The Winter issue of the LDEI Quarterly was mailed to all members on February 24th. The issue is packed with information and photos of the annual conference in Hawaii. Here are some photos and information that didn’t make the issue.

A traditional luau is one of the most fun activities to experience during an evening in Hawaii. A tropical star-filled sky and magnificent patio setting created the backdrop for Dames and their guests who attended a luau at the Bishop Museum during the October, 2008 LDEI conference.

The museum was established in 1889 by Charles Bishop to honor his wife, Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop, the last descendant of the royal Kamehameha family. The facility houses her royal family heirlooms and an extensive collection of priceless Hawaiian artifacts. It is committed to gathering and disseminating information on the natural and cultural history of Hawaii and the Pacific.

Hawaiian heritage dishes were a highlight of the event. Dames sampled ‘two-finger’ Poi, a starchy food made by hand-pounding boiled taro roots to a smooth paste. Poi comes in several consistencies and is referred to by the number of fingers needed to eat it. One-finger poi is the thickest kind.

The feast included; Chicken Long Rice, an Asian-influenced dish of “bean thread” noodles and chicken simmered in broth. Succulent pieces of Kalua Pig were from a whole pig cooked several hours in a deep earth-oven (imu) until tender. Cooked, dark-purple Hawaiian sweet potatoes were served as well as Luau — young, tender taro leaves cooked in coconut milk. The tasty taro leaf dish often includes pieces of chicken. The name of the dish actually became the official name of this unique Hawaiian feast about 150 years ago. Before then, it was known by other names such as pa’ina.

A variety of sea offerings included opihi or raw limpet meat, a special island delicacy. Poke, sliced raw fish, was seasoned with Hawaiian sea salt, fresh seaweed and roasted ground kukui nuts. Poki poki salmon was mixed with tomatoes, onions and Hawaiian salt. The Haupia was a coconut custard dessert thickened with arrowroot.

Guests traditionally sit on floor mats at a luau, but at the Bishop museum, tables were decorated with vivid Hawaiian fabrics, beautiful native flowers, ferns and ti leaves. Hawaiian songs and the ancestral hula were part of the evening festivities. Abundant food, a festive island spirit and the gracious hospitality of our hosts brought the Dames and their guests together in a meaningful way to experience “ohana,” - an extended sense of family.