6-7-11 Me at the market in Chinatown

Hey Young Chefs!

I got back from Hawaii less than a week ago! Hawaii is an AMAZING place to go visit for a vacation!!!

On this day, we went on a food tour with Hawaii Food Tours. We toured different local restaurants. This is spam musubi, marinated tuna, and fresh mango. Spam musubi is spam and sticky rice wrapped in nori, which is seaweed.

6-7-11 Spam Musubi, Marinated Tuna, and Mango

Next, we went to a noodle factory in Chinatown. This is what the noodles look like after they’re folded. It was so cool to see them make the noodles. We also ate rice noodles with chicken and rice noodles with shrimp. It was delicious!

6-7-11 Fresh stack of noodles on a cookie sheet

We tasted so many different foods that day, but my favorite is manapua. In Hawaiian that means flower power. Manapua is sweet bread with a sweet or savory filling inside. I ate a coconut manapua. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

6-7-11 Me in front of a big batch of manapua

After the food tour was over and we went back to our hotel, we swam at the hotel’s beach! The water was so cold. You get used to it after a while. The water was super clear and very pretty.

6-7-11 My mom and I at our hotel's beach

Then we went to Uncle BobKat’s house for dinner. For dinner, we had homemade pizza.

6-7-11 The fresh homemade pizza that my mom's Uncle BobKat made

This is the best pizza ever!!!

Cool Kids Cook and Go on Food Tours!

Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana

6-2-11 Kid Chef Eliana performs her song, Cool Kids Cook, at Webster Parish Library in Minden, LA

Hey Young Chefs!

At Webster Parish Library in Minden, Louisiana, I performed my “Cool Kids Cook!” song again in my mom’s show. After I sang my song, I signed cookbooks and took lots of pictures with fans.

Then, we went to Moody’s Place to eat. It is a small restaurant but the food is amazing! The first thing they bring out is hot water cornbread. The cornbread is baked and then fried. Yum!

6-2-11 Hot water cornbread at Moody's Place in Minden, LA

After eating hot water cornbread, I had fried pork chops with creamed potatoes and yams. The yams are my favorite!!!

6-2-11 The fried porkchop plate with creamed potatoes and yams at Moody's Place in Minden, LA

Then it was dessert time! We had Peach Cobbler, Blackberry Cobbler, and Apple Pie. Yummy in my tummy!

6-2-11 Pies and cobblers at Moody's Place in Minden, LA

This is me and Ms. Moody, the owner and chef. She is the one who makes the delicious food! It’s true Southern cooking.

6-2-11 Ms. Moody with Kid Chef Eliana

Cool Kids Cook, Read, and Eat at Moody’s Place!

Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana

6-1-11 Lasyones Restaurant

Hey Young Chefs!

I went to Lasyones Meat Pie Restaurant in Natchitoches, LA. They make the best meat pies ever!!! if you’re wondering what a meat pie is, a meat pie is made of beef, pork, and other spices stuffed inside of a pie-like crust. My meat pie came with a side of dirty rice and a dipping sauce.

6-1-11 Lasyones famous Nachitoches meat pie

This is me, Travis Newton (left), and Dwayne Cross (right). These are the cooks behind the Natchitoches meat pie at Lasyones.

6-1-11 The two cooks behind the secret meat pie recipe

After Lasyones, we went to an ice cream shop/surrey renting shop. I got Banana Pudding in a cone! It was delicious!!!

6-1-11 Banana Pudding in a cone

This is me and my mom about to ride a surrey. A surrey is like a four wheeled bike. It was really fun riding the surrey with my mom. Half way through the ride, I noticed I wasn’t even steering. LOL.

6-1-11 Me and mom get ready to ride a two person surrey in Natchitoches

I had a fun time in Natchitoches. I love going to Natchitoches every year. This will be our last time for summer reading. I will still go to Natchitoches just for the meat pies!!!

Cool Kids Cook and Go to Natchitoches!

Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana

11-20-10 On board the Carnival Triumph with our Sign & Sail Cards

Hey Young Chefs!

During the Thanksgiving holiday week I went on a Carnival Cruise to Belize, Honduras, and Mexico! It was exciting. I ate a lot of tasty food, had some thrilling adventures, and had the time of my life. (Sing Fergie!) LOL

11-20-10 Taking a picture before we set sail, with New Orleans as our backdrop

We were on the Carnival Triumph. It was my first time on a cruise ship. Boy, was it BIG. On the Lido Deck (Floor 9), there was a humongous screen for an outdoor theater; 4 swimming pools and 5 Jacuzzi tubs; a basketball court; and a putt putt golf course.

11-20-10 Paw Paw enjoys putt putt golf with my cousins, Ashlynn & Camrynn on the top deck of the ship

The view from the top deck was amazing. Here is a picture of the city of New Orleans. Pretty!

11-20-10 A picture of the city of New Orleans from the aft of the top deck of the Carnival Triumph

After the ship set sail, we had dinner and then we went to a family dance party at the Hollywood Dance Club. We even learned a new dance called “The Wobble.” It’s so much fun!

11-20-10 My mom, my cousins and I dance at a family dance party in the Hollywood Dance Club. We learned a new dance called the Wobble!

It was a fun ending to a great first day on the Carnival Triumph. More to come!

Cool Kids Cook and Cruise!

Bon Appetit, Kid Chef Eliana

Hey Young Chefs!

Tonight I ate at Nine Roses, a Vietnamese retaurant. An old family friend treated us to a marvelous meal. Above, you see Bo Nuong Vi, a sizzling beef dish. You spread butter on the portable burner. Then you place the thin slices of marinated beef on the burner and cook it. Next you take the rice paper and dip it in warm water to make it flexible. Finally, you make a wrap with the beef, lettuce, cilantro, mint, basil, noodles, and pickled cucumbers and carrots. Yum! Yum!

For an appetizer, I ordered Vietnamese egg rolls. They are hot, crunchy and delish!

Here I am, happy and full! Maybe Mommy and I will be inspired to cook Vietnamese!

Cool kids cook so get creative in the kitchen!

Bon Appetit, Eliana