Tiki Party: Rumaki

You can�t have a tiki party without some classic tiki snacks! Have you ever had rumaki? We had it all the time when I was growing up, which is why I knew my ma would love this Mother�s Day tiki party! 


Rumaki�marinated chicken liver and water chestnuts wrapped in bacon�is a classic tiki pupu platter addition. It was created either by the godfather of Tiki, Donn the Beachcomber, or the second godfather of Tiki, Trader Vic, and was a popular menu item at tiki restaurants and parties in the mid-20th century. It�s totally faux-Polynesian. Which makes my version, which uses chicken breast instead of liver, faux-faux-Polynesian. That�s why we�re calling it ru-mock-i! 

I used basic ol� chicken breast (feel free to use thighs!) instead of liver, to appease the picky taste buds of my household. Sorry, mom. Evan won�t touch chicken liver with a ten-foot toothpick. I loved chicken liver when I was a kid (especially marinated and grilled!), and I loved the rumaki my parents made. As I�ve gotten older though, I�ve sort of lost my taste for the stuff. Isn�t that backwards? Isn�t your palate supposed to become more adventurous the older you get? Either way, these little bites are fun and addictive, with hints of all five basic tastes: sweet, salty, umami, bacon, and bacon. 

Check back for the rest of my tiki party menu! Yesterday I shared the star of the show, the Three Dots and a Dash tiki drink, and tomorrow I�ll be combining two classic tiki treats into one tasty little bite: coconut shrimp and crab Rangoon! 

Alright, are you ready to roll (some chicken and water chestnuts inside some bacon)!?

Ru-mock-i (Mock Rumaki)

Adapted from here and here

Makes about 45 pieces. I use thinner bacon, for better roll-ability. If you use thicker bacon you might need toothpicks to hold them together. If that's the case, be sure to soak toothpicks in water for at least an hour.

1/2 cup soy sauce

3 Tablespoons dark brown sugar

1  inch-long chunk of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

Fresh ground black pepper

2 chicken breasts (about 1 pound), cut into small bite size pieces

1 can of whole water chestnuts, halved

1 lb package of bacon, cut in 3rds

In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and pepper. Add chicken and water chestnuts, and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour (several hours is even better!).  

Heat oven to 425. 

Strain marinade off of chicken and chestnuts, and set aside. To assemble, wrap one chestnut piece and one chicken piece in one of your pre-cut 1/3rd size bacon slices, and roll up tightly. Repeat with remaining pieces, and place rolled rumakis on a baking sheet. Brush with reserved marinade. 

Bake until everything is cooked through and bacon is just crispy, about 25 minutes. 

Tiki Party!

Let�s have a Mother�s Day TIKI PARTY! 

There are tons of Mother�s Day food blog posts and ideas out there, and the majority are all flowery and lavender colored, and filled with breakfast in bed and tea sandwiches. I�ll admit, I�m guilty of doing this in the past. But what about the badass moms!?
What about the moms like mine who would trade a croissant for gooey ribs any day of the week? Who would much rather have a leftover slice of pizza for breakfast than a scone? What about the ladies who love hoppy beer and Tarantino flicks, or the ones who are far more comfortable in a pair of sweats in front of a baseball game than in a flowery silk scarf at a garden party?

When I was growing up, my dad was the one who loved flowers, beautiful fruit tarts, and waffles. My mom appreciated those things, sure, who doesn�t, but the quickest way to her heart was a plate of enchiladas. If I was throwing my mom her ideal Mom�s day feast, it would for sure include Mexican food and tequila shots with lots of 70s rock. But since the internetz have been filled with Mexican food for Cinco de Mayo, and I just blogged about these amazing chilaquiles, I wanted to share a different kind of Mother�s Day feast. Even though it�s not a fiesta, this is a party my ma would love a whole lot more than your typical mom�s day champagne brunch�  a TIKI PARTY! 

Why a tiki party? Well, for starters, Amanda went to a tiki bar in on a work trip to Chicago a few weeks ago, and for some reason her photos sent me down a very serious tiki rabbit hole that had me purchasing several bottles of rum and reading up on the history of faux-Polynesian tiki culture, which was in full swing in the US from 30s through the 70s. And secondly, I happen to know that my mom loves a good tropical cocktail and retro tiki snack! Not gonna lie, we ate our fair share of rumaki growing up! 

I have a few fun tiki recipes to share with you, so you can throw your badass mom a super rad and retro Mother�s Day party! Since tomorrow�s Cinco de Mayo, we�ll skip a day, and our first recipe will be up Wednesday. Here�s what you have to look forward to:

Three Dots and a Dash Cocktail
Ru-mock-i
Coconut Shrimp Rangoon
Frozen Key Lime Pie Cups

And, here a couple of recipes from the archives that you should include in your tiki party:
Fried Chicken Musubi
Hawaiian Style Sliders
Coconut Pineapple "Shave Ice" Sundae

And, if you still need a little more inspiration, here's a quick look at my Tahitian vacation from a few years ago (where I got this cute little tiki guy, below). 

IT�S TIKI TIME!