some manapua, perhaps a little kim chee or won bok, broke da mout!!!!!!! Must be lunch time........

Aloha, and heavy on the mahalos for the recipe

[kani-lehua]

Originally Posted by Jungjohann

You could probably do the oven kalua turkey, but you'ld have to debone it first. Definitely calls for some Hawaiian chili pepper water with shoyu, and some Hanalei Poi, an some lomi salmon, little taco and ahi shoyu poki, some manapua, perhaps a little kim chee or won bok, broke da mout!!!!!!! Must be lunch time........

Aloha, and heavy on the mahalos for the recipe

hey, since you like kim chee, i have a really good recipe for kim chee stew. very, very easy to make! also a really good shoyu pork recipe.

forget deboning the turkey. omg! takes too much time. i'm going to stick to the bag. you guessed it, i like easy kine recipes.

[Jungjohann]

Ever try cooking a turkey on a Weber BBQ, not the gas variety, but charcoal. Did it a few years back, had to brine the pelehu, (turkey), first, for around 24 hours, then I think it was two briquettes for every pound of turkey, get the bbq going, when the charcoals were about pau, so was the turkey. Broke da mout, wen bruise da lips!!!!! An no foget trow on some kiawe chips, soaked in water, for a little extra smokey flavor.

Aloha