Indulge in Kahala resort’s truffles
My name is Michelle and I am a chocoholic. For the second year, Kahala Hotel & Resort is offering a Valentine’s box of 16 handcrafted truffles in four flavors made with French chocolates and locally sourced ingredients. New this year is the Roasted Praline Blond flavor. I love the Aged Rum Milk Chocolate truffles, which have the perfect balance of chocolate and alcohol, while the Citrus Yuzu White Chocolate truffle left hints of lemony orange on my tongue. Vintage 70% Dark Chocolate pieces fill out the $35 box. You have until Feb. 15 to order. Call 739-8760 or email restaurants@kahalaresort.com. Get it for the chocoholic in your life — and there’s nothing wrong with buying yourself a present.
—Michelle Ramos
Creative flavors add twist to lemonade
Handcrafted lemonades at Wow Wow Lemonade begin with fresh-pressed lemons and organic sugar cane. Locally grown fruits are pureed and added to the mix to create flavors such as lilikoi, strawberry, pitaya (dragonfruit) and pineapple ginger. One of my favorites is the blackberry lavender lemonade. A 24-ounce cup is $5; drink it out of a reusable Mason jar for $5 more. Wow Wow Lemonade is at 43 Kamehameha Highway. The drinks also are sold at farmers markets; visit www.wowwowlemonade.com/island-locations.
—Nancy Arcayna
Recipes and tips for all cooks
My daughter Mia avoids the stove, while I want her to learn life skills. Here’s how we meet in the middle: "How to Cook Everything Fast," by New York Times columnist Mark Bittman (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, $35), a new collection of 2,000 quick and easy recipes. Mia has already flagged dozens of dishes she wants to try with Post-its. But the book offers more than just recipes: It teaches efficiency, and each recipe includes ingredient variations, introducing newbies to ways to use what’s in the pantry. Later, when Mia’s interest (hopefully) grows, she can leaf through Bittman’s suggestions for outfitting a pantry and organizing a kitchen. It’s a handy book for every cook.
—Joleen Oshiro
Late-night specials sate the munchies
While advising everyone to always drink and eat responsibly, we can say with authority that Jack in the Box’s Munchie Meals really hit the spot as a late-night snack. For $7 you get one of four big entrees, two tacos, a pile of "Halfsies" (half regular fries and half curly fries) and a 20-ounce drink. The newest Munchie Meal, the Chick-n-Tater Melt (pictured), comprises "crispy chicken, bacon and hash browns all covered in ooey gooey cheese on a buttery croissant." The others are the Hella-Peno Burger, the Stacked Grilled Cheeseburger and the Loaded Nuggets (chicken nuggets smothered in cheese, ranch sauce and bacon).
Take note that a Chick-n-Tater Munchie Meal contains a whopping 1,755 calories, not including the drink, but there’s enough food to feed at least two people. Jack’s Munchie Meals are available from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.
—John Berger
TGIF: Thank Gingerbread It’s Friday!
Each winter, my thoughts turn to curling up indoors with a good book and a hefty hunk of gingerbread. For years, because my standards are exacting — it must be very gingery and not too sweet — I ate only gingerbread that I made myself. Then I happened by Coffee Talk in Kaimuki and discovered its softball-size gingerbread muffins. Sold only on Fridays, the $2 mega-muffins are dark, savory and moist but with slightly crunchy tops. The secret, said owner Elizabeth Schwartz, is "lots of dark unsulfured molasses and fresh ginger" in the recipe by pastry chef Aaron Nakamatsu. Coffee Talk is at 3601 Waialae Ave. Call 737-7444.
—Mindy Pennybacker
5 Things We Love is a shortlist of newly discovered stuff you have got to see, hear, wear, use or eat. What are you loving this week? Send a brief description of your latest favorite thing, where to find it and how much it costs, along with your name and contact info to features@staradvertiser.com.
