Post #616170 by TikiTomD on Sun, Dec 4, 2011 9:37 AM

Wendy, mahalo for your visit. I hope someday to capture a mug of your creation!

Robert, if I have anything to do with it, "Lava Falls" won't be the last of your art to adorn the Blowfish Bar...

It's the day after the Luau party, and it started with a beautiful sunrise over the ocean...

Feeling great after a terrific party, from the host's perspective. More than thirty guests joined us, starting just before 3 pm yesterday afternoon, and the last departed about 8 hours later. A successful party for that many folks requires a fair amount of planning, acquisition and timing. By far the most important ingredient is, however, the guests themselves. By that measure, we were fortunate to have had the best. While it's fun to create a home tiki bar, and it's great to enjoy it on a personal basis every day, the real reward comes from seeing your guests mixing it up and having fun.

To keep the workload manageable, we asked the Ohana Luau folks at the Hawaiian Inn in Daytona Beach to prepare the Luau main course. That consisted of:

Teriyaki Chicken

Hawaiian Kalua Pulled Pork

Vegetable Stir Fry

Candied Yams

Fried Rice

My wife then supplemented that with desserts of her own making:

Chocolate Mochi (Japanese rice cake made from sweet rice flour)

Macadamia Nut Pie

Our neighbors also brought some desserts:

Key Lime Bars made by Kathy

Pineapple Upside-Down Cupcakes made by Deana

Appetizers included fruit and cheese, veggies and dip, crackers and mini-sandwiches.

By far, the most popular appetizer was the Ahi Poke prepared by the wife. To make that, Pat diced five pounds of fresh sushi-grade tuna steak, cucumbers, avocados and green onions. This was mixed up in a marinade of low-sodium soy sauce, lemon juice and sesame oil. Toasted sesame seeds and red pepper flakes were added for seasoning, then the Poke was placed on ice awaiting the guests. Wasabi sauce, flat bread and crackers were provided as accessories, though most folks consumed the Poke as-is with their fingers.

Just before noon on the day of the party, I drove to the Hawaiian Inn to pick up the main course and the chafing dishes for serving...

There I was met by Wailana, "executive" hula girl, and the Ohana Luau chef, Esene...

I received a sampling of the Teriyaki Chicken (delicious) and a tour of the Ohana Luau facilities. In addition to being chef, Esene is artist, Tiki carver and home renovation specialist. It's a practical necessity, as the Polynesian show business is slow in the off-season.

After loading minivan with food and serving ware, I cautiously headed north on A1A back to the Blowfish Bar.

To be continued...

-Tom