Two Scoops Rice, One Scoop Mac Salad

The plate lunch is a big deal in Hawaii. Nearly every restaurant carries some version of this local favorite. There are locally owned places that specialize in plate lunch as well as national chains that add it to their menus.

Plate lunch usually consists of 1 or more meats, 2 scoops rice and 1 scoop macaroni salad. The meat choices are varied and include Kalbi ribs, Kalua pig, teri chicken, hamburger patty and many more. My kids like the "chili frank" which is a hot dog, no bun, swimming in chili (rice and mac salad on the side, of course). Kid friendly, but I can't really eat like that anymore, so I go for the leaner meat and hold the mac salad, thank you very much.

One of the first things you'll notice about the plate lunch is that it smells so flippin' good! That's because they do meat right in Hawaii. I've never been a huge meat eater, but it's hard to resist around here. The sauces are good and there's usually that yummy char that adds so much flavor. One of my favorite things is walking down the street and getting hit with an incredible smell from a lunch cart. Plate lunch on the street...awesome.

I've gotten conflicting reports on the origins of the plate lunch. Some say it's derived from the Japanese bento, while others say it's a hold-over from World War II rationing. Wherever it came from, it makes for pretty good eatin'. I highly recommend the Kalbi ribs. These are so good, there are just no words to describe. Ooooh, but then again, the Kalua pig is also great. And there's teri chicken, katsu chicken, steak...well, you get the point. It's a fairly inexpensive way to try the local cuisine. Just make sure to burn off those mac salad calories at the beach.

Leave Your Slippers at the Door

To say the dress code in Hawaii is casual would be a huge understate-ment. When we first moved here, I went to the bank on a Friday and noticed a sign that read, "Casual Day...we may have casual clothing, but our service is still the best." I figured this was for Casual Friday or Aloha Friday, as we call it here. But then a funny thing happened. I went to the bank on a Monday and saw the same sign and the same mode of dress on the tellers. Tuesday...same thing. It dawned on me after a while that every day is casual day.

It makes sense to dress casually when you spend a good part of your time at the beach. You don't want to get sand in your Manolos, do you? Everyone, and I do mean everyone, wears slippers (flip-flops) here. Usually just the cheap rubber kind that are easily replaceable. Wearing slippers is really convenient because you kick them off and on all day long. In the Japanese tradition, you remove your shoes before you enter a private dwelling...off go the slippers. Walking to the beach...on. Reaching the sand...off. You get the idea.

Certainly, there are some businesses that require their employees to dress up. I see people wearing suits in the high end Ala Moana Mall stores quite often. I'm sure the suits and high heels fly off as soon as their shift is over, though. Off with the fancy and on with the board shorts and bikinis. It gets hot and humid in Hawaii and having to go outside in stiff heavy clothing can be uncomfortable. Besides, who surfs in a suit?

My household takes casual pretty seriously. I'm lucky if I can get my boys to put on a shirt at all around the house. Even I, who loves to dress up, have learned to adapt. In a land where going out to a nice dinner means tucking in your Aloha shirt or wearing a bra under your clothes instead of a bikini top, you have to look at things a little differently. I may still wear a dress to that dinner...but you can be sure there will be slippers on my feet.

PB & Jellyfish

As I've pointed out before, there are all sorts of critters roaming these islands...lizards, rats, mongoose, cockroaches, wild chickens. These are the land roamers, anyway. I haven't yet mentioned the marine life. There are obviously numerous fish of all shapes and sizes, as well as vegetation including seaweed. While most of the fish, turtles and vegetation are harmless there is one particular sea creature that we all try to avoid...the jellyfish.

When I first heard about that there were jellyfish in the water, I imagined happy pink blobs floating around a la Spongebob Squarepants. Not so. First of all, the jellyfish here have a blue tint to them. Second of all, happy or not, if they sting you, it really hurts! Apparently, the presence of these stinging beasts is dependent on the cycles of the moon. They come out in "swarms" a certain number of days after the full moon. I haven't quite figured out the formula, so I usually just watch the surf report in the morning. They do all the hard work and pass along the information to lazy folk such as myself.

I had really hoped to live out my time here without ever encountering a jellyfish. Alas, it was not meant to be. Mr. Stephanie, Jr. and I journeyed to the beach one morning with boogie boards in hand. Jr. and I were sharing a board when all of a sudden, I felt something graze my left wrist and arm. I didn't think much of it until about a minute later when my arm started tingling. My first thought was "heart attack", but then I put it together and realized I'd probably been stung. I got out of the water quickly with Mr. and Jr. in tow and examined the area which was now really stinging. I could see a thin red mark that went around my wrist and halfway up my arm. Ouch!

"Is someone supposed to pee on it?" My husband so helpfully asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think we should go home." The thought of peeing on my arm seemed like a bad idea all around.

On the way home, the pain was getting worse and I was having visions of anaphylactic shock running through my head. Death by jellyfish...not the way I wanted to go. Once home, I got on the internet to look up treatments. By this time, it was really stinging and red.

"I think we're supposed to use vinegar," Mr. announced as he soaked a cloth in the stinky stuff.

I put it on my arm and tried to find a website that would tell me what to do.

"Is that helping?" My husband asked.

"No, but now I smell like an Easter Egg."

Finally, I hit on a website and scrolled down to view the information..."Do not use vinegar, that could make the situation worse." Great.

"Ok, don't panic," my husband offered, "let's just put some water on it."

Glancing back at the screen, I read, "Do not rinse with fresh water." Ugh!

Further down, "Remedies are varied and controversial. Some suggest urinating on the area, this is a bad idea."

"Mom," Jr. suggested, "how 'bout some peanut butter to go with the jelly." And...why not?

"You know," I said as I turned off my computer, "If it was going to kill me, it would have done it by now. I'll just take an Advil and call it good."

Within a few hours, the redness and swelling was starting to disappear and the pain wasn't nearly as bad. As far as the proper procedure for treating a sting, every person and every website has a different answer. Am I worried about future stings? Let's just say I'm glad there's a minor emergency hospital steps away from the beach.

Spamity-Spam

Hawaiian cuisine is as varied as the island dwellers themselves. There is a huge Asian influence which seems to make its way into almost every prepared dish. Spam Musubi is a perfect example. Spam gets a pretty bad rap on the mainland...not so over here. Musubi is the perfect fusion of Island and Asian fast food. It's sold in every 7-11 and ABC store on the island. It's also popular for fundraisers, picnics, after school snacks, even breakfast!

What is this Spam Musubi? It's an ingenious combination of fried Spam, teriyaki sauce and sticky rice all wrapped in seaweed. If this doesn't sound appetizing to you, you might be surprised once you try it. It's salty and Spammy and just plain good. Plus, you can get them for about a dollar!

Mr. Stephanie isn't too keen on the whole Spam thing, but Jr. and I have embraced it wholly. At least once or twice a week I'll hear, "Mom, let's get Musubi!" Our middle son, on the other hand, described the Spam as "bacony with an aftertaste of cat food." How he arrived at that conclusion, I'll never know. Just focus on the "bacony" and you'll be all right. Breakfast plates (eggs and fried Spam) are even served at Burger King.

I prefer to get my Spam in Musubi form, though not everyone agrees.
"Let's go get a Musubi, you'll love it!"
"Yeah, Mom," snorts Middle Son, "meat product wrapped in seaweed...sounds great....Not!"

To each his own, but trust me, it's worth a try.