The 2009 Shaka List: Maui No Ka ‘Oi Magazine

From Honolua Bay to the happy-faced spider--25 reasons Maui rocks!
by Shannon Wianecki

10. Mana Foods.
What strange magic allows this natural foods store to continually expand inside without growing on the outside? Oh, quirky, funky, accommodating Mana Foods . . . how do we love thee?
Let us count the ways:
1. bountiful local and organic produce
2. friendly cashiers
3. bulk macadamia nuts
4. to-die-for vegan baked goods
5. hilarious bulletin-board postings. . . .

To see complete list, see original article

Best Chocolate Selection on Maui

From the Sunday, November 29th Maui News

MANA FOODS HAS WIDE SELECTION OF CHOCOLATE
In response to the question about where to find the widest selection of chocolate anywhere (Letters, Nov. 22), it's Mana Foods, of course. With almost 400 different types of chocolate, it is by far the largest selection I have seen in Hawaii, on the Mainland or in Europe.
Marie DeJournette
Paia

Gluten Freedom: December 2009

Gluten Free Holidays

Turkey with Gluten Free Stuffing
Yams
Broccoli with Mock Hollandaise
Tempt Hemp Ice Cream

Prepare to roast your turkey as you normally would
Gluten Free Rice Stuffing:
This recipe is courtesy of Ener-G Foods and is really yummy
1 Cup diced Onion
1 Cup Celery, chopped
1 Cup Celery Leaves, chopped
1 4oz can sliced mushrooms, drained OR 4 oz of sliced mushrooms of your choice (I always love Porcini mushrooms for the deep, hearty flavor)1 Cup Rice, uncooked
3 Tbsp Gluten-Free Margarine ( I prefer Earth Balance Organic)
2 Cups GF Vegetable Broth1 Tsp (or to taste)
Sea/Mineral Salt
3/4 Tsp Poultry Seasoning
1/2 Cup Chopped Toasted Almonds
Cook the rice in the vegetable broth until tender, about 1 hour. Saute the remaining ingredients in a skillet until the celery and onion are tender.

Add the rice and toasted almonds, stir to blend.

Stuff & Roast Turkey as you normally would

Yams
Organic Yams
Roast in 375 oven approximately 1 hour for every 4 yams
Serve with GF Margarine

Broccoli
Organic Broccoli Steamed
Mock Hollandaise
1 Cup GF Margarine
Juice of 2 Lemons
6 Egg Whites only
Melt butter in small sauce pan
Crack 6 eggs for the whites into bowl
Add juice of both lemons to egg-white mixture and whisk.
Add to melted butter on low heat and stir until all three are blended and eggs are coagulated into butter and lemon juice.You can play with this recipe for desired tang.
It will not look like a smooth hollandaise, but will taste as good if not better.
Spoon over Broccoli

Tempt Hemp Ice Cream
Favorite Tempt Flavor
Spoon
Quiet Room
Sneak into the freezer, grab your flavah, find the darkest quietest room you can, open the top & sink your spoon into the creamiest ice cream you will nevah want to share!!!

Happy Holidays!

Top 8 Reasons to Love Mana Foods

By Stephanie Nelson
So, we know we don’t love the parking, or the lack thereof. (Or those mean stares you get from the Charley’s lot parking attendants as they assess whether they can catch you heading up Baldwin to Mana despite the No Parking for Mana Foods signs. I feel like I’m on a covert operation, stashing my shopping bags and heading into other stores first as a diversion.) But there are plenty of reasons to love Mana Foods. You likely have your own reasons. These are a few of mine.

1. Personally, I love the small, narrow aisles; they remind me of big city corner delis. Plus, I’m not as overwhelmed by all the choices. (The cereal aisle in those super-sized supermarkets can be downright intimidating.) Nor do I get lost, which I find quite comforting.

2.Gluten-free products galore at excellent prices, including Pamela’s Pancake Mix (a must-try no matter your gluten intake preferences).

3.Vosges Haut-Chocolat: While it’s an expensive candy bar for sure, it costs less than a massage (or therapy!) and comes in interesting flavors like milk chocolate with almonds and sea salt, and dark chocolate with chilies. There’s even one with bacon. Aren’t you just a little bit curious? The candy bars make a lovely, little gift…and won’t break your gift budget.

4. Freshly baked croissants, flakey on the outside, light and sweet on the inside.

5. The vitamin room with its many naturopathic remedies, plus yummy soaps and Dr. Hauschka’s face products. (Careful, though. You go in thinking you’ll just look and you come out with incense sticks, peppermint foot lotion and American Apparel shorts.)

