Striped ‘slippahs’ start conversations

I love these made-in-Hawaii zebra-print “slippahs” ($165) from Island Slipper Store in Ward Warehouse. They feel warm and fuzzy on your feet and the insole gives you strong arch support. They’re also great ice-breakers at social gatherings. I feel like Eddie Murphy in “Coming to America” whenever I wear them! Island Slipper Store is open daily; call 593-8229 or visit www.islandslipper.com.

— Lloyd Kandell, Kaimuki

Book early for sweet building project

As soon as Halloween passes I know it’s time to start booking Christmas activities. Popular events sometimes sell out before the Thanksgiving turkey has even thawed. One of our family’s perennial favorites is the Easter Seals Hawaii Gingerbread Family Festival, which happens this year Dec. 4 at Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. Before I had kids, it was always on my list of volunteer plans in the “good will toward men” season. And now that I have two boys, we always make sure to book early and snag a half table to assemble our cookie house while marveling at the masterpieces nearby. The $39 reservation includes a family photo with Santa and all you need for an adorable candy-covered gingerbread house, though many people bring additional treats to dress up their creation. Download volunteer and registration forms at www.eastersealshawaii.org.

— Donica Kaneshiro

Magnetic appeal

Refrigerator magnets are an essential tool for modern family living, used to keep track of team snack schedules, report cards and Huli Huli chicken tickets. I discovered these Bubble Clip Magnets from Meredith Lee’s The Rare Orchid at a craft fair and love the clothespin styling in Japanese washi paper. A glossy “bubble” epoxy finish protects the silk-screened mulberry paper while magnifying the pretty design. They are sold at Cinnamon Girl shops and The Paperie at Kahala Mall. A set of four usually retails for $6.99 but Lee offers special pricing at craft fairs (check www.therare orchid. com to find out which ones she’ll be attending). There’s also a fun “Aloha” version sold at ABC stores. Buy an extra set for party favors or stocking stuffers.

— Christie Wilson

Kabocha a versatile dish

I adore kabocha. It can be all things to all eaters: healthful, hearty and mutable. Cut it into thin slices for a stew or stir-fry. Bake chunks topped with butter and cinnamon for a just-sweet-enough side. Steam and mash for a nutritious alternative to potatoes. Or simply steam with well-scrubbed skin on and eat just like that. This Italian recipe is from my friend Floyd, who says he prepared the squash often while living in Japan, “where the kabocha were really tasty.” The million-dollar seasoning: rosemary.

— Joleen Oshiro

PUMPKIN HUNTER STYLE
“Talisman Italian Cookbook” by Ada Boni (Crown, 1989)
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1 pound unpeeled pumpkin, sliced thin and cut into squares
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried rosemary (or 2 teaspoons fresh)

Place olive oil in pan with garlic. Brown garlic and remove.

Add pumpkin, salt, pepper and rosemary. Cook gently 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Serves 4.

Rockabilly’s roots traced in beautiful book

Rock ’n’ roll turned the American music scene upside down in the mid-’50s and ended forever the reign of what is known retrospectively as “the great American songbook.” Rockabilly, a fusion of southern white “hillbilly” music and country blues, was the spark that ignited rock ’n’ roll and is the roots music of all the guitar-band rock that came after it.

“ROCKABILLY: The Twang Heard ’Round The World” ($30, www.voyageurpress.com), a beautifully illustrated coffee-table book, documents it all: The early superstars of rockabilly — Elvis, Carl Perkins and Gene Vincent among them — and many other early rockers who are long-forgotten; the guitars and guitar technology that drove the new sound; and the studios, record labels and producers that nurtured it. There are also sections on the artists who kept rockabilly alive until Stray Cats revived it full-force in the ’80s. If I had to choose only one music reference book to buy this year, this would be it.

— John Berger