my thoughts & recipes

"anyone can make you enjoy the first bite, ONLY a CHEF can make you enjoy the last bite and you wanting more..." (unknown)

Aug 11, 2020
2 min

Flavors of Kimchee Smoked Pork Belly

This dish takes some time to make. But, it's worth the time and effort. When we make this, it doesn't last very long. We use it in...

20 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

Jul 27, 2020
2 min

Hamburger "Curry" Gravy

An easy ground beef recipe that your family would love.

43 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

Jul 16, 2020
1 min

Potato Crisps aka Potato Chips

Satisfaction comes from something you can make and it's GOOD!!! You could go to the store and pick up a bag of expensive potato chips. ...

4 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 25, 2020
1 min

Pickled Green Strawberries

One thing about summer is those beautiful red strawberries, sweet and juicy. I saw some green ones, not ripe yet, and pickled them. They...

10 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 25, 2020
1 min

Korean Fried Chicken Wings

Here in Hawaii, no one has the same sauce for their Korean Fried Chicken (wings). I have a couple of versions that I use. It depend on...

26 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 12, 2020
2 min

Purple Sweet Potato & Tapioca Dumpling

This dumpling is sweet, dense & chewy. I shaped them to look like gnocchi, it's kind of deceiving. This is not the easiest or hardest...

17 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 7, 2020
1 min

Malted Milk Powder

I couldn't find any around me and didn't want to wait for shipping. I searched the interwebs and found this as a substitute. It's easy...

8 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 7, 2020
2 min

Home Style White Bread

I like this bread. It's a mix between Japanese milk bread and American white bread. It makes a great sandwich and doesn't take too long...

10 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 6, 2020
3 min

Chefs Knife

A good chefs knife will last you a lifetime. If you're cooking in your kitchen or a professional kitchen, it's worth the investment. I...

10 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 4, 2020
2 min

Local Style Beef Stew

When making this, it brings me back to my childhood. To be completely honest, I hated when we were having stew for dinner. That ment we...

17 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 4, 2020
1 min

BBQ Seasoning

I love this seasoning. It has heat, smoke, sweetness and salt. This is a finishing salt. I like it on Potato Chips, Fried Pork Skins,...

5 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 4, 2020
1 min

Fried Pork Skin

If you make the Fakin’ Bacon and remove the skin you can make this or buy pork skins. You can use this in many different ways. Eat it...

5 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 2, 2020
2 min

Fried Shoyu Chicken

Growing up, shoyu chicken was one of my favorite dishes. It was a staple in my house. This is not the exact way my mom showed me how to...

9 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 2, 2020
2 min

SPAM Musubi

This is a staple in Hawaii. When I lived on the Mainland, this is something that I missed. My wife learned how to make it and has...

8 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

May 1, 2020
1 min

Knorr Chicken Bouillon

I have never used this product until the other week. When I start to learn how to cook, I would use the canned chicken broth. ...

12 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

Apr 30, 2020
2 min

Pseudo "Smoked" Brisket

I wanted to smoke a brisket. I spoke to a local rancher and he had 2 briskets in the freezer. He told me that it was small and not very...

2 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

Apr 30, 2020
1 min

Chicken Salt

I've been wanting to try this for a while. Thinking way back, early 2000's a chef I met talked to me about how they would roast chicken...

14 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

Apr 29, 2020
2 min

Fermented Baby Potatoes

I've heard about fermenting potatoes and wanted to give it a try. It supposed to give you a final product (you will need to cook it...

6 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

Apr 27, 2020
1 min

Hawaiian Chili Pepper Water

A staple on many tables in Hawaii is Chili Pepper Water. Every family has their favorite recipe or has their favorite person to get it...

9 views0 comments

clayton arakawa

Apr 27, 2020
1 min

Bread & Butter "Pickle" Grilled Chicken

Ok. This one sounds strange. A couple of years ago, I read about someone making fried chicken, he was brining the chicken in pickle...

8 views0 comments