November 2012 Host:  Colleen

 

Molokai by Alan Brennert

 

Summary

 

This story begins in the 1890s in Hawaii and chronicles the life of a woman who contracts leprosy at the age of seven.  She is sent away from her family and is quarantined at a settlement called Kaluapapa on the island of Molokai.  Although she watches many friends die there, her life in the leper colony becomes bearable through the new ‘family’ and friends she makes and her strong spirit which refuses to let the disease control her; and she is also able to eventually experience romance. She eventually has a child but it was immediately taken from her in order to prevent the spread of leprosy to the child, who does eventually get adopted.  Her father is a sailor and sends her gifts from all over the world.  That and her imprisonment on the island lead her to long for her own world wide travels.  The characters were multifaceted (especially the nuns who take her in) and the depth of the characters was more than likely due to the fact that the author loosely based some of the characters in the novel on people who had actually lived at Kauapapa and on historical research and correspondence from the time.  The author enriches the story through descriptions of the settlement and the history of leprosy, along with some of the history of Hawaii, which includes the annexation and colonization of the islands by American sugar barons.  This is a well written and well researched novel and we all enjoyed it, there is something for everyone in this book.

 

Menu

 

Goat Cheese Appetizer

 

Hawaiian Slaw

 

Hawaiian Rice (from cooks.com)

Ingredients
 

 

-1 can Spam

-1 can unsweetened (or 2 cups fresh) crushed pineapple

-2 cups long grain rice

-4 cups chicken stock

-4 tablespoons butter

-1 medium onion

-2 cloves garlic

-salt to taste

-1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

-1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper

-1 teaspoon cumin

-1 teaspoon paprika

-1 teaspoon allspice

-small dash cinnamon

 

 

Directions

 

 

Cook rice in chicken stock with butter, salt, cumin, paprika, allspice, and cinnamon.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer until stock is absorbed.  While the rice is simmering, brown Spam, onions, garlic and pineapple in a large skillet with a lid on high heat.  Add red and black pepper just before done (I reduced the amount of pepper by half, I thought two tablespoons seemed like too much).  Combine rice and Spam mixture.  Stir, reduce heat and cover.  Simmer for 5 more minutes.  Let cool and serve.
 

Kalua Pig in a Slow Cooker (from food.com – a simple way of making traditional Hawaiian Kalua pig without having to dig a hole in your back yard)

Ingredients

 

 

-1 (6 lb) pork butt

-1 ½ tablespoons Hawaiian sea salt

-1 tablespoon liquid smoke flavoring

 

 

Directions

 

 

-Pierce pork all over with a carving fork.

-Rub salt then liquid smoke over meat.

-Place roast in a slow cooker.

-Cover, and cook on Low for 16 to 20 hours, turning once during cooking time.

-Remove meat from slow cooker, and shred, adding drippings as needed to moisten.

Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs (from food.com)

 

Ingredients

-1 ½ lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes

-1 (15 ¼ ounce) cans unsweetened pineapple chunks

-1/2 cup soy sauce

-1/4 cup vegetable oil

-1 tablespoon brown sugar

-1 teaspoon garlic powder

-2 teaspoons ground ginger

-1 teaspoon dry mustard

-1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

-1 large green pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces

-12 medium mushrooms

-18 cherry tomatoes

-hot cooked rice

 

Directions

 

 

-Put chicken in large shallow dish.

-Drain pineapple, keep ½ cup juice.

-Set pineapple aside.

-Mix juice with the next 7 ingredients in small pan.

-Bring to a boil.

-Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

-Pour over chicken.

-Cover and chill for 1 hour.

-Remove chicken from marinade, reserve marinade.

-Alternate chicken, pineapple, green pepper, mushrooms, and tomatoes on skewers

-Grill kabobs over hot coals 20 minutes or until chicken is done.

 

Dessert