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‘Member eating that?

By Catherine Toth Fox • July 26, 2011 • Food

One of my favorite childhood memories is waking up on Sunday morning to the smell of freshly baked biscuits, cubed potatoes drenched in butter, and, my all-time favorite, vinha d’alhos.

It’s a Portuguese pickled pork dish that came to Hawaii via immigrants from the Azores and Medeira. My grandmother used to make it all the time — and, luckily, my mom learned how to prepare it, too. So it’s been in our family for generations.

It’s funny how certain smells can take you right back to that moment in your past, whether it’s a lunch from elementary school or that go-to late-night snack during finals week in college. (I’m permanently scarred from eating too many Pop Tarts.)

Every time I smell that vinegary vinha d’alhos — which isn’t often unless I’m at Agnes’ Portuguese Bake Shop in Kailua on certain days or making it at home myself — it reminds me of my childhood, those early Sunday mornings or family breakfasts after opening gifts on Christmas Day.

Is there a dish that brings you back?

For a recipe to make vinha d’alhos, click here.

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About the Author

Catherine Toth Fox

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22 Comments

  • Reply oldshoes July 26, 2011 at 1:29 am

    thus, the success of bacon. and macdonald’s fries.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:05 pm

      Bacon and McDonald’s fries. Aaaaaaaaaah!

  • Reply David Jackson July 26, 2011 at 1:31 am

    The smell of bacon frying takes me back to my childhood days. I suspect now more than ever because it seems bacon is no longer part of my diet. Only time it seems to be on the menu is when it is literally on the menu. Haven’t had it for breakfast at home in forever it seems. It was a staple when I was a kid.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:06 pm

      Bacon is always a fond aroma 🙂

  • Reply 9th island Cuz July 26, 2011 at 2:02 am

    Ok cuz you can send me Grandma’s real recipe 🙂

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:07 pm

      Your mom should know it! You don’t make it yourself? What kind of Portuguese are you?!?!?

  • Reply matt July 26, 2011 at 6:24 am

    oh, yeah…bacon. and grilled meat.
    I started making my own bacon and now I have bacon-fest whenever I want it. bags and bags of it in my freezer, thawed bacon in the fridge ready to cook and pork belly curing in a tub in my garage fridge (gotta remember to take it out of the cure tonight, as a matter of fact).

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:07 pm

      All this talk about bacon isn’t good. I haven’t eaten dinner yet and all I’m thinking about is a big fat BLT!

  • Reply Tracey Davies July 26, 2011 at 7:42 am

    My nan’s homemade coconut, pineapple and custard tart :). Sadly my nan died some years ago and to this day I have never tasted pastry like her’s!

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:08 pm

      Did you learn the recipe? I’m always worried that I won’t remember how my mom cooks/bakes things!

  • Reply M July 26, 2011 at 8:53 am

    Hello Cat, when my mom makes Jook that brings me back to small kid time.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:08 pm

      Jook! You know, I never had homemade jook. Is it hard to make? I should put that on my bucket list…

  • Reply WildeOscar July 26, 2011 at 10:02 am

    I mostly miss the smell of cakes and cookies baking in the oven. Christmas cookies (10-12 kinds in some years) filled the house with the most delicious smells for days.

    We just don’t bake much at home, and I have always been a good cook, but never much of a baker. They are very different disciplines.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:09 pm

      Cookies and cakes (and breads) baking in an oven — that’s the best smell. That’s why realtors put a stick of cookie dough in the oven during open houses. Smart.

  • Reply aloharoy July 26, 2011 at 1:30 pm

    Cat: Vinha d’alhos sure sounds like and looks similar to pork adobo. Curious to know whether the tastes are similar too.

    Anyway, offhand, I can’t think of any dish or smell that would bring me back. But I’ve experienced times when a certain smell would conjure up a certain memory. Happens all the time. But it’s not locked in my memory. I think it’s only triggered by the actual smell.

    It’s cool because the smell may take you back to a specific pinpoint moment in time. As if you’re reliving that moment for that brief period your senses take over.

    I also know of other non-food smells that trigger memories too. But maybe that’s for another blog, hehe.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:10 pm

      It’s kinda similar to adobo… but not. And honestly, I can’t explain why!

  • Reply aloharoy July 26, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    … hey Cat … it was great meeting you IRL … hope I didn’t cross too much into your personal space … you have like a “celebrity” status and I don’t know to subtly try to meet you without barging into your daily routine …

    … you and Derek were really cool …

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:11 pm

      LOL! I just said the same thing — nice to meet you — in the last blog!

      I don’t have much personal space, actually. And I’m no celebrity! Thanks for saying hi!

  • Reply danohi July 26, 2011 at 3:32 pm

    Cat,
    The grilled smell & taste of a W&M hamburger!

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:11 pm

      W&M burgers… Oh, man, that might be my lunch tomorrow!

  • Reply Old Man July 26, 2011 at 6:42 pm

    I just ordered the Vina d’alhos dish at Koa Pancake House this a.m. Yumm, and yes it brings back memories of childhood meals.

    • Reply Catherine Toth July 27, 2011 at 8:12 pm

      Whoo! Good, huh? I had it once. Tastes *almost* like my mom’s 🙂

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About Me

About Me
Born and raised on O‘ahu, Hawaiʻi, Catherine Toth Fox has been chronicling her adventures in her blog, The Cat Dish, for more than a decade. She worked as a newspaper reporter in Hawai‘i for 10 years and continues to freelance—in between teaching journalism, hitting the surf and eating everything in sight—for national and local print and online publications. She’s currently the editor of HAWAIʻI Magazine.

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