“Yum Yum Cha, Let’s East Dim Sum in Hawaii,” is Muriel Miura’s last cookbook, published posthumously with help from friend, author, and Honolulu Star-Advertiser columnist, Lynette Lo Tom. Muriel had worked on this dim sum cookbook for years, taking the manuscripts with her back and forth to the mainland whenever she visited her daughter. She dined at numerous dim sum restaurants both in Hawaii and on the mainland to hone her list of recipes. For her, it was a continued work-in-progress.

Communities on the Island of Hawaii continue to recover from Kilauea’s 2018 lower East Rift Zone eruption and summit collapse as does the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory.

Christmas in the tropics can be a challenge. The surf and beach are still a big attraction. Some folks might even take the holidays to catch up on gardening projects. There are folks who miss the snow and the bite of frost in the air. They remember the cold, dark days when all life is dormant. They long for the coziness of an open fireplace and the smell of holiday cooking in the kitchen. A trip to Mauna Kea will help add to the spirit of the season.

The electronics workshop at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory buzzes with creative activity. It’s like Santa Claus’ workshop — for volcano science. Workbenches line the walls of the room, cluttered with things in the making: pliers, wires, and bottles of glue; voltmeters, calipers and microchips, too.

Christmas is almost here, but it seems like most folks are a bit slow in getting their trees up this year. Don’t delay any longer since trees that are shipped in early are best. If you wait, the cut mainland trees will dry out and can become fire hazards. The advantage to imported trees is that they have a pine scent. This year almost 100,000 trees are arriving and unfortunately some unwanted hitchhikers as well. One container arrived with slugs, a garter snake and tree frogs from the Pacific Northwest.

When I first ate a Japanese souffle pancake in Tokyo, I was so impressed by its lightness and delicate taste. But they are not a new item on the culinary scene, as the first form of pancakes appeared in the 16th century and was called “funo-yaki” and invented by Sen no Rikyu, the founder of the tea ceremony. The original Japanese pancake was made by mixing flour with water and sake and then fried and served with sweet miso paste for tea ceremonies.

Wailoa Center is currently hosting the 13th Annual Hawaii Nei Art Exhibition. Artwork will be displayed from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Monday-Friday, through Dec. 16 at Wailoa Center.

AKona pastor has faith in today’s youth, and is providing a path to discover careers in the trades by establishing a vocational center.

Scientists at the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory largely rely on aerial data collection for making maps of ongoing eruptions at Kilauea. Most commonly, scientists collect a series of overlapping aerial photos (optical or thermal).