Please Read
There Is Something Primal About Our Love for Cups, Food and Wine, February 2024
Here’s the Difference Between Hawai’i’s Local Food and Hawaiian Food, Plus How Spam Fits Into All of It, Food and Wine, November 2022 (this one won the MFK Fisher Prize from Les Dames d’Escoffier Intl 2023)
How It Feels to Close Your Restaurant For Good, Food and Wine, August 2020 (this one is a finalist for a James Beard Media Award 2022)
Through Poi Dog, we worked to perpetuate a culture of aloha, The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 2020
The Fine Art of Asking a Chef to Donate to Your Event or Fundraiser, Food and Wine, May 2022
Secrets of a Professional Palate, Food and Wine, October 2021
Butter Mochi Will Help You Win Every Potluck, Food and Wine, October 2021
Big Food Features
American Truffles Are Right Under Your Nose and They’re About to Be Everywhere, Food and Wine, May 2024
From Ancient Rome to New Nordic: The Interrupted Legacy of Garum, Fine Dining Lovers, January 2022
Sham Spam: Prettified and de-porkified, Hawaii’s favorite musubi is adapted for halal fine dining, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, April 2020
Congee: The Ultimate Comfort Food, Edible Philly, March 2020
For The Guardian
‘Sugar is brown!’: there’s more to the sweet stuff than its pure white version, The Guardian, May 2024
Hawaiian scientist quests to find and save the state’s distinctive sugarcanes, The Guardian, April 2024
Mascara, smoothies, T-shirts: I spent a day (and $500) on seaweed products, The Guardian, December 2023
Trend Features
What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About the Michelin Guide, Philadelphia Magazine, January 2024
The Democratisation of the Omakase, Fine Dining Lovers, December 2023
The ‘90s are Back on the Menu, Fine Dining Lovers, July 2023
Pantry Essentials for a Post-Pandemic Christmas, Fine Dining Lovers, December 2022
Consuming the Soft Politics of Gastrodiplomacy, Fine Dining Lovers, November 2022
Cooking Without Gas? Electricity versus the Wok, Fine Dining Lovers, August 2022
José Andrés: "The Restaurant Industry Doesn’t get Credit for its Effort,” Fine Dining Lovers, July 2022
Is Food Criticism Under Review?, Fine Dining Lovers, April 2022
To Tip or Not to Tip? The Great Gratuity Debate Continues…, Fine Dining Lovers, February 2022
How to Integrate High-End Design into Your Kitchen, Food and Wine, October 2021
Kiki Aranita's Adventures in Vintage Cookery, The Cleaver Quarterly, Issue 5: Summer 2015 (pdf of Get Kitsch Quick)
Articles with Recipes
Pump It Up: Ways to Raise Your Pumpkin Game, Fine Dining Lovers, October 2021
Without Travel, Our Recipes Make Thanksgiving, The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 2020
On Chinese New Year, dumplings take two Philly chefs home, The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 2020
Sustainability Focused Articles
No Crying Over Spilt Beer: creative sustainability in action, Fine Dining Lovers, October 2023
Axis Deer Are a Threat to Hawaii’s Native Species and You Can Help Out by Eating Them, Food and Wine, June 2023
Pick Up the Fonio, Save the World? Fine Dining Lovers, December 2022
Beverage Articles
Pandora’s Liquor Licensing Box — Serving Alcohol in Pennsylvania is Prohibitively Expensive, So What Are We Gonna Do About It? Good Beer Hunting, February 2024
Out of the Smoke in Canada’s Western Winelands, Fine Dining Lovers, October 2023
There are Additives in Most Tequilas, But That’s Not Necessarily a Bad Thing, Food and Wine, December 2022
Slow Drinks: The Fast-Growing Cocktail Trend, Fine Dining Lovers, December 2022
Profiles
Meet the chef who feeds the Sixers, The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 2024
Meet the man who feeds the Eagles — and the local chefs who help, The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 2024
Andre Mack: “I get mail from people in jail about ham,” Fine Dining Lovers, May 2022
Articles about Other Chefs
What do pop-up chefs do with their leftovers? The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 2024
On a Mission, Secret Menu, April 2024
Everything Old is New Again, Secret Menu, April 2024
Welcome to the new Moon Rabbit, Fine Dining Lovers, March 2024
