Hungarian Goulash ~~ Not Just A Pretty Name

When I was a kid running out the door to go play, I would often ask my mother, "What's for dinner and what time do I have to be back?" And in her thick, German accent she would yell back once in awhile, "Goulash." Yuck! To a kid that just did not sound good at all. On the same level as gruel or maybe slop, you'd might say, and I wasn't diggin' this at all. But when we had it, I ate it, of course, because as a kid of the sixties, I wasn't going anywhere from the kitchen table until I finished dinner, or "You know what…would happen." I could muscle through and choke down the Goulash, but I spent many a night sitting at the kitchen table for hours staring at sautéed liver and onions, lamb, peas, and a few other 'jewels' from my childhood. Occasionally, I'd use the fork or knife to build little fortresses out of the meat blocks only to be attacked by the broccoli or asparagus creatures from the far side of the plate. Sometimes I paid dearly for this: Yes, I was a rascal as a kid. I could only fit so much into my napkin and bummer dude, no dog to feed under the table! True, here are even pictures documenting the event(s), thanks to my three older brothers, but I won't post any of them here.

Yeah, the word "Goulash" to a kid really doesn't have the same appeal of let's say, burger, spaghetti, pizza, or anything else like that. It sounds rather what I would call "Yuk" as we sat down to the dinner table. Oh, and these were just thoughts, because if I actually voiced my opinion, again, "You know what…" would happen. Over the years we had this dish quite frequently and I actually began to really like it as I got older. I mean after you get over the whole onion thing, it was basically spicy beef, gravy, and some sticky, slug-like dumplings.

You see, as a T-shirt, shorts, no shoes kid growing up on the beach in Hawaii kind of kid, I wasn't really used to sitting down to a table and having something like this:

Oh, but now that I'm older, I'd fly all the way to Salzburg, Austria and pay big Euros to have almost the same meal as my mother would make way back then. In December 2008, my wife and I traveled to Europe and we spent a few days in Salzburg over the holidays. 

Restaurant Alt-Salzburg

One evening we asked around to get info from the locals and we found this wonderful, quaint restaurant carved into the mountainside of the city, just past the cemetery that the Von Trapp family hid in during the movie, The Sound of Music. The Restaurant Alt-Salzburg was literally a jewel in the rough and, while not much to look at from the outside and hard to find, it boasted a fantastic, authentic menu and yes, Goulash was a special that night! Oh, I'm not kidding and yes, it was what I ordered too. It also came with Herb Spaetzle which is just about the same as the dumplings that my mother would make with her Hungarian Goulash.

I'm sure my mother would have been proud and yes, she would have enjoyed the evening there with us too. Well, she was in our thoughts that night and we talked about it at the table for a bit as I reflected back on my childhood and what all this meant to me now.

So, I went from running away from it as a kid to flying thousands of miles to have it authentically prepared. Ha! No stuffing napkins at the Alt-Salzburg that evening and definitely no meat wars on the plate with the spaetzle creatures either.

Now, enough of the history behind the dish and onto the recipe. Do I have your attention yet? Do you have some of the same childhood memories and/or experiences? Are you salivating from looking that the photos above? Okay, recipe time it is!

Basics…European Cooking: Meat; vegetables; gravy, lots of gravy. There you have it, Europe in a nutshell! Oh, and wine!

Without the dumplings, there are 3 basic steps in this recipe:

1. Brown the meat
2. Combine all the ingredients into the crockpot
3. Thicken as necessary for serving

First, cut the 2 pounds of stew meat into ½ inch, bite sized cubes. Over medium-high heat in a skillet, halfway cook 3 strips of good, thick-cut bacon. Add the 2 pounds of meat and stir frequently to brown all edges. It should look like this:

Then add 3 tablespoons of flour to the meat and cook for a few minutes more to give the meat a good crust. It is not necessary to cook the meat as that is what the crockpot is for in this recipe. Now the meat should look like this:

***NOTE***

My mother used a pressure cooker for this recipe when she made it. I don't use one because, honestly, I don't know how and I've heard bad stories about them and how they can be dangerous. I do, however, have the original pressure cooker she used and it sits idle in one of our cabinets. Maybe some day…

Secondly, combine all the ingredients into the crockpot. It should look like this:

And here are the ingredients:

Isn't that Hungarian Paprika color beautiful. And, at this point, I'm sure you are getting a lot of yummy smells too. Just wait a couple of hours and your home will smell amazing. Please, Yankee Candle Company, DO NOT make a candle of it. Y'all need to back off a bit and take it down a notch. Not every smell and scent needs to be a candle! Trust me.

