On My Plate

Taste of Maui cookbook now available

After months and months of hard work--editing, proofing, nit-picking, fact-checking, organizing and all that lovely stuff that goes behind the scenes of finalizing a book manuscript and getting it to the printer on time--the cookbook is finally out. I recently picked up my very own copy of Taste of Maui (Mutual Publishing, Oct 2008, $18.95) from the Pā`ina building at Maui Community College, home of the Maui Culinary Academy. At 208-pages, this hardcover spiral-bound cookbook is a beauty. Not quite coffee table tome, but something to keep and use over and over until lovingly worn. Food enthusiasts and home cooks will like the gourmet island recipes and colorful artwork and photographs. But for me, as a long-time writer/editor, the best part with completing projects like this is simply seeing and holding the finished product in hand. Sweet! Nothing beats that feeling....

Wanna know what it's about? Well, here's the cover copy, straight from the source:

Taste of Maui
Favorite Recipes from the Maui Culinary Academy

Here are recipes to satisfy palates from the simple to the most sophisticated while showing off the innovative, island-style cooking coming out of the Maui Culinary Academy. Written by the chefs who teach chefs, Taste of Maui features over 100 island-style recipes that make incredible meals. The book will also teach you new techniques and help enhance your culinary skills. From island-style pantry staples to elegant party pūpū, from sophisticated entrees to scrumptious desserts, these recipes will please home cooks and food enthusiasts. With an emphasis on Maui’s renowned farm-fresh produce and products, the recipes are perfect for a backyard lū`au, a sit-down dinner party, or an island-style family meal. Food photography by Steve Brinkman and art by Ed Lane make A Taste of Maui colorful as well as a recipe treasure.

The Maui Culinary Academy at Maui Community College has trained the island’s chefs for over 30 years. Its state-of-the-art Pā`ina Culinary Arts Center has set the standard for quality culinary training in Hawai`i. The program has been recognized for leading local efforts in sustainable living and dining, and its deep ties to the Maui community makes the Academy the centerpiece for the island’s vibrant food culture. For more information on the program, visit us at www.mauiculinary.com.

----

During the time I worked on the manuscript, I always ended up so hungry -- that's what happens when you read and edit recipes all day! (To wit: Rock Shrimp Martini, Kabocha Pumpkin and Toasted Rice Bisque, Coconut Macadamia Nut Crusted Catch, Miso-Sake Braised Pork Belly, Lemongrass Creme Brulee, Pineapple Fritters with Roselani Mango 'n Cream Ice Cream and Coconut Tuiles... oh, yum!) So if you're curious to see what Maui's chef-instructors are up to, what previous MCA graduates are making (chef James McDonald of Pacific'O and I'o has some memorable recipes), and what future chefs are learning at the Academy, pick up a copy of Taste of Maui at any Hawai'i Barnes and Noble or Borders bookstore, or swing by the college, or call 808-984-3225 for more info. Sales of the cookbook will benefit the Maui Culinary Academy, so it's all good (and tasty).

So there. Done. Now on to my next book project!

808 Deli

Chicken Pesto Panini from 808 Deli

For the past month or two, I've been addicted to panini. Something about grilled sandwiches filled with yummy fillings really gets my appetite going. My DIY panini are rather shameful, given that I don't have a panini press, and since the toasting-in-fry-pan-with-a-heavy-plate-on-top-of-the-bread is getting old (or I'm just getting lazy), I've been searching local jaunts for good panini.

Through the coconut wireless, I heard about 808 Deli, tucked behind the dominating Moose McGillycuddy's/Fred's Mexican Cafe building on South Kihei Road. You can't miss the 808 Deli sign--the colorful sandwich board is usually mounted on a truck next to Kama'ole II Beach Park, with a huge arrow pointing mauka at the tiny parking lot. The restaurant itself is nothing to look at -- tiny with not much seating. But with a gorgeous beach across the street, why would you want to eat there? Simply walk up to the counter and get your order to go.

The menu features a variety of panini--Spicy Tuna ($7; tuna salad, pepper Jack cheese, Anaheim peppers, jalapenos on Sheppard's bread); Porkie ($7.5; Hawaiian kalua pig, mango salsa, pepper Jack cheese, sweet chili dipping sauce on rye); Roast "Beast" ($7.5; roast beef, salami, Swiss, Provolone, jalapenos, horseradish) or my now-favorite: Chicken Pesto ($8; pictured above). The description itself sounds uninspiring--herb chicken breast, sun dried tomato, toasted pine nuts, Provolone--but the flavor is full-fold garlicky goodness. When I got the sandwich to go, I could smell the garlic through the closed container, and as I drove to my picnic destination, the garlicky toasty scent permeated my car. You can bet I tore into that sandwich before I even got to the beach.

These folks sure know how to do panini well--the bread nicely toasted/grilled, and not overdone. As for fillings, there was just the right amount of melted cheese to chicken. The pesto was not too overpowering or too oily. The sun dried tomatoes (an ingredient I still consider to be quite 90's and usually can't stand), added a spark of tomato flavor, and the pine nuts provided a nice crunch. The sandwich came with a choice of side: chips, potato salad, green salad, or pasta salad. I got the pasta salad, which had a tasty combination of olives, bell peppers, red onions and pecans. Definitely a nice alternative to the usual plate lunch, and something to look forward to after a day at the beach.

The Chicken Pesto is their most popular panini, followed by the Spicy Tuna. 808 Deli also offers "Gourmet Hot Dogs" ($6) which I have yet to try, and also entree-sized salads and regular (non-toasted) sandwiches. But I'm stuck on the panini. Just thinking about it makes me hungry again.