6. Lots of local goods from produce to grass-fed beef.

7. Princess Cake. I grew up on this quintessential Swedish cake, being half-Swedish and visiting family there many a summer. A yellow cake filled with jam and whipped cream, and covered in chewy, green (yes, green) marzipan is a very hard cake to find. So imagine my surprise when I found it in a small, Hawaiian surf town. Home sweet home.

8. When I’m in Costco., I could be anywhere in America. But in Mana Foods, with its sandy surfers, sun burnt tourists, yogis, and barefoot locals, I know exactly where I am. And that’s pretty nice.

Original article
Stephanie Nelson is a writer who spent decades stalking Manhattan's restaurants and keeping silent about her opinions. Now living full time on Maui, she finds it hard to keep quiet about food. Stephanie is always on the lookout for the next delectable treat.

Mana Foods Celebrates 25 years

The Maui News, October 29, 2009
CARLA TRACY photo

Mana Foods

Celebrates 25 years with giveaways, demos, prizes, lots of Halloween fun

It started out 25 years ago in Paia as a tiny hole in the wall that sold only fresh-squeezed juices. Now, Mana Foods is the most powerful health food store on island with over 100 employees.
These days, Mana Foods features more than vegetarian options. There is a department packed with natural gourmet meat and seafood, a deli headed by Thai Chef Suphan Ann Gale, a bakery, a vitamin room, the famous wall of chocolate, and household and pet items.
"We always try hard to have our food be affordable. We are just doing the customer appreciation week to thank the community," says partner Sunette Fenn, who runs the store with founder Ed Thielk and his sister, Theresa Thielk, along with partner Chris Ozee.
"Our event this week includes customer giveaways, prizes, nutritional education, product sampling and Dr. Hauschka facials and more."
From 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Mana Foods will host a barbecue fundraiser with 100 percent of the profits going to the Paia Youth & Cultural Center. Just look for the grills going out by the cart cage to the side of the store.
"We're going to have some really good food," says Fenn. "We'll have healthy plate-lunch options, including locally caught fish; grass-fed, antibiotic-and-hormone-free steak and vegetarian selections."
Over 300 local vendors, "just about everyone on island," says Ed, sell their products to Mana Foods. Saturday, you may come shop at the store and get an up-close look at some of them.
"Saturday features Meet the Farmer with Anuhea Farms and their asparagus, and Green Leaf and their yacon," says produce manager Ryan Earehart. "Yacon is a Peruvian root like jicama. Saturday we'll also have a cheese demonstration on the bamboo bar.
Since Saturday is Halloween, and Paia is celebrating in a big way, Mana Foods will provide all-natural treats for the keiki from 5 to 7 p.m. outdoors along with a magic show and bagpipers.
In addition, from now through Saturday, if you buy $250 worth of products, you'll get "a free bag of schwag," or a free bag of store items (while supplies last).
This year, Mana Foods was nominated for the Mayor's Small Business Award. It was also named "Best Health Food Store" on the island in The Maui News.

Link to original article

Gluten Freedom: November 2009

Back To School!!!

Ok, so it’s the love hate “back to school” time of year. We love it because we get to go to the bathroom without anyone knocking at the door wanting something that only YOU can do, but we also hate the idea of having to come up with something creative on a daily basis for your child’s lunchbox…which for you newbies is fun…for a while.

If you’re smart, and they’re old enough of course, you will designate an area of your fridge that will hold all of your “pre-approved” lunch “choices” and you will let your child make his/her own lunch, with the goal of course of eliminating yet another thing you are no good at, and handing the responsibility back to them.

However, if your child isn’t old enough and you are relegated to chief cook and lunch maker, let’s look at the gluten free options!

Believe it or not there exists new bread I have discovered, and one that Mana should have in the store by now called Udi’s. Udi’s bread is a godsend!!! I defy anyone to note a difference between Udi’s and any other decent sandwich bread. So….lunch.

Entrees:

SANDWICH!!!!!

*Udi’s bread (Finally one that doesn’t crumble in your hands at first bite!)

*ANYTHING YOU WANT TO PUT BETWEEN DA SLICES!!!

*Left over anything you made for dinner that they liked, placed in a BFA-free reusable container

Ok, so the rest……

(GF sides for lunches)

*Sliced Fruit

Can add for scoopage:

*Almond Butter

*Dips (Read labels)

*Lemon

*Chips (check labels carefully) Safe Chips are:

*Eden Brown Rice Chips

*Mary’s Gone Crackers Sticks & Twigs

*Garden Of Eatin Plain Corn Chips

*You get the picture, but READ labels!

