TODAY'S POLYNESIAN RECIPES

I just posted 5 of my Polynesian recipes (more to come soon)!  I got these recipes when I lived in Laie, Hawaii, on Oahu's North Shore, in the 1970's.  When I first arrived from the mainland, I worked full time at the Polynesian Cultural Center ("the PCC").  Then, I went to school and worked on campus as the assistant to the psychology professors at BYU-Hawaii. While I lived in Laie, I also did my student teaching at Kahuku High School (which looked VERY different back then!).  The years I spent in Hawaii were just an introduction to a lifetime of connections to Polynesia, which continue to this day. One of my daughter's and my intentions for this blog were to share our favorite foods from the various islands of the Pacific.  Today I give you one traditional Samoan recipe (often cooked underground in the umu) and 4 recipes which are based on what was served at the PCC back in the mid-1970's.
Be looking for more Polynesian recipes soon!  Since I don't have photos of these foods on hand, I may even post a few photos I took back then!

A STORY TO GO WITH NEISI LEKA'S CINNAMON ROLLS

Your cinnamon roll recipe sounds yummy!!! I plan to try them soon!  When I saw this recipe posted, it reminded me of one of my favorite stories from when you were young.  (Before I relate the story, I have to insert that up until this incident, I prided myself in being a mostly-from-scratch-cook.) I picked you up from kindergarten one rainy winter day. On the way home, I told you that I was planning to make cinnamon rolls when we got home. I knew this would be happy news to you, but I never expected the response I got.  You excitedly said, "Oh boy, I can hardly wait to hear the can pop open!" I realized then that taking care of three children, age 5 and under, had definitely impacted my cooking flair!

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.