Spice Up Your Life

I met Kai at a Hawaii Food Manufacturers Association holiday party. She’s the kind of person you just have to talk to, outgoing, pleasant, and very interesting. Since then I’ve gotten to know her better over coffee, at subsequent Food Manufacturers events, and at her booth at the KCC Farmer’s Market where she cooks up some great dishes.

Kai is the owner of Kaiulani Spices. She mixes and bottles spice blends that are just great. I use them almost daily. I like Hawaii Cajun in my scrambled eggs and omelets, the Kona Coffee Rub on chicken, and the mainstay Curry which makes a delicious dry curry rice with cranberries (hint: the trick is to use the jasmine rice that Kai uses).

So why am I talking about spices in my Business Operations, Rugby, and Golden Ox Publishing blog? Well, I need to help Kai somehow. She and her husband lost just about everything when their house burned down about two weeks ago. They were renting a house while their own house is being re-built. Their rental house burned to the ground suddenly with almost everything they own inside. So I was surprised to see her at the Farmer’s Market last weekend. She lost pots and pans and other utensils in the fire, but most of her market setup was in a separate garage so she was able to set up. Still, how do you go to the market and cook and sell spices when you’ve lost your house, clothes, furniture, and everything? She said she needs to work to keep her mind off the loss.

I asked here what I could do. She said the mostly need furniture and kitchen things, neither of which I have. I’m trying to live a minimal life, so I only have a couple pieces of furniture and just the essential kitchen gear. I offered my truck and my muscles, but don’t know what else to do. But I can blog, and I can give you the link to her website so you can buy spices. You need to eat and her spices make cooking easier and your meals tastier, so buy some spice.

Here it is, Kaiulan Spice. Enjoy (and remember, the jasmine rice really makes the difference).