The Cat Dish

Hawaii’s best burger

by Catherine Toth on May 14, 2013 in Food

Last night I was suddenly craving a burger.

It helped that my girlfriend suggested Teddy’s Bigger Burger, which ignited my salivary glands.

So I ordered the 5-ounce teri burger with Teddy’s special sauce, onions and lettuce. (No tomatoes.) And it hit the spot.

But when I posted the photo on Instagram and Facebook, the question came up: does Teddy’s have the best burgers?

Well, I guess it depends on what you like and what you’re comparing it to.

Better than In ‘N Out or Five Guys? Maybe not. Better than most burger joints in Hawaii? Possible.

Three are lots of burger shops and restaurants them at serve stellar sandwiches, from Village Burger in Waimea to the signature burger at The Pineapple Room in Ala Moana Center.

So I’m throwing it out there: who’s got the best burgers in Hawaii? Post ‘em here and I’ll see if I can try them all.

In the next year or so. Lol

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Weekend Dish: Baked crescent roll taco ring

by Catherine Toth on May 13, 2013 in Food, Weekend Dish

I’ve been looking around for new potluck dishes — mostly because I’m bored of the ones I already make.

And I stumbled on this one the other night on Facebook.

Its primary ingredient got to me: Pillsbury crescent roll dough.

I was in.

I have a secret crush on the refrigerator dough. I can literally eat all of the buttery rolls one 6-ounce can make — and I have.

So when this called for one of my secret vices, I had to explore it a bit further.

Turns out, this is a great potluck dish, especially if there are kids invited. It’s got taco meat and cheddar cheese baked inside and all of your favorite taco toppings right in the middle.

It’s a simple dish to make, but a challenge dish to eat. (Lots of components.) But it’s crave-worthy good.

Here’s how you make it:

Ingredients

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This is a simple recipe that calls for just a handful of ingredients. But these aren't cheap ingredients. If I had to buy everything — I had some of these things in my kitchen already — it would cost about $20.

Baked Crescent Roll Taco Ring
Adapted from a couple of recipes

Ingredients:

2 8-ounce cans of refrigerated Pillsbury crescent rolls
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 package taco seasoning — or make your own, like I did!
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Shredded lettuce, chopped tomatoes, sliced olives
Sour cream, guacamole, salsa

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large skillet, cook beef/turkey with taco seasoning. Or, you can do what I did and make the taco meat from scratch, using chopping onions, garlic, chili powder, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, salt and freshly ground pepper. I also used a bit of the chili mix from Rainbow Drive-In. (Winner!) Drain.

Unroll crescent rolls. Place wide end of triangles in center of pizza pan, forming a ring, overlapping dough as necessary. Spoon meat into center of each triangle, then add cheese. Bring smaller ends of triangles over meat and cheese mixture, tucking ends under.

Bake 20 minutes, or until rolls are golden. Serve warm.

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Sometimes being a mom is the easy part

by Catherine Toth on May 12, 2013 in Musings

I’m the first person who’d admit being a mom is hard work.

I see my girlfriends juggle careers and school and marriages — and then raise a bunch of kids. I honestly don’t know how they do it. I have a hard enough time managing two part-time jobs and two dogs.

But being a mom is one of the easier tasks my dear friend, Racie Botelho (above), has to deal with every day.

I’ve known her since I was a kid. Our grandmas were friends and we both attended the same summer fun at First Chinese Church of Christ in Makiki near McKinley High School. I literally spent most of my childhood and teen years with her and her cousin, Kathleen Hood. Some of my fondest memories growing up include them.

But Racie’s had a tough go at life.

She had difficulties getting pregnant. And when she finally did — after years of trying and two rounds of in vitro — she suffered a debilitating stroke two weeks after their twins were born. She spent the next few months in the hospital and in rehab, and she’s never fully recovered.

And to add insult to injury, her husband — the one with the full-time job with benefits — was diagnosed with the rare neuroendocrine carcinoma cancer and died in February, leaving her to raise her twin boys on her own.

I’ve seen her going through the most difficult life situations and never once heard her complain. She gets up every day and gets it done. She works, she takes care of her boys, she manages.

Sometimes when I feel defeated about something going on in my life — like a stressful week of deadlines or a series of car problems — I think about Racie and how she can’t do a lot of the things I can. And she’s lost her husband. And she has to worry about money. And she has two kids to raise.

My life looks very uncomplicated.

So that’s why I wrote that story in today’s Honolulu Star-Advertiser for Mother’s Day. (You can’t access the entire story online unless you pay.) I felt she deserved the recognition. And her boys, only 5, can one day read about their amazing mom and dad.

If you get a chance, read it. You will be inspired, too.

***

A big shout-out to all the mothers out there, whether you have human kids or furry ones like me! Thanks for all you do!

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I’m having Vegas withdrawals

by Catherine Toth on May 9, 2013 in Adventures

What is it about local people and Las Vegas?

We can’t seem to get enough of Sin City.

My grandparents used to go several times a year. I have friends who book weekend jaunts every year. And it seems like every public school is holding their reunions there.

Even though I’m not much of a gambler, I find myself daydreaming about Vegas. I browse the menus of restaurants I haven’t tried and check the Megabucks progressive slots online regularly.

You’d think, since I’m there at least once every two years, I wouldn’t find anything new or interesting to do. And that might be true for most U.S. cities — but not Vegas.

As Elaine Glusac wrote in Thursday’s New York Times: “From a tourism perspective, Las Vegas is ever the chameleon. New restaurants, shows, clubs and hotels are constantly reinventing Sin City with the aim of getting repeaters back to the tables. Big construction projects continue, and there are currently two competing Ferris wheels under construction on the Strip.”

So true. And so Vegas.

She mentions new restaurants I want to try — L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon, for example — and a strange hour-long Yoga Among the Dolphins at the Mirage Las Vegas.

It’s really true — even if you’re not a gambler, there are still lots of things to do — The Neon Museum, anyone? — and see.

So I’m throwing it out there: what it is about Vegas that we love — or maybe hate to love? You have an addiction like mine?

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Know thy neighbor

by Catherine Toth on May 8, 2013 in Musings, The Daily Dish

It was disturbing and relieving all at the same time.

Three women, all kidnapped and held in captivity for years, were found in an abandoned Cleveland home yesterday allegedly held by former bus driver Ariel Castro and his two brothers, all in their early 50s.

Amanda Berry was kidnapped 10 years ago at age 17. Gina DeJesus, a family friend, vanished at 14 in 2004. Michelle Knight disappeared in 2002 at age 20. Berry’s 6-year-old daughter was also found in the home.

Hear neighbor — and town hero — Charles Ramsey recount what happened.

The thought of what these women went through — neighbors reported seeing women on leashes in the backyard and police found chains and ropes in the home — is so disturbing, I don’t even want to think about it. Teenagers, kidnapped, scared and tortured. It’s disgusting.

But at the same time, they’re alive and free and able to reunite with their families. And that’s amazing.

It’s scary to think that we don’t know our neighbors. How can these three men hold three women captive for nearly a decade in a neighborhood where everyone seems to know each other? The Castros knew the family of one of the victims, two even speaking out after she was kidnapped.

Neighbors said Castro was friendly, rode around on his bike, talk to the neighborhood kids. He wasn’t that weird recluse you imagine would commit such a heinous act. He was the guy you waved to in the morning as you drove to work.

We all have our private lives, for sure, but it’s crazy to think that just next door something like this could happen.

I’m not saying we should suspect the worst of our neighbors. But we should know who lives in our neighborhood. And we should, like Charles Ramsey, not be afraid to help.

Thoughts?

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