Now, turn the crock pot on and cook on high for 4 hours, covered, and then uncovered for one hour. During the last hour some of the moisture will cook off and help thicken the Goulash.

IMPORTANT

Let's talk spices for a minute. The key to this dish is, you guessed it, Hungarian Paprika. So, how many of us have Hungarian Paprika in our spice cabinet? Yeah, I thought so. And if you said, yes, how old is it and when was the last time you used it? Spices lose their flavor and spiciness as they age. So, please go get some fresh Hungarian Paprika for this recipe. Like I've often said before, if you want a quality product, you have to use quality ingredients. Remember the Mai Tai?

By the way, if you lived in Hungary way back when and went to the store, did they call it Hungarian Paprika or just Paprika? Hmmmm…..Oops…squirrel! Back on track now.

Lastly, mix together in a small bowl some cornstarch and water to make a smooth, milky, thick liquid. A tablespoon at a time and about 10-15 minutes in between, add the cornstarch mixture to the Goulash until you have your desired thickness. I don't like it runny nor do I want it thick like a stew. It should look like this:

Lookin' pretty ono already, eh, brah? Yeah, at this point, multiple taste tests may be required, if you know what I mean. And just wait 'till your dinner guests show up and get a whiff of the smell this recipe permeates throughout your home. You'd better have a few spoons handy.

Hungarian Goulash in my family went from something I really couldn't stand as a kid to now, as an adult, a goal of working hard to try and re-create it as my late mother made it when I was growing up. Ironically, it turned out to be "one of those meals" that I requested when I would come home from college or visit after I moved out and lived on my own, traveling the world. No, liver and onions never got to share in that privilege. Even today…"Yuk!"

Well, I hope you enjoyed my adventure back to my childhood and I hope you try the recipe for yourself. While not exactly like I remembered it to be, it's pretty dang close, and maybe even better. Oops, did I just say that out loud. I kind of flinched a bit when I wrote that…had to look around to see if my mother saw it. :) I don't think I'm going to tweak the recipe at all either. Honestly, this was my first attempt at it, and while it took all day to make, adding bits here and there, adjusting spices, and tasting, it's a keeper. Winner winner, Hungarian Goulash dinner!

Hungarian Goulash over Jasmine Rice

Next, I am going to attempt to make my mother's authentic dumplings to go along with this meal. The jasmine rice was great, but the dumplings will make it perfect. I tried to make the dumplings once before and it was a complete mess. My mother happened to be in the hospital when I was back home visiting in the early 90s. My Dad and I actually got her recipe out and gave it a shot. Total failure…there is indeed an art to slinging raw dough into hot boiling water without making a complete mess and one HUGE dumpling. It was not a dumpling night for us, but it was somewhat of a bonding session for the two of us with my mother in the hospital.

I'll definitely post the recipe and instructions for the dumplings here when I can. I should include a video too since, like I mentioned above, there is an art form to making them correctly. Until then, try the Goulash and rice and let me know how you liked it.

Mahalo for Cooking with Captain Bobby Mitchel

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Perspective...

Mahalo for Reflecting with Captain Bobby Mitchel

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Symbiotic Hunting

The Tortoise and the Hare? Not so much…How about the Moray Eel and the Ulua?

Visualize this, if you will. It' SCUBA time and you're chillaxin' in the beautiful, warm Hawaiian waters. There you are cruising along the reef just off Molokini Crater in the crystal clear waters of Kehei, Maui when you come across a huge spotted Moray Eel swimming along the bottom. What the?!?! Usually, when you come across eels, they are tucked away in their holes with their heads pointed out slowly breathing and looking like a guarding dragon in front of its lair.

But wait, just behind this free swimming serpent is a huge Ulua, or more commonly known as a Trevally in the Jack family, alongside and within feet, if not inches, of the gliding, erratically moving eel. So, thoughts come to my mind. Who's gonna eat whom? Who's chasing whom? Are they both running from something bigger that I haven't seen yet? Why am I not filming this? I quickly switch from taking still photos to firing up the video to capture this event that one does not get to witness too often. I mean it's not often you see a free swimming eel just a few feet away from you and with this huge Ulua in tow?! WOW!

So, after looking around to make sure something bigger is not after these two buggas, I begin to follow and film them. Now, I'm the bigger thing behind them in tow! Oh, they are not after each other, nor is one trying to eat the other. The are actually in a symbiotic hunting relationship. Yes, a relationship without dating, flowers, diamonds, drama, "benefits", or rules. This is purely a food thing and here's what happens. The eel moves about the reef in search of food and as he/she moves in and out of the coral, fish and small critters scatter about which then become quick yummy morsels for the escorting Ulua.

