Luau Theme?!?

[C_Popielarz]

I have been invited to a "Luau" themed work party where everyone brings a dish to pass. Does anyone have any ideas on hawaiian themed food? The only thing I can come up with is pineapple upside down cake and mango salsa! I have to sign up ASAP so I would appreciate any ideas!

[Gail]

Since you didn't mention whether you'd checked out old threads, you might want to go through these:

http://community.cookinglight.com/search.php?action=showresults&searchid=493093&sortby=lastpost&sortorder=descending

[C_Popielarz]

Thanks - I searched the threads and came up with some ideas.

However, most of the ideas are fish related. Since this is for a "grazing" at work, I don't think that setting out a plate of mahi mahi for 5 hours will work?!

[Gilgamesh37]

Could you maybe do ham salad, shaped like a piggy? (since a whole polynesian roast pig is probably not appropriate to the workplace)

Maybe some sort of fruit kabobs?

Or anything coconutty seems "luau-ish" to me.

[Gail]

Originally posted by C_Popielarz
... Since this is for a "grazing" at work, I don't think that setting out a plate of mahi mahi for 5 hours will work?!

...well, it is an island... But, no. LOTS of things won't do well sitting out for 5 hours.

Since I'm not really sure what facilities you have at your office, I'm sticking mostly with things you prepare at home bring without need to heat. (My office had a kitchen and I actually brought my wok in and deep-fried crab puffs for one party, and warmed up bacon-wrapped water chestnuts for another.)

The following are from Hawaii, either taken from one of my cookbooks or from Hawaiian restaurant recipes. Regrettably, other than the mango bread I've previously posted, I've sampled none of them:

Macadamia nut pie http://food.epicurious.com/run/recipe/view?id=103958

I have a second macadamia nut pie with rum sauce, passion fruit chiffon pie or a pineapple merengue pie recipe.

If you're interested in fruit breads, besides the mango bread, I have recipes for Macadamia nut bread, Macadamia banana bread, or pineapple nut bread, coconut-macadamia nut cookies, baked bananas, or candied papaya. I also have recipes for more traditional Hawaiian desserts such as haupia (kind of a stiff coconut pudding) mochi (sticky rice dessert) and malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts.)

Will be happy to pass on any of these, just keep in mind that they're all untried.

[C_Popielarz]

Thanks for the ideas. I guess I should have been more clear in my original posting. Where I work, we set out food on a long coutertop for people to "Graze" on all day. We don't have access to kitchen facilities at all.

Usually I bring in breads or sweets that are stable in room temperature for several hours.

Thanks again for the help!