Dennis’ blog

This was taken today, May 24, 2008, just before noon from my back yard... notice how clear it is now...

 

 

Doesn't look like the previous voggy pics, huh..

 

 

if you look closely, you can see far off on the Horizon, Campbell Industrial Park Refineries..

 

 

Mount Kaala tracking station.... right below the tip of the Tee leaf plant on the right pic..

 

 

the infamous Makakilo ( on the left of pic) ... now3 days, we don't get much of this tyhpe of weather due to the voggy conditions that prevail, however, if the vog is light, you can take some mean sunset shots (i've posted some shots

of the sunsets....

 

 

The following photos was taken during May 14th sunset .  The Vog was killers. for those of you who do not know what Vog is all about, it is hawaii's answer to the smog... it's volcano smoke and becomes like a smog so therefore  "VOG".. It's bad stuff (and it happens in Hawaii of all places... I f the volcano was not erupting there wouldn't be vog..

Check out the Thickness

 

 

 

 

 

Notice how thick the Vog is ..... the area viewing from my back yard is normally crystal clear all the way to the mountains...

 

 

 

 

On May 18th... evening..... the vog was slowly clearing up.. notice you

can see the skyline now, where as before , you couldn't really see at all.

 

 

 

 

These following photos were taken on CoConut Island (known as Gilligan's Island) ..... the day wasn't made for photogrphy but I tried my best... sky was too voggy and too bright.. Didn't know what to do plus had no polarizing filter..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photo was taken from my backyard of a
Sunset & horizon ..

every photo is in color but rendered it either b&W or Sepia...

 

got some photos to share.. hope to get critiqued on these so i learn a thing or three.

 

 

Double Pikake - should I have gone closer?

 

 

Stefanosis?  taken with early morn sun..

 

 

Shell Ginger ...

 

 

 

Xmas Cactus?

Day lilies

 

 

 

 

Mini Lilies....

 

Please go ahead and givce me good or bad critiques.... I need to improve my techniques....

 

I wanted to make Chair Siu chicken for my grand kids but couldn't find the NOH dry mix for Char Siu, so I took an old recipe and put it together with a few additions to the ingredients...  here are the ingredients and the pics ..

1  cup sugar

1  tbs.  hawaiian salt / sea salt

3/4 tsp  Chinese five spice

1/2 cup  shoyu  ( soy sauce)

1  tbs.  Thick shoyu

1  tbs  Hoi Sin sauce

1  tbs  honey

 

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and blend mixer..

 

combine wet ingredients and blend in a covered bottole or bowl....

 

 

Combine both ingredients and  thoroughly blend....

 

set aside and prepare your prok or chicken for marination...

 

 

 

use apporx. 3 to 5 lbs of  Boneless,skinless chicken thighs or boneless thighs by removing the fat then inserting in a gallon size freezer bag/ bags ( spread the chix out evenly between the bags..

 

 

pour mainade in the bags, mix and placed it in the fridge for at least over night ( the longer you marinade the more intense the flavor)...

The next day's prep...

 

 

The grand kids like to eat their meats on a stick so I prepared bamboo skewers (the small ones) by soaking them in water before skewering the chicken strips....

 

 

 

I cut the thighs into 1 to 1-1/2 " strips and skewered the strips to the skewers... after skewering, i cut the sharp ends off so that the kids don't poke their mouth with the sharp part of the skewer...

i grilled the cvhiken skewers and chix thighs till done ( i used the gas grill and set it to high.. always watching the temperature... when the temperature reaches 400 deg. i open the cover and flip the skewres and chix... I do this until it all gets cooked.... I acutally prefer using charcaol over gas but for fast and temperature controlled cooking, can't beat the gas..

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are the finished product....  goes good with Saimin and Fried saimin lahdat.. buggah BROKE DA MOUT..

Here are some of the liquid ingredients other than shoyu and honey;

 

 

This Char siu recipe is mainly used on  pork like ,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also, baby back ribs, country style ribs..

When preparing the Boston butt for this recipe, cut it in strips  appr. 3' wide x 2' thick, marinade over nite, and cook till internal temp is 150 deg.. 

when doing the ribs, I would wrap it in aluminum foil ( the thick one) cook till temp reaches 140 deg. remove from foil and cook on high temp flipping strips every time the gas grill reaches 400 deg.( cook at 325 to 350 deg.) till done..

Normally, you see the Char
siu as being red in color, however, you do not need the coloring for the taste so go figgah...

Go grindz...

 

Forgot to insert photos...

 

 

 

Is there a technique to enhance these photos? Any sites that I can go to?  I'm using the Canon Rebel digital XT..

Sorry people but no photos for these.  This is for people that love to cook and eat.  Got this 2 different recipes that I think is worth keeping.  One is a Salad Dressing ,Asian type, Chinese Chix Salad Dressing, the other is kinda mediterranean, Panzenella..

Chinese Chicken Salad Dressing

4  tbs  plum sauce

3/4  c  rice vinegar

1/2 c  salad oil

1  tsp  sesame oil

1/4  c  sugar

1/2 to 1 tsp  pepper  more or less to taste

2  cloves  garlic (minced0

combine all ingredience and blend it in food processor or blender

 

Panzenella

5  c  bread pcs, cubed (any type ex.  sour dough, bagettes, rosemary, etc.

6   ea   med. tomatoes, cubed

1  ea.  red onion, sliced

1/4 c  calamata olives

1/2 c  basil, cut

1/2  c  olive oil

1/4  c  red wine vinegar

1/4  c  lemon juice

1/2  tsp  salt

1/4  c  parsley

parmesan cheese - to taste

options :  add salami or ham..

mix lightly and serve  -  serves 8

Enjoy!

DTM

 

 

Here some pics I took on an old HP Photosmart 850 digital camera that I still use from time to time... has an 8 x optical, 4 megs,video clips etc.  works like a charm.. I use a Canon Rebel XT Digital SLR & love this camera...

 

I'I'm not one to complain about TV commercials but the Micky D commercial for their " Filet of Fish" took the cake.  Who in their right mine would lean over the rail, think about their drink and reach back to get it just to have his partner jump out of the water and snatch the sandwich out of his hand.. this is absurd and not good advertising.... would have been better if he leaned over the railing and just about to bite into his sandwich when the dolphin jumps out of the water and snatches the sandwich... this would make me buy the sandwich because it was good enough for the dolphin... make sense?

Anymore out there that is absurd commercials???