*Veggies

Can add for scoopage:

*Dips (Read labels)

* Hummus

*Lemon

*Roasted Nuts

These are really easy to make! Simply heat your oven to 300-325 (depending on your

Maui oven). Place nuts on cookie sheet, either on aluminum or a silpat, and put in

oven for about 8-10 minutes or until you just start to smell the nuts.

*For Almonds…simply add the almonds and bake

*For Pumpkin Seeds…you have a couple of choices. Personally I love them with

a bite, but if your child doesn’t, just put them on the cookie sheet, add about 1-2

teaspoons of olive oil per pound (453 gm), add Himalayan sea salt (or sea plain

salt) and mix, then bake as above. If you like a bite, add cayenne pepper to taste

when you add salt.

Snacks are easy….Mana is full of gluten free choices for snacks, but while you can, because this won’t last long, have your child learn to enjoy the naturally sweet snacks of the abundant and local Mana fruits we have on our beautiful island home!!!

Maui Weekly: Business Briefs

Mana Foods is getting ready to celebrate 25 years of wholesome business with a “community appreciation week,” beginning Monday, Oct. 26. Founded in 1983 by Ed Thielk, this North Shore market, which offers a wide range of natural and organic items, has a dedicated team of over 100 employees to keep this “bustling business” running smoothly. The colorful produce aisle has an average of 80 to 90 percent certified organic or unsprayed items, and 40 percent of their produce is Hawai‘i-grown. In honor of their anniversary, Mana Foods is holding a weeklong celebration, which includes customer giveaways, prizes, nutritional education, tasty samples, facials from Dr. Hauschka and more. Mana Foods is located at 49 Baldwin Avenue in the heart of Pä‘ia. Call 579-8078 or visit www.manafoodsmaui.com for more information.

Maui Time Weekly: Plugs & Slugs

Plug
To Mana Foods for reaching the quarter-century mark. This month, the popular Paia health food store is celebrating 25 years in business with a series of customer appreciation events, including a BBQ fundraiser for the Paia Youth & Cultural Center on October 30 (check out www.manafoodsmaui.com for more info). Even if herbal supplements and kombucha tea aren't your thing, you've got to give credit to a local establishment dedicated to healthful, sustainable food (40 percent of Mana's produce is grown in Hawaii and between 80 ans 90 percent in certified organic, according to a company release) Plus, Mana employs about 100 people, an especially important fact these days.

by Jacob Shafer, Maui Time Weekly
October 22, 2009, Volume 13, Issue 18

New York Magazine

"Hike way above the clouds in the dormant Haleakala volcano, Maui's highest peak. Stop beforehand for provisions at Mana Foods, an excellent health-food store in Paia"

By Vanessa Grigoriadis

Read the entire article here

http://nymag.com/travel/weekends/maui/

Gluten Freedom: October 2009

My name is Annie Nelson and I have been a patron of Mana Foods for about 24 years. I travel a great deal, and because I have Celiac Disease ( which I will go into in a moment ), I have had the good fortune to discover just about every health food store in the US, plus much of the rest of the world. I can honestly say, without reservation that Mana is Da Best!

Last Of The Summer

So okay, for those of us blessed enough to live on lovely Maui there is no end to perpetual blissy (is that a word?) summer. If it was the end of summer, this is the menu I would prepare:

- Vegan Pesto Pasta
- Everything Yummy Salad
- Kinnickinick Garlic Toast
- Almond Bliss

Vegan Pesto
Serves 4-6
2 cups organic basil
3-4 Cloves Organic Garlic
1 ½ C. Olive Oil
¼ C. Organic Earth balance Buttery Spread
½ C. Nutritional Yeast
Salt

In a Blender, Food Processor, Vita Mix, or Magic Bullet add ingredients and blend until smooth.

1 Pk. Tinkyada Spinach Spaghetti Style pasta (fusili works too)
Make as usual & do not overcook

After pasta is prepared and pesto is blended (you can make it ahead and it tastes better if it sits and marinates together), add a small amount of pesto to the pasta bowl you want to serve the pasta in, add the spaghetti on top of that, then add the rest of the pesto…it’s that simple!

Everything Yummy Salad

Find the finest freshest, most local salad greens you can find in your friendly Mana produce department for this salad!!!

Freshest, yummiest Salad Greens (to portion for number of guests/diners)
Ripe Avocado (sliced)
Red Onion (sliced thin & halved)
Olive Oil
Fresh Juice of 1 Lemon
Himalayan Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper

Kinnikinnick Garlic Toast

Pre-Heat Oven to Broil

1 Package Kinnikinnick English Muffins
1 C. Olive Oil
4 cloves Garlic
¼ C. Organic Earth balance Buttery Spread
I Tblsp. Himalayan Sea Salt (if you are a salt junkie like me-otherwise cut it to ½)

Blend Olive oil, Garlic, Butter & Sea Salt in your favorite blender until smooth.

