Good Reference on Hawaiian Regional Cuisine

books:


	• Chefs of Aloha: Favorite Recipes from the Top Chefs of Hawai'i Island Heritage Publishing, 2002 - 154 pages view larger image
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Complicated recipes, not enough from Roy's

I've been an avid home chef for years, and the recipes seem complicated to me.

Good Reference on Hawaiian Regional Cuisine

I did not find all the recipes in this book difficult to follow, and I have made a number of them. I don't consider complexity to be a valid criticism. After all, we're talking about A-list Hawaiian chefs here, not Rachel Ray. But these recipes do assume a fairly high level of knowledge on the part of the reader. For example, the "Lemongrass Coconut Cream" recipe has as one of the ingredients "1 cup thick bechamel sauce". I hope you know how to make that, because the cookbook doesn't say. Similarly, some recipes call for demi-glace without further explanation.

The editing of this book was sloppy and could have been better, and it would have avoided some rather ridiculous snafus like the "Rotisserie Island Chicken" that has "Huli-Huli Sauce" as an ingredient. Not so helpfully, the recipe is immediately followed by something called "Huli-Huli Style Sauce", one of the ingredients of which is 1/2 cup of Huli-Huli sauce! I'm still wondering what the hell Huli-Huli sauce is.

My number one criticism of this book is that many chefs include unusual, local-to-Hawaii, and hard-to-find ingredients in the recipes. Even those of us who live in an area with many Asian markets may have a hard time finding some of the ingredients like sambal olek, or ogo seaweed. It would have been good if the chefs would give the reader who does not have a lot of experience with this particular style of cuisine just what it is about these ingredients that make them special, and what one might substitute when the preferred ingredients are unavailable.

I do give this book 4 stars, because many of the preparations are indeed delicious.

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Volcanic Ahi, Lollipop Shrimp, Toy Box Tomato Salad, Golden Temple Bananas - the recipes in this book are as intriguing as the top Island Chefs who created them. In just a little over a decade, these culinary wizards have become household names among gourmets around the world. They?ve put Hawai?i on the epicurean map - and have had a great time doing it. In this beautifully photographed book, the acclaimed Chefs of Aloha share some of their favorite recipes, cooking tips and presentation ideas. All ingredients are readily available in Hawai?i, and most of the dishes are very easy to prepare. Have fun in your kitchen - then savor the fabulous results!

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