Third Culture Cuisine is More Than a Trend, Fine Dining Lovers, August 2023
When You Travel, Travel with Chefs, Fine Dining Lovers, August 2023
Portuguese Food is Finally Trending in the US, Fine Dining Lovers, June 2023
Sweet Memories: How Chefs are Remixing Nostalgic Asian Snacks, Fine Dining Lovers, June 2022
Where is Canada’s Indigenous Food Scene? Fine Dining Lovers, October 2022
Chef Residencies Continue to Shift the Lens, Fine Dining Lovers, September 2022
The Future of the Food Industry, According to the People Who Know It Best, Eater Philly, April 2022
Where are Philly’s Food Truck Pioneers Now?, Eater Philly, November 2021
Snack Like a Chef, Food and Wine, October 2021
These Chefs are Building Community with Pop-Ups, Side Hustles and Hybrid Careers, Plate Magazine, October 2021
The Double Lives of Philly’s Best Chefs and Restaurateurs, Eater Philly, October 2021
Thinking Inside the Box: The Chefs Who Pivoted to Packaged Goods, Fine Dining Lovers, October 2021
Kitchen Residential: The Rise of the Post-Pandemic Pop-Up, Fine Dining Lovers, September 2021
Diners are lining up for Philly cheesesteaks — in Bahrain, The Philadelphia Inquirer, March 2020
By Coconut Aranita
Dog Menus are Popping Up Across the Region. Here Are the Best, According to this Philly Dog, Philadelphia Magazine, August 2023
Inside Brewerytown’s New Off-Leash Dog Restaurant From a Pup’s Perspective, Philadelphia Magazine, February 2024
On Maui
How to Help Hawaiian Islanders Affected By Maui’s Wildfires, Food and Wine, August 2023
How to Help Maui Now, Fine Dining Lovers, September 2023
Kiki wrote the column THE NEXT COURSE for Fine Dining Lovers
The Next Course: Hard Soup, April 2022
The Next Course: Rice Beyond the Rice Cooker, May 2022
The Next Course: Fostering Female Mentorship, June 2022
The Next Course: Feasting on First-Generation Filipino Food, July 2022
The Next Course: Come On Barbiecore, Let’s Go Party, August 2022
The Next Course: Drink Like a Coastal Grandma, September 2022
The Next Course: A New Era for Kalo? October 2022
The Next Course: Wading into New Waters with Wildtype, November 2022
The Next Course: Middle Eastern New American Menu Linguistics, December 2022
Food and Wine Pro Articles
Who Owns a Condiment — a Company or a Culture?, Food and Wine, April 2024
The Private Chef Life Seems So Glam on the Surface, but Here’s What Really Happens When You Hire One, Food and Wine, September 2023
What to do When You’re Running Late for a Restaurant Reservation, Food and Wine, November 2022
How to Bring Back Food from a Vacation and Become Extremely Popular: Omiyage tips from experts, expats, and the perpetually homesick, Food and Wine, September 2022
How to BYOB and Not Be a Jerk About It, Food and Wine, August 2022
How to Share Food with Other People in the Least Gross Way Possible, According to an Expert, Food and Wine, August 2022
The Fine Art of Leaving a Tasting Menu Early, According to a Chef, Food and Wine, August 2022
The Fine Art of Asking a Chef to Donate to Your Event or Fundraiser, Food and Wine, May 2022
The Fine Art of a First Date at a Bar or Restaurant, Food and Wine, April 2022
The Fine Art of Splitting the Check, Food and Wine, March 2022
Recipe Development
The Hawaiian word lu'au can mean three things: a gathering or celebration, the young leaves of the kalo (aka taro) plant, or a dish made with those leaves, coconut milk and sometimes chicken or squid. This recipe is a version of the latter from chef Kiki Aranita, made with collard greens, which are easier to find on the mainland. This lu'au recipe makes a generous amount, but you won't regret it since it holds beautifully—you can even freeze it so you have a nutritious side dish at your fingertips.
Other Projects
Sabbatical Beauty’s Kiki Seaweed Mask, Summer 2020 Skin Collection
How to Make Coffee Chocolate Haupia with La Colombe, July 2020
A SPAM® Musubirthday Cake with Munchies/Vice, August 2020
Get Kitsch Quick, The Cleaver Quarterly
An essay for Food and Wine
Thanksgiving 2020 and a recipe for Shoyu Ahi Poke
Diners are lining up for Philly cheesesteaks -- in Bahrain. Words and photos for the Philadelphia Inquirer
A tiny Lunar New Year celebration making spring rolls during the pandemic.