Slice English Muffins in half, and place on covered cookie sheet. Spread olive oil mixture on top of each until coated and soaked. Place cookie sheet in oven and watch carefully!!!! Bread should come out toasty and not burnt

Almond Bliss

Luna & Larry’s Coconut Bliss DARK CHOCOLATE Ice Cream
Organic (Crunchy) Almond Butter
Sea Salt

Place Ice Cream in individual bowls
Top with warmed Almond Butter
Sprinkle with Sea Salt (very important!!!)

Aloha & Peace,

Annie Nelson

Maui News: Best of Maui 2009

Best Health Food
Mana Foods
For the best prices and selection, shoppers head to Mana Foods. "We buy in volume and pass on every discount we get to the customers," said Theresa Thielk who helped brother Ed Thielk get the business started 26 years ago. A lot of credit for pricing and selection also goes to Purchasing Director and co-owner Sunette Fenn.
"We appreciate all the support in the community," said Sunette. "A lot of Paia people come here. They can get stuff cheaper."
Mana Foods employs over 100 people. "Most are full time," said Sunette. They need that many people to operate a vitamin room, produce department, bakery, deli & more.
In addition to vegan and vegetarian items, Mana Foods has a wide range of natural poultry, fish and beef, whole grains, and even natural cleaning products.

Gluten Freedom: September 2009

So here we are again…Gluten Freedom-Part Deux. In this article I will give you three recipes, which will include a vegetarian, meat and desert dish.

White Bean Hummus
2 Cups White Beans
2 Cloves Garlic
½ Cup Olive Oil (good olive oil-1st Cold Pressed &Extra Virgin)
1 Lemon (juice only) Use local and support your community!!!!
Salt

***Soak White Beans overnight in water (cover beans with water then a bit more)***
This recipe works best with my prized and coveted Vita-Mix, but works fine in a food processor, blender, or even a Magic Bullet blender.

Add soaked white beans to bender/food processor/Vita-Mix. Add olive oil. Whir it up to a paste (add oil if needed). Drop in cleaned Garlic Cloves. Add juice of 1 Lemon, & salt to taste.

This can be served with celery stalks, carrots, Edward & Sons Brown Rice Snaps crackers, or Lydia’s Organics Raw crackers.

Wild Salmon with Wasabi
This one is so easy & makes you look really good!

2 Fresh Mana Wild Salmon fillets
Course Grind Sea/Mineral Salt
Sushi Sonic Wasabi Powder
Water

Preheat broiler to 500 degrees. Mix your wasabi paste to desired burn factor and let sit. Take your beautiful fresh Mana Wild Salmon fillets (with skin side down), and set them on a parchment covered baking sheet. Generously sprinkle a crust of sea/mineral salt on top of salmon fillets. Broil for 10-15 minutes or until crust as browned. Remove from oven. Remove bottom skin of Salmon fillets while plating. Add “dollup” ( I think that’s a word?) of wasabi paste to plate. Serve with a local greens salad & you’ve got a whole gluten free meal!

GF Blissful Sundae

1 Pint Luna & Larry’s Vanilla Coconut Bliss Ice Cream
2 Cups Raw Organic Almonds
Fresh Local Berries from Produce Department

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Put Organic Raw Almonds on cookie sheet & place in oven for no more than 15 minutes (check them after 10). When Almonds are finished roasting remove from cookie sheet and place on cool surface for about 20 minutes (this can all be done ahead of time & with more almonds if you like…they make great GF snacks). In a bowl add Vanilla Coco Bliss ice cream, top with almonds (can be crushed 1st for added effect) and then add berries to that.

Additions:
GF Chocolate Chips
GFAlaska Chocolate Syrup
Anything GF your mind can imagine!

Aloha & Peace,

Annie Nelson

Gluten Freedom: August 2009

So here it finally is, the first of a series of Gluten Free recipes born from one very long conversation (and some killah brownies that were snaked before she could try ‘em) between me, and Sunette Fenn.

Let me introduce myself. My name is Annie Nelson and I have been a patron of Mana Foods for about 24 years. I travel a great deal, and because I have Celiac Disease ( which I will go into in a moment ), I have had the good fortune to discover just about every health food store in the US, plus much of the rest of the world. I can honestly say, without reservation that Mana is Da Best! We are very lucky Maui…let’s all keep Mana Foods going!

As I said I have Celiac Disease. It is not an allergy, it is an autoimmune disease in which people who have the DQ2 & or DQ8 Celiac gene markers cannot handle gluten proteins from Wheat, Barely, Rye & some Oats. It’s commonly defined as an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. What does this mean? Essentially the body is attacking itself every time a person with celiac consumes gluten.

Here is the Mayo Clinic definition:

“Celiac disease is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten, which is found in bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust and many other foods containing wheat, barley or rye (my note: including anything made with grain alcohol, vinegars, soy sauce…you get the picture right?). If you have celiac disease and eat foods containing gluten, an immune reaction occurs in your small intestine, causing damage to the surface of your small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients.
Eventually, the decreased absorption of nutrients (malabsorption) that occurs with celiac disease can cause vitamin deficiencies that deprive your brain, peripheral nervous system, bones, liver and other organs of vital nourishment. This can lead to other illnesses and stunted growth in children.
No treatment can cure celiac disease. However, you can effectively manage celiac disease through changing your diet.”

Depressing huh? Well believe it or not, it’s not so bad. It used to suck to have this disease, but there are now places like Mana Foods, and some really amazing restaurants, that provide a wide variety of gluten free alternatives to your usual foods. For more information about Celiac Disease here are some websites you can visit which are helpful:
www.celiac.org
www.celiac.com
www.celiaccentral.org

So…back to the point. I will be providing from 1-4 recipes each week or month (not sure that’s been worked out yet), for you to try at home. Since many people with Celiac Disease are sensitive to other known food irritants, I will not be using dairy, which is da usual bad boy, even though it is gluten free. I will use foods that can be found while shopping at Mana. There’s more to say but let’s get started!

Since I took up most of the space for this first article with the alohas, I will give just one recipe to get you started, but be warned…these are really decadent! They are also full of chocolate, so no eat befoa bed eh?...unless you are immune to caffiene’s effects.

Pam & Annie’s “Killah” Gluten Free & Vegan Brownies (VEGAN-DESSERT)
I package Pamela’s Chocolate Brownie Mix
1 Individual Cup from a Packet of Santa Cruz or other PLAIN Applesauce
SAVE THE CUP!
1 Applesauce Cup of Apple Juice (Martinellis is best)
1 Applesauce Cup of Grapeseed or Canola Oil
½ Bag Tropical Source Dark Chocolate Chips ( 10 oz)

Options:
Walnuts
Almonds
Marshmallows
Let your imagination run Gluten Free!

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium mixing bowl add entire contents from Brownie Mix. Make a well in the center of the mix. Open Applesauce individual cup and add applesauce. Use the applesauce cup to measure and add Apple Juice to top, and then with same applesauce cup add oil to top. Cut open package of Chocolate Chips, then add ½ of the bag.

Mix the ingredients until blended but do not over mix. Pour into a greased 8” or 9” pan (shape doesn’t matter). Bake for 25-30 minutes (do the toothpick check).

Aloha & Peace,

Annie Nelson

Maui Time Weekly Best of Maui 2009

BEST HEALTH FOOD STORE
Mana Foods Shopping at most natural food stores is not too different from spending the weekend in Waikiki, in that you might as well just turn your wallet upside down an pour its contents into the ocean. This is not so with Mana Foods. Numerous times, I have exited this mecca for the health conscious rather surprised at the comparatively low sum I had to fork over for my B complex, sprouted tofu and Molokai papayas. While price is a major factor in the place's appeal, the variety they feature in all departments—especially produce and supplements—are also a draw. This is the only place on-island where you'll find Indian dhoop, which are these tiny incense sticks that smell the way honey wishes it tasted—and at around 30 cents a box. 49 Baldwin Ave., Paia, 808-579-8078. [KB] www.manafoodsmaui.com

Hotel Review: The Paia Inn Hotel in Maui - May 24, 2009
. . . Mana Foods, a large health food store that’s a prime spot for eavesdropping on hilarious conversations about chakras and organic spelt.

read the entire article
http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/05/24/travel/24checkin.html?scp=1&sq=paia&st=cse

Esquire Magazine: Best Breakfast in America

53 best breakfast spots
The breakfast burrito is open to interpretation, which is both its genius and its potential downfall. Using the kitchen-sink approach, anything that can be jammed into a tortilla along with eggs rice, bacon, beans, onions, sausage, sour cream, enough cheese to pave a road is considered a fine addition. But as the cooks at Mana Foods demonstrate each morning, the key to perfection is restraint. Mana's contains only organic scrambled eggs accented with just enough cheddar to let you know it's there, small potato chunks sauted in butter, and a sprinkle of diced green pepper. Susan Casey