Aloha! With summer now in full swing it's time to have some great backyard Bar-B-Q. I'm here to share some fantastic and easy tips to turn your everyday get together into an authentic Hawaiian Luau. Now I know we all can run out and buy cheep flower leis and throw together some silly tiki decorations, but wouldn't you rather get a bit more authentic? In Hawaii, there's a great saying that goes "We don't eat until we're full. We eat until we're tired." So lets put together a Luau that your Hoapili (friends) and Ohana (family) will talk about all year!

First let's get down to the grub. The authentic Hawaiian plate usually includes; Kalua pig, macaroni salad, steamed white rice (usually served using an ice cream scoop), cocktails, and Haupia (coconut pudding desert). Mac salad and steamed rice are pretty basic so I'm just going to focus on the main entree, the cocktail, and a dessert.

The Kalua pig is traditionally seasoned, wrapped in Ti leaves, slow cooked over hot lava rocks, six feet deep, all day. You may not have access to a fire pit or two handsome Hawaiians to lift the pig for you so instead, here is a simple recipe that still gives you that authentic flavour.

The most loved cocktail in the islands are the Blue Hawaiian. Named after the movie starring Elvis Presley. You can dress it up by adding a slice of pineapple and a drink umbrella to the rim of each glass.

For dessert, I decided to stray a bit from the traditional way to serve Haupia. Haupia is a coconut pudding dessert, but more closely resembles a gelatin. It is cut into squares and served chilled. Some people find it a bit plain, so to make sure it is a hit at your Luau I found a great recipe that uses it in a pie. If you want to garnish the pie, top it off with chocolate shavings or some chopped macadamia nuts.

One more great way to insure an authentic Hawaiian feel is with some handmade Leis for your guest. Hawaiians love their flower Leis, don' get me wrong. But if you want something people can take home and keep forever to remember them of your great Luau try making some fun Ribbon Leis. Hawaiians give these for all sorts of occasions besides Luaus. Like graduations, weddings, home comings, birthdays and many other celebrations. For easy step-by-step instructions go to the link below.

In the Hawaiian islands, they don't believe in saying goodbye so instead let me conclude by saying, "A hui hou kakou" which in English simply means, "Until we meet again".

Need More Ideas? Check out these links- Luau Recipes from The Polynesian Cultural Center, Paper Drink Umbrellas by it mom and Three Ways to Slice and Serve Pineapple by YashRaj Films.