Are you ready to see the footage? Well, here is is:

And here is a link directly to the You Tube site just in case you can't view the video above.

Symbiotic Hunting (You Tube)

You may be wondering just where exactly was this video taken? I was diving with Captain Charley Neal and the gang at Scuba Shack in Kehei, Maui. With the fastest dive boat in the Islands, Charley gets you out to Molokini Crater in no time and both inside the crater and the back wall drift dive support some of the best diving in the Islands. Check 'em out next time you're in Maui!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the photo, video, and little instruction on symbiotic hunting. Next time you're cruising along the reef and see you're with a free swimming Moray Eel or an Ulua, look around, because it's symbiotic hunting buddy may nearby as well. And, if all the creatures on the reef are fleeing in the same direction, really look good behind you for you may be on the menu too. :)

Mahalo for Diving with Captain Bobby Mitchel

Timing

Mahalo for Jumping with Captain Bobby Mitchel

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Scampi Another Shrimp Dish, Can It?

Oh, yes it can and here we go!

Dad's Baked Shrimp Scampi

Ha, not so fast..we goin' talk story first, brah! :)

Everyone has memories of growing up, right? I have many and one that sticks out in my mind when I cook is of my dad, crouched down, low to the floor, in front of our oven in our Hawaii Kai home, with a pot holder in one hand and peering through the cracked oven door into the broiler watching his precious Baked Shrimp Scampi get that last bit of melting and browning on the top before it's finally done. My Dad, nice Aloha Friday shirt and 'too short' shorts; it was the 70's, brah. Yes, Dad was very proud of his creation and I learned a lot from his passion for cooking. This is what he was looking at as he peered through the cracked oven door.

I grew up in Hawaii. Both of my parents were outstanding cooks, each having their own specialities and favorites, and a luv for mixing and creating new 'Island-kine' favorites that they could make for and serve to visiting friends and family from the Mainland, or the "States" as we called it. But, ya know, they never really cooked together. And by that I mean they never cooked as a team and never shared the kitchen together as one cohesive unit, creating a meal for our family...together. My mother had her specialities and my dad had his; each different and each not needing the skills or help from the other. It's sort of a bummer, actually, but I must say that I did learn a lot from each while watching and I saved, in writing and in memory, a lot of their dishes. Some of them are, unfortunately, extremely hard to re-create because of techniques and ingredients used which I do not have, nor know. 

So what is this recipe all about? Dad passed away suddenly in 1993, due to a rare form of liver cancer and Mother passed away in 2009 from the ill effects of Dementia. Many of their memories are now stored here in our home. Sometimes I go through them while on a search for other things, like, you know, car keys, glasses, the remote... Well, recently I was looking through some items in our guest closet and out came an old recipe from my parents. I told my wife about it and I, once again, relayed to her of the memory of my dad and some of his cooking skills, the Baked Scampi broiler crouch, case in point.

Well, this past Christmas I opened one of my presents and it was a set of the ocean shells, just like the ones that my dad used for his prized baked scampi recipe. No, not served on a dish or bowl, but on a special shell he got just for this dish. For you locals of the 70's, I'd bet he got them at either City Mill, Wigwam, or Ben Franklins. Ah, the memories...

He made this dish for friends and relatives when they visited and everyone, I mean everyone, loved it. So, I opened the gift from my wife this past Christmas and there they were, the shells...shells just like I remembered. Leaky? Oh, you better believe it. Does this chick know me, or what?

It was at that point that I committed to making, or rather trying to re-create my father's Baked Shrimp Scampi just like he made when I was a kid. I've never made it since he passed away so this was set to be something special.

So here we go! The shrimps, yup, shrimps brah, they gotta be good and they gotta be big. Not those tiny little things you get at the grocery store and not the frozen ones from Costco. Like any quality cooking, you must use quality ingredients if you want a quality dish.

The seasoned, raw, deveined, and shelled with the tail on shrimp are paced on the cooking shell and then covered with a generous portion of a special paste. Here's what they should look like:

They are then placed in a 425 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Once removed, they're topped with a bit of fresh parmesan cheese and into the broiler they go. This is where the crouching and watching closely process begins. If you walk away, it is game over, brah. Especially if you have the ADD, if you know what I mean. Look! Squirrel!

