On the Islands of Hawaii, it’s known as a male ‘ana and, on the mainland, we call it a wedding. The connection you ask? An annual national survey of travel agents reveals that more newlyweds regularly travel to Hawaii for their honeymoon than any other destination.

As we enter the wedding season, many friends and families will pay tribute to “nearly weds” through a variety of colorful functions, ranging from bridal showers to bridesmaid brunches. Regardless of whether or not the bride and groom are headed to Hawaii on their honeymoon, you can bring paradise to them by hosting a Hawaiian-themed pre-wedding party.

Here are some tips and recipes from King’s Hawaiian, purveyors of authentic Hawaiian breads.

The bride-to-be and her guests will love these tropical touches that are sure to make the event a success.

• Send bridal shower invitations three to four weeks in advance and include a small crepe-paper drink umbrella or a small amount of beach sand in the invitation’s envelope.

• Greet guests with a tropical drink (pina coladas make a festive party cocktail), and a fresh orchid lei upon arrival. The lei serves as a party favor for guests and helps get everyone in the mood.

• Gather palms and ferns (houseplants you may already have on hand) into the party area to add an island feel.

• Create centerpieces by filling clear glass bowls with beach sand and placing a candle firmly in the center, surrounded by a sprinkling of seashells.

• Be sure your menu reflects the islands with items such as coconut shrimp, ambrosia fruit salad and grilled pineapple.

• For great island-inspired recipes, visit KingsHawaiian.com.

Kenny Omiya, executive chef of Hilton Waikoloa Village on the Big Island of Hawaii, offers the following recipes for party platters with authentic island flair.

Smoked Salmon Roulade

Ingredients:

2 ounces smoked salmon

4 ounces whipped cream cheese

1-inch thick slice cut from 16-ounce loaf King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread, crust removed

Few leaves baby lettuce

Thinly sliced red onion

1 teaspoon capers

1 lemon wedge

2 ounces sour cream

1 teaspoon chives slice

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Place four slices of smoked salmon on a cutting board, side by side forming a rectangle. Spread cream cheese evenly on salmon, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut sweet bread to the same size as the salmon and place it on top of the smoked salmon and cream cheese.

Roll the bread and salmon length-wise to create the roulade. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and place in freezer for two hours. Meanwhile, mix the sour cream with chives, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the roulade from the freezer and slice in 1/4-inch slices. Place a dollop of the sour cream mixture on top of roulade slices. Serve along with lettuce, red onions, capers and lemon wedge.

Makes one serving.

Shish Kabob

Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients:

3 pieces chicken thigh meat

4 ounces Italian dressing

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

1/2 green bell pepper, cut to the size of sweet roll

1/2 red bell pepper, cut to the size of sweet roll

1 ounce red onion, cut to the size of sweet roll

3 pieces of King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread rolls, cut horizontally in half

Pineapple half (for garnish)

6 pieces cherry tomatoes

Pickle and olives to garnish

3 ounces Lilikoi mayonnaise (recipe below)

Preparation:

Combine Italian dressing, oregano and basil; divide. Marinate chicken thighs with half of the dressing mix for several hours and vegetables with the remaining dressing mix for half an hour. Grill chicken and vegetables.

Arrange on a skewer, cherry tomato first, top of bread, onion, bell pepper, chicken, bottom of bread and a cherry tomato on the bottom to hold a sandwich in place.

Stick the skewers into the pineapple half for presentation.

Serve with Lilikoi mayonnaise.

Makes three servings.

Lilikoi Mayonnaise

Ingredients:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Lilikoi (passion fruit) preserves

Preparation:

Whisk together mayonnaise and preserves until smooth.

Sweet Bread Pudding Parfait

Ingredients:

1 quart whole milk

9 large eggs

9 ounces sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 pound King’s Hawaiian Sweet Bread

Assorted seasonal berries or fruit

Preparation:

Use the butter to grease a 9 x 13 baking pan and dust with sugar. Cut sweet bread into 1-inch cubes and place into a pan.

Whisk together eggs and sugar in a bowl. Pour milk and vanilla in and stir it until it is well incorporated. Pour mixture over the bread and let soak for 10 minutes.

Cover with foil and bake at 350 F degrees for 35 to 45 minutes. Let bread pudding cool for two hours. Using a round cutter, sized for parfait glass, cut out three sets per glass.

Alternate fruits and bread pudding in the glass. Chill before serving. Top with purchased vanilla dessert sauce or try melted vanilla ice cream for a quick sauce.

Makes five to eight servings.

These and other seasonal recipe ideas are available at KingsHawaiian.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent