Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/592488
12 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2015 Holidays the Hawaiian way Baking up a tasty traditional treat with endless variations I grew up in Hawaii, where the seasons don't change much. So as a pastry chef in Seattle, autumn is my favorite time of year. The weather cools, the leaves change color, and almost everyone is in the mood to eat! Obviously there are the usual fall treats like apple crisps, pecan pie, and pumpkin-flavored everything. But Hawaii has its own holiday foods. Known as the melting pot of the Pacific, Hawaii is home to many different ethnicities and traditions. Where else can you get haupia Okinawan sweet potato pie, lilikoi (yellow passion fruit) cheesecake, guava mousse cake, and green tea malasada all in one place? Special Hawaiian holiday treats include Chinese pretzels, chocolate peanut butter mochi, and lilikoi butter. My all- time favorite, however, is Hawaiian Chex mix. It's a staple holiday gift that you get from co-workers, aunties and neighbors. Every household has its own version. Of course, there's the recipe on the back of the Chex box—but Hawaiians like their own fun additions like Cheetos, Honeycomb cereal, rice crackers, and Fritos. While I was growing up, my mom and I would pick a weekend to make a batch or two with our own special ingredients. My mom would collect plastic containers throughout the year and we would decorate each one to make our mix extra special. The following recipe is for Kakimochi Chex mix. Kakimochi is a term derived from a traditional Japanese rice cracker flavored with soy sauce. Stop by the WAC Holiday Open House on December 17 and 18, where we will have small batches of Kakimochi Chex Mix for sampling. A la Carte By Lori Masaki, WAC Pastry Chef J O H N B A N G 2 C. Rice Chex 2 C. Wheat Chex 1 C. butter ¾ C. sugar ¾ C. corn syrup 3 Tbsp. soy sauce ½ C. oil 2 Tbsp. Tabasco 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire 2 oz. furikake Preheat oven to 250 F. Mix together cereals in large baking pan, then divide into two pans. Melt butter over medium-high heat in saucepan. Add sugar and dissolve well. Add corn syrup, soy sauce, oil, Worcestershire and Tabasco. Stir until blended well and the mixture comes to a boil. Pour over cereal in pans. Mix well. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven, add one ounce of furikake to each pan. Mix evenly to distribute furikake and sauce. Continue baking for an hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let mixture cool. Store in an airtight container. Yields 12 servings. Kakimochi Chex mix Whip up your own batch of Kakimochi Chex mix.