Once they are pau with that golden sear from the broiler, out they come and this is what you have:

Golden brown, sweet and buttery baked shrimp scampi. It goes great as an accompaniment to a nice filet, like pictured above, or as great, yummy appetizer.

Looks ono, eh, brah? So, here's the recipe.

And if you don't have the shells, you can easily make it in a small cast iron dish like the one below. Yup, tastes the same, but just without that Island flare.

So, there you have it, my dad's Baked Shrimp Scampi creation. It is definitely a guest pleaser and great when served alongside a nice grilled filet. I hope you've enjoyed my story and I hope you try the dish sometime. I'd luv to hear what you think and how it turned out.

Can you say Onolicious?

Mahalo for cooking with Captain Bobby Mitchel

Hidden Fears

Mahalo for Diving with Captain Bobby Mitchel

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Dad's Perfect Mai Tai

Ah,…the Mai Tai. The name itself brings up images of the beach, our home back in Hawaii, Waikiki, Luaus, Hula Dancers, and the **FREE** Mai Tai sign on the advertisements. Well, that's what it does for most people, but the idea of a Mai Tai always brings up memories of my Dad, for he spent time in perfecting his own signature Mai Tai which he often served to friends and family that visited or attended a party at our home while I was growing up in the islands. Take a look at this beauty, brah? Onolicious, huh? Yeah, you could almost feel the coolness and flavorful yumminess. Go ahead, lick the screen. :)

So, over the years, I've had so many friends ask me for the recipe. I finally made a nice copy of it and yes, it's going into the cookbook that we are writing. I mean, seriously, I would not leave this baby out! I've had many different Mai Tais over the years and I may be biased, but my Dad's got a winner here and he was very proud of it. It's all about the ingredients and the mix.

From the pre-made Mai Tai that comes already mixed in the bottle you can get at Trader Joe's or Costco to the signature Mai Tai you may get at a quality restaurant, there is quite a difference in taste, flavor, and how you're going to feel the next day if you have too many.

At our wedding rehearsal dinner in Waikoloa on the Big Island, we had a free-flowing Mai Tai waterfall which someone, who shall remain nameless, had quite a bit of and didn't know it had alcohol in it. He thought it was juice and yummy juice at that too. Oops! Now that was funny.

I can also remember when I was flying in the military and we were often 'put up' at the Outrigger(s) in Waikiki. I'd usually hear from members of my crew, "Score, now we can go across the street and get 99 cent Mai Tais!" To which I'd usually reply, "Yeah, right, how 'bout we just stay here and drink rubbing alcohol, because that's what they taste like? I'm mean, you're going to get what you pay for, right? They were n..a..s..t..y..!!, and I'm sure still are.

With this recipe below, you have to use quality ingredients. Quality liquor, fresh fruit, and nectar, not juice for the guava. This is the way my Dad made it and he took the time to do it right. Yeah, I know…perfectionist. Wow, it's a good thing I didn't get that trait passed down to me, huh?

So, have I changed the recipe at all to perfect it? ;) Yup! Not that there's much to do, but I did add my twist to it in the notes and here they are:

• Make ice cubes out of the Mai Tai mix and use them instead or in addition to the regular ice cubes. A good Mai Tai should take you awhile to finish. It's not a shot glass and can certainly pack a punch. You might say it creeps up on you. I always disliked the watered down Mai Tai when the ice melted, so with this idea, you will just get a little more juice and not a watered down drink. Remember though, that these juice cubes will melt faster that regular ice, especially if any of your ingredients are warm. It's best to use regular ice and maybe a couple 'juice' cubes for aesthetics.
• Infuse the pineapple chunks in either the 151 rum or the Myer's Dark Rum for a few minutes. Why? Come on, now….WOW! Ah, yummy! Biting into an infused cool piece of pineapple? Hello???

Yup, that's all I did to change it up a bit.

One other quick story. So, my parents used to entertain a lot when I was growing up. Yup, Mai Tais were often on the menu. I would always ask for one since they were a hit, but was denied for obvious reasons. I was a kid…I didn't know any better. I remember one time, I was made and given a 'virgin' Mai Tai with the juice and fruit. It came as a surprise and I didn't know about it either. It was put on the stairs as I was called down to get "something" and, yup, I didn't see it and I stepped right into it and fell down the stairs. …Didn't go over well, if you get my drift. LOL, I guess…but not so much for me at the time.

And yes, we take the recipe on vacation with us to this day. We often go back home to the islands and one of our first stops is usually the Costco and the liquor store. We get everything we need for our stay as we are not there to go shopping and be tourists, but rather diving, hiking, chillaxin', swimming, etc. It's often that the bellmen laugh when we check-in and they load up the cart with out dive gear, photography equipment, fruit, food, and drink. They'd say, "Wow, you guys having one party, eh?" Yes, that's exactly what it looks like. "Nope, just the two of us coming back home to relax, brah." 

Here's a photo of our recent trip to Yosemite and the Mai Tais we made as we chilled just outside our cabin room on the Merced River at the Ahwahnee Hotel. You don't have to be in Hawaii to have a good Mai Tai, right? Yeah, we don't have a lot of Mai Tais because that's a lot of sugar, but it sure does take the edge off and brings back memories of home for both of us.

Okay, you listened to be talk story long enough now, huh? Well, you either did or you jumped all the way down here because, yes, it is finally recipe time! A give to you my Dad's Mai Tai recipe that he sought to perfect and share with friends and family. He was proud of it and always loved to make people smile and be happy. To this day, every time I see a Mai Tai, I think of him. He's been gone for quite a while now, but I think of him often and share a bit of his memory on almost every vacation we take. Some of you who read this knew my Dad and some of you were even treated to a Mai Tai (or two) at our home. It's not a difficult recipe, and probably one of hundreds on the internet, but it's all about the quality of ingredients, care in the making, and luv that goes into it. Here's to you Dad…Cheers!

Well, I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think. Just remember, use quality ingredients and don't buy 99 cent Mai Tais in Waikiki. Like these pineapples, for instance. Pa..lease don't use canned pineapple.

A.D.D. time…"There are 6 lemons. I asked for 12. Baby wanted 12 lemons." Yeah, I know. Sorry, but it just came to my mind. If you don't "get it" don't worry about it. Anyway, these are some onolicious looking pineapples, huh?

That's it. I hope enjoyed my short stories and I hope you enjoy your Mai Tai. And, please, when you visit us, feel free to ask for one; I'd luv to make one for you. But, let me know ahead of time for I refuse to not use quality ingredients. I gotsta go shopping first, brah!

Mahalo for imbibing with Captain Bobby Mitchel

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Sunset Over Mount Rainier

I often say, "What a beautiful world we live in," but it's moments and sights like this that still to this day make me stop and really feel what is right before my very eyes. Over the years I've had the privilege to step foot on every continent, visit dozens and dozens of countries, meet people from all over the world, and swim in every ocean, but even today I still am in awe at what a beautiful world we live in and am amazed at the many creations we have before us.

I feel lucky that through my photography, poetry, and writings I'm able to share what I see and feel with everyone. It's often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but with me you get the story too, poetic or not. ;) It's just my inspiration and I want to share it with everyone I can. Okay, back on track now...

Yes, the sun sets every day over Mount Rainier and I've seen it probably hundreds of times since I lived in Seattle for a couple years back in college (Go Dawgs!), but look at this! Wow, what majesty as the sun sets over her on a beautiful night with the low, wispy clouds around the base of the mountain.

Spectacular and just breathtaking. Sometimes I wish people around the world would spend more time and effort seeing, touching, feeling, and experiencing than talking, fighting, etc. Oh, well, that's just me.  I guess that's why I can enjoy a day at the beach with my feet in the sand and water and just "be" with it, for hours. So, I hope you can spend a little time with this photo and try to imagine being there. Maybe next time when you're flying into Seattle, catch the later flight and get a window seat, yes?

Oh, one last thing. And just think, Bigfoot is down there somewhere looking up and probably saying/feeling the exact same thing! ;) Yeah, but he/she can't fly! (that we know of). I'm sure Bigfoot would, no doubt, easily slip past the wonderful TSA with no problem at all.

Mahalo for flying with Captain Bobby Mitchel

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Taking It Down a Notch in Yosemite Valley

There are a few places in the world where you can actually feel your blood pressure drop and the stress and worries of the world just fall away for awhile.

This is one of those places. Standing in the cool, fresh, crystal clear running waters of the Merced River just outside our beautiful cabin at the Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite Valley is just absolutely stunning as I look up at the majestic beauty of Half Dome.

With almost absolute silence, all you hear is the flowing water over the rocks in the river, the wind blowing through the great redwoods and the occasional chirp or bark of the many squirrels that play together by the river's edge.

Enjoy this photo for awhile as I will have more later about our wonderful trip to Yosemite Valley. Enlarge the picture, take a deep breath, and re……lax.

Mahalo for chillaxin' with Captain Bobby Mitchel

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