You can take the girl from the island, but never the island from the girl.

I’ve been feeling a bit homesick lately.  Maybe because we haven’t had much of a summer in Seattle this year, or perhaps I’m feeling a bit nostalgic after visiting my old high school teachers in May.  Whatever the reason, who wouldn’t be homesick of the island where many of us call home, a place of rainbows, papayas, and beach weather all year long?

In grad school, I traveled to Germany and Switzerland on a study tour, where I met Veena.  We recently reconnected over our love of food, especially given she launched an Indian food startup, Veena’s Market.  We decided to spend some time whipping up a traditional Hawaiian luau, which are often comprised of kalua pork, lomi lomi salmon, chicken long rice, and poi.

Veena took care of the kalua pork.  You can see the recipe on her blog here.  *Please credit Veena when using her photos, which are indicated by the watermark on bottom.  I forgot to bring my camera for the finished product(s) and she came to my rescue!

I took care of the lomi lomi salmon and chicken long rice.  First, salt the salmon by sprinkling Hawaiian sea salt on both sides of the filet.  Cover and let it sit for a couple of hours or overnight.

Chop the salmon into small cubes and add a little water.  Cover again and let it sit for a couple more hours.  You can place an ice pack below the bowl to keep it extra cool.

Throw chopped tomatoes, onions, green onions, and salmon into a large mixing bowl.  Start the “lomi lomi” process by mixing the ingredients with your hands.  Lomi lomi means “massage” in Hawaiian.

Add a couple of ice cubes to keep things cool, as lomi lomi salmon is best served extra cold.

Let the ingredients marinate for a few hours or overnight.  Enjoy this Hawaiian ceviche with kalua pork or poi (which we didn’t get around to making).

While the lomi lomi salmon is marinating, you can get stared on the chicken long rice.  Place the chicken thighs, ginger, garlic, and Hawaiian sea salt in a large pot and boil on medium for about 45 minutes.  Water should be almost covering the chicken.

Then, remove the chicken and let it cool before shredding the meat.  Pour the broth into a new pot for later use.

After shredding the meat, add them into the new pot along with chicken-bouillon cubes, black pepper, green onions, and mushrooms.  Let the ingredients boil, then add the noodles and stir occasionally.  Let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the noodles are soft and expanded.

Oh, so ono, which means “delicious” in Hawaiian.

Perhaps I am not homesick as much after this meal.  We are trekking to check off the classic PNW Labor Day weekend off of our bucket list:  Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge (and The Roots).  What are your plans this holiday?

Happy Aloha Friday, everyone!

Lomi Lomi Salmon
Serves 6-8

+ 1lb. fresh salmon
+ 3 tomatoes, diced
+ 1 large onion, diced
+ 3 green onions, sliced
+ 2 tbsp. Hawaiian sea salt

Chicken Long Rice
Serves 6-8

+ 2 lbs. chicken thighs
+ 3 tsp. Hawaiian sea salt
+ 2 tbsp. minced fresh ginger
+ 2 tbsp. minced fresh garlic
+ 2 quart water
+ 1 large onion, chopped
+ 2 (Knorr) chicken-bouillon cubes
+ 4 small dried shiitake mushrooms
+ 6-8 oz. Chinese bean-thread (cellophane) noodles
+ 1 teaspoon black pepper