Why Coconuts?

Why “Coconuts in the Kitchen”? First of all, we are not referring to ourselves as the “coconuts” in the kitchen!  Coconuts evoke images of tropical islands, laid back living, and enjoying the fruits of the earth.  Neisi comes to this heritage of Polynesian culture and cooking by lineage.  I came to it by way of the heart.  My first exposure to Polynesia was when I was 5 years old and we received a coconut in the mail from my uncle, who was living in Western Samoa.  It didn’t come boxed up, no, our address was written directly on the coconut and it was mailed as-is (the U.S. Postal Service isn’t what it used to be)!  

Over the years, especially the periods when I lived in Hawaii and American Samoa (as well as the influence of my Tongan in-laws), I have developed an interest in cooking traditional and contemporary Polynesian dishes. So, back to “Coconuts in the Kitchen”.  The name of our blog is a playful way to say that, along with a rich heritage of Americana cooking, we want to share our experiences with the culinary delicacies of the South Pacific as well.