Dinner with Tutu at Tutu's Kitchen Presented by Highway Inn

Last week I was fortunate to have been invited for the second installment of Dinner with Tutu, part of the Tutu's Kitchen program at Highway Inn. This event showcases family recipes that have been passed down for generations and that have special meaning to each Tutu.

The dinner featured:

Kristin Jackson's Buttermilk "Cat Head" Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Traci Rosado Fernandez's Grandpa Rosado's Puerto Rican Chicken Stew

Dianne Vicheinrut's Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Cream

Each Tutu told the story behind the dish, and it was so heart-warming to hear the inspirations.  

And the food was fantastic!  

The biscuits were huge and the sausage gravy had a nice kick to it.  It was definitely a meal in itself!  

The stew was comforting and flavorful, with chunks of chicken and veggies.

The sticky rice was the perfect ending - not too sweet, but very refreshing.

Each dish exuded warmth and soul.  

It was such a treat to not only try these family recipes, but also to dine with other members of the community and hear their own stories about food and family.

Don't miss the next Dinner with Tutu!  The final dinner for this year will take place in August, and dinners will resume in February 2020.

About Tutu's Kitchen:

The Tūtū’s Kitchen dishes are available on Tūtū Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Kaka‘ako restaurant, rotating on a monthly basis. Highway Inn’s third-generation owner, Monica Toguchi Ryan, says, “The idea behind Tūtū’s Kitchen is to help us to preserve our culture and memories, to let people share not just their families’ favorite food, but also their stories—where the recipe comes from, how they learned to cook it, how they ended up being that person in the family that keeps these family food traditions alive. We call it Tūtū’s Kitchen, but anyone can serve as one of our Tūtū, whether they’re a grandparent or not, as long as they have a passion to share their family’s legacy through food.” Highway Inn Kaka‘ako features nine Tūtū throughout the course of the year.  

A portion of proceeds from Tūtū’s Kitchen Night and Tūtū Tuesdays and Thursdays is donated to a non-profit organization. For 2019, the designated non-profit is Les Dames d’Escoffier, Hawai‘i Chapter, an organization dedicated to supporting women in the culinary fields and educating the community about food. Its local membership is comprised of more than 80 members in careers ranging from restaurants to farmers, food production to event organizers, educators to writers and publicists. Two of this quarter’s contributors, Kristin Jackson and Dianne Vicheinrut, are members of LDEI Hawai‘i. Jackson is the current president and Vicheinrut is a board member.