808 Deli, 2511 South Kihei Rd #102, Kihei. T: 808-879-1111

The Chicken Katsu Curry Files: Taishoken

Chicken Katsu Curry for two...

It had been awhile. We were ravenous, randomly strolling down Keeaumoku. My fella knew what I was craving, and said he knew of this really good hole-in-the-wall nearby that was perfect for us. Only when we got there, something else was in its place, and it didn't look appetizing. Of course, it had been several years since he worked in that area, so all the hidden eating spots he once relied upon were long gone, replaced by other random eats, dive bars, karaoke clubs. Undeterred, we kept on walking. It was hot and we were getting grumpy.

Then in the distance, a lit sign: Taishoken. My fella knew nothing about it. The exterior was nondescript and the fluorescent lights didn't exactly make it look that appealing. But it looked somehow... authentic. And whatever it was that was wafting out of the kitchen sure smelled good.

One look at the menu and it was clear what they specialized in: ramen. Their noodles and broth homemade. Reviews posted on the wall raved about their noodles: shoyu ramen, pirikara (spicy) ramen, even their tsukemen. But ramen wasn't what caught our eye. It was the curry. Remembering the recent meal we had together back on Maui, we asked if they could make chicken katsu curry for us. No problem, they said. So we waited. And it came. Twice.

Just the photo alone doesn't do the dish justice. The curry was meaty, with tender, shredded beef chunks mixed in the sweet curry sauce. There were sliced onions and carrots, along with potatoes--cut into perfect bite-sized pieces (I can't stand it when curry is full of huge potato and carrot chunks). The curry alone was quite hearty, and the addition of katsu certainly sent it over the top--in a very good way. My fella and I didn't even speak--we were too busy eating, no, devouring the yumminess. The katsu was perfect--the right amount of crisp panko crust, and the meat flavorful and not dry (they used chicken thighs instead of breast). It was the best chicken katsu curry I've had on the island... so far (oh there've been a lot of bad bad bad ones, most not even worth writing or remembering...)

There was the right amount of sauce and chicken to rice, and the pickled red ginger was fresh and nicely tart (though I wished there was more of it). We licked our plates clean. Afterwards, we wanted more. More... more? It was quite an evening. Restaurant Matsu certainly has a competitor now in this katsu curry quest of mine. At least, if I ever move to O'ahu, I probably won't be missing Matsu all that much, not when there's a place like Taishoken to fulfill my cravings. Hell, perhaps my search for the best chicken katsu curry in the world may even be over? A near-perfect score? Is this journey simply plate lunch decadence?

All I can say is I'm gonna go back. We were too full to try any of the famed ramen, but there's always a next time, another planned visit. I can't wait for the next island hop. These trips simply end way too soon.

Taishoken, 903 Keeaumoku St, Honolulu. T: 808-955-8860.

Ratings (out of five stars)
Curry: * * * * *
Katsu: * * * * *
Rice: * * * * *
Sides: * * * *
Total (avg): * * * * * 

The Omnivore’s Hundred

The Very Good Taste blog has come up with a list of 100 items that every omnivore should try in his or her life and has turned it into a meme. Simply copy the list and post it to your blog, then bold the items you've tried, and also strike through the items you would never try. Get more details at Very Good Taste. Here is my list. Yeah, I'm a pretty adventurous eater, haha! I'll try anything at least once, and if it doesn't make me sick, maybe I'll try it again...

On My Plate's Hundred

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

Can't wait to try more on the list! How about you? What's your hundred?

Real Fruit Ice Cream Hawaii

Real Fruit Ice Cream Hawaii co-owner Jake Ramey makes a fresh soft-serve treat

During my small kid time in Central Maui, a trip to Front Street in Lahaina was always something to look forward to. Different shops, different people, different vibe, different food -- so much more exciting than seemingly dull Kahului. But now that Iʻm older, I have a different perspective about the tourist hot spot. That is, I try to avoid it as much as possible. Crowded with ubiquitous art galleries, surf and souvenir shops, and middle-of-the-road restaurants, thereʻs really not much on this street that draws me, save for the occasional visit to nearby Nagasako Okazu-Ya Deli, Lahaina Grill, Iʻo, or PacificʻO restaurants. That is, until I discovered Real Fruit Ice Cream.

Tucked away at an outdoor stand in the Old Poi Factory (between Cheeseburger in Paradise and Lahaina Fish Company), Real Fruit Ice Cream specializes in soft-serve ice cream. But itʻs more than just the usual soft-serve cone -- owners Hailey McPhee and Jake Ramey use a special ice cream making machine they discovered on a trip to New Zealand -- the machine pulverizes fresh fruit (they use frozen fruit) and mixes it with regular ice cream to create a soft-serve blend on-the-spot. The ice cream comes out of the machine fully blended with no fruit chunks. Itʻs super fast and quite delicious. And even better -- they use Mauiʻs own Roselani Tropics Hawaiian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream as the base. If you like, you can also request frozen yogurt for the base instead.

Fruit-flavored soft-serve ice cream perfect for a hot Lahaina afternoon

To order, simply pick your choice of fruit (such as mango, lilikoʻi, strawberry, papaya, raspberries, and more) and serving size. You can get a cone or a cup. Prices start at $4 and servings are generous. Additions such as chocolate chunks and nuts are also offered -- these donʻt completely pulverize in the machine, so they add nice texture and flavor to the soft-serve.

Iʻm still dreaming about the mango-lilikoʻi ice cream I had here. Wish they would open an outlet on my side of the island, but for now, looks like Iʻll be stopping here the next time I head out to the West side.

Real Fruit Ice Cream Hawaii, 819 Front St., Lahaina. T: 808-250-1801