Cook Real Hawai’i
The Hawaiian mix plate overflows with deliciousness reflecting a deep-rooted food culture — one that survived exploitation and oppression and celebrates the influences of immigrants from Japan, China, Portugal, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Guam, and Samoa. Sheldon Simeon, a third-generation local, approaches Hawaiian cuisine the way his Filipino family always has: with joy and generosity. It’s vibrant, soulful food inspired by the islands’ foragers, fishermen, and farmers as well as big family meals and lunch plates. It’s meat- and fish-heavy. But a primer on poke includes an all-vegetable garden version, and in the “Mean Greens” chapter you’ll find recipes for Maui kale with sweet onion dressing, Filipino okra, roasted beets with li hing mui vinaigrette, and of course, mac salad. What you won’t find in this book: recipes for poi and kalua pig. Writes Simeon: “Frankly, I think such elemental dishes have to be experienced in Hawai’I to be fully understood.”
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