ALL THE GOODNESS OF GRITS
I have just one entree recommendation at Scratch Kitchen & Meatery. This is despite having eaten there about a dozen times, going back to the Smith Street days of the Scratch bakeshop.
The only suggestion I can provide is to order the Creole Shrimp N’ Sausage Grits — the simple reason is I can’t get myself to try anything else, as inviting as it all looks and smells.
Why mess with perfection? Let’s just say this is a dish where everything works together in perfect hominy.
Grits are almost as good as fried rice for mixing with runny egg yolks. A couple of sunny-side eggs with grits and a biscuit could be a meal for me, and was at times when I lived in Gainesville, Fla.
Back then, I never imagined gourmet grits. That’s what you get when you add whole shrimp so big it’s a challenge to eat the heads, healthy-sized slices of andouille sausage, along with a white wine and red-eye gravy. (I must admit to only recently learning red-eye gravy is made with coffee; no wonder I like it so much!)
We’re not done, though. There are also onions and full pieces of hominy (the corn that grits are made of) that serve as much more than garnish.
The blend of Creole spices transports me to New Orleans, where you would have to work hard to find a bad meal. I don’t even know if such a thing exists there.
Same with Scratch. I bet everything on the menu is good or great. But I’ll have to take the word of others for it … unless they run out of shrimp or grits.
An order of Creole Shrimp N’ Sausage Grits, served at brunch or dinner, is $18 at Scratch Kitchen & Meatery, South Shore Market, 1170 Auahi St, 589-1669.
— Dave Reardon, Star-Advertiser
POTATO DISH OFFERS LAYERS OF YUM
There are so many delicious attractions on the menu at Farmhouse Cafe, from hand-shaved Iberico ham to wagyu brisket and delicate beignets. But what I love best here are the potatoes mille-feuilles, impossible to get elsewhere in the islands.
They’re a chic version of creamy scalloped potatoes merged with crispy adult potato chips. Thin-sliced russets are layered with heavy cream and butter, then baked to a crisp on the outside, while maintaining a soft, melty center.
It’s not a thousand leaves as its French name implies, but enough to appreciate the labor that goes into the exacting nature of the perfectly cut petite squares gracing your plate. Trust me, you can’t eat just one.
These must be ordered a day ahead, at $15 per order. Farmhouse Cafe is at 808 Sheridan. Call 888-2055.
—Nadine Kam, Special to the Star-Advertiser
BAKE-YOUR-OWN FLAKY MANJU
Fresh-baked manju, warm and filled with red bean paste — I thought I was gonna love it.
Actually, there’s plenty more to love about the bake-it-yourself manju introduced by Big Island Candies in February. It’s just that my go-to, manju filled with koshian, the classic smooth bean paste, wasn’t my fave. I’d give the No. 1 position to ube (purple yam).
The manju come frozen, nine to a package. The baking is up to you, and as they are easily separated, you can bake one at a time or all nine. Pop them into a muffin tin and in 15 minutes you’ll have fresh-baked manju (use a toaster oven and a small, heatproof dish if you’re baking for one).
Along with koshian and ube, they come in blueberry, which is like a flaky little blueberry pie. Also yum. And while the koshian version isn’t my top choice, it’s a perfectly respectable snack. All pair perfectly with coffee or tea, and stay fresh for several days. I’m actually more partial to them after they’ve cooled off.
The manju sell for $17 at Big Island Candies’ Ala Moana Center store. If you’re on the Big Island they’re cheaper, $15.50 at the Hilo factory store, 585 Hinano St. Information: bigislandcandies.com.
— Betty Shimabukuro, Star-Advertiser
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