Cook Real Hawai'I by Sheldon Simeon
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Web ID: 14789645If you love the islands and the food there
This cookbook is filled with recipes that are delicious andhave easy to follow instructions. Full-color photos show what the dishes will look like and recipes have a personalized intro that gives the book a boost beyond an average cookbook. The welcoming opening introduces Sheldon Simeon and shows us his Hawai'i. For anyone wanting to cook the wonderful food of the islands, this book is a must-read.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
One of the best cookbooks of the year
I was recently sent a copy of Cook Real Hawai’i by two-time Top Chef finalist Sheldon Simeon with co-writer Garret Snyder -- and if this book doesn’t get a James Beard Award it will have been straight up robbed. It is, without a doubt, one of the best cookbooks I’ve laid my hands on in a long while. The stories are just as consuming as the gorgeous photography and crave-worthy recipes. This is one of those books that you will want to devour cover-to-cover and be possessive about lending out. The first recipe I chose to make is the Mahi Mahi Luau, a classic Hawaiian special occasion dish that shares the namesake of the ‘luau’ event where it is commonly served. Traditional luau is made with taro leaves, which are cooked down similarly to collard greens in the south, but with a sweet coconut broth that makes these greens super creamy. As taro leaves take a fairly long time to break down, Simeon has swapped them in his recipe for quicker cooking swiss chard leaves, which provide a similar sweet earthiness. At last count, I have added these luau greens to our weekly menu three times in the past month -- they are that good. They’re sweet, but also savory, making them a super flexible side to many main dishes. The Mahi Mahi and rice he suggests serving them with is great, but they also work really well with other proteins. I paired them with some pressure cooker Kalua pork (not in the book) and rice the second time I made them and they were seriously delicious that way too. Some of the other recipes I’m most looking forward to making are: Vegetables with Shoyu Dip + Sesame Crunch, Kim Chee Dip, and Kamaboko Dip (pg 30), Spam Musubi (pg 44), Breakfast Fried Rice (pg 195), “Bottom of the Plate Lunch” Salad (pg 214), Mac Salad (pg 223), and Portuguese Sweet Rolls (pg 256). I received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Island Time !
I have been keeping a lazy eye on Hawaiian food for a few years now but had yet to cook anything until this amazing looking book by Sheldon Simeon hit my mail box. I had taken a couple of books out of the library but never got to it before they were due back. What I love most about Hawaiian food is the melting pot fusion of multiple, mostly Asian cultures that have shaped it over the centuries "each ethnicity tossed together but still distinct" writes Sheldon in the introduction. He goes on to say "These are foods that capture the spirit of immigrants, both recent and long settled, the foods of America." There is a playfulness to it and it doesn't take itself too seriously. Potato chips on salad anyone? You will find influences from China, Japan, The Philippines, Korea and Portugal mixed in with homegrown Polynesian island goodness. Add to that dishes that incorporate lots of sugar from the cane fields many of these immigrants worked in. The book is divided into 8 chapters plus an Ingredient guide. 1) Heavy Pupus 2) Hibachi Styling 3) Fry Action 4) Sim Simmer 5) Rice and Noodles 6) Mean Greens 7) Sweets and Drinks and 8) Odds and Ends I started out by making the simple yet amazing Fried Garlic Noodles. I had some friends over and wanted to make a quick snack and this blew everyone away in its deliciousness. I can easily say they were some of the best noodles I have ever eaten. The winner ingredient here was the quick microwaved fried garlic. They added a chewy flavor bomb to the mix that was awesome. Next up I finally got a chance to make the donuts I have always wanted to make. The Portuguese inspired Malasadas were more than easy to make and were shared with all of my neighbors as I did not want to eat 16 donuts myself ! The dough was super sticky to work with but I kept adding flour to the kneading surface until it was tamed. I chose to fill them with chocolate and mango pudding. I would advise getting the creamiest pudding you can find. Next time I will try some jam ones. The fried dough was rolled in sugar and the inside were billowy for lack of a better word. Store bought donuts be gone. These seemed so much healthier and lighter. The freshness can not be beat as you eat them right out of the oil. Next up I made the Eggplant Jun Boy. This is a Filipino inspired dish and as I have a Filipino wife ( this is pretty much the only meal she knows how to cook ) I wanted to try making it myself and taste the difference of the Hawaiian version. This version tasted great. The major difference is that the meat was cooked in a very sweet sauce before mixing with the egg. The dipping sauce was also different from the vinegar based one I am used to and instead substitutes lemon juice as an acid rather than vinegar. I served this with white rice. Lastly, I made the Mochiko Fried Chicken photographed on the cover. We are big fried chicken fans and this was some of the best fried chicken we have ever made. Super tender and tons of flavor. The coating on the chicken included my favorite Korean Kochujang chile paste. The chicken is also topped with an Kochujang Aioli and a Sake - Miso sauce. The layers of flavor were masterful. And the left over chicken went great with a salad with a honey mustard dressing the next day. I am about to move to another state and it was with a bit of sadness that I had to so quickly pack up this cookbook before making more meals from it. Can not wait to open that box and get back to it. I have received a complimentary book from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Great Seafood Recipes!
Disclaimer: I've received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review. Loved the recipes in this cookbook! Took this cookbook to the PNW for my first trip visiting my parents since COVID hit and we had a great time with the seafood recipes. Particularly loved the Pocho Steamed Clams. My only complaint is I wish there were a few more pictures. Some of the recipes didn't come with a photo, and while most are sauces or self explanatory, there were a few I was wishing came with an image. In place of the photos though is incredible background knowledge of the techniques and ingredients being used.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Local Hawai'i in your kitchen
I am a fan of Chef Sheldon Simeon. As many people from the “mainland,” I got to know him from being on “Top Chef." I also had the honor of going to his first restaurant, Star Noodle on one of my many trips to Maui. So, when I received this book in advance from Clarkson Potter, I was so happy to explore and make his dishes. I realized I bookmarked so many recipes after reading through it many times. The book is filled with dishes like Mochiko Fried chicken, Poke, Breakfast fried rice, Cauliflower Katsu curry, Local -Style Kalbi, and was happy to see even a Mac salad recipe. The photos are beautiful. It was nice to see Filipino, Korean, Japanese, Portuguese community influencers featured throughout the recipes. I decided I had to start by making dips from the Heavy Pupus (small bites of food) section. I made the Shoyu dip with sesame crunch, Kamaboko dip and the Sardine Pupu. The Shoyu dip was simple to make and packed with umami- the “sesame crunch” was the star of this dip. I plan to serve with my future crudité platters. I also made the Sardine Pupu for lunch and it was excellent with some crackers and a salad. What stood out for me though, was the Kamaboko dip. After a trip to our favorite Asian market, we easily found the hot pink Kamoboko (fish cake), described in the intro for this recipe. The dip is addictive and we easily ate most of it in one sitting with a bunch of buttery crackers. I like to bake, so naturally I checked out the sweets section, which is not the focus of this book, but still found some great recipes that he says are based on nostalgia. My eye was drawn to the condensed milk cheesecake with ovaltine crust and the Portuguese sweet rolls. The Portuguese sweet rolls recipe, can be used to make Malasadas! One thing that brought me back to my travels to Maui, was the Guri Guri recipe. Like shaved ice, but with the addition of condensed milk makes it a creamy icy delight. I made the Guri Guri using Passion Fruit-Guava nectar and orange soda. I can’t wait until the summer months to make it again. I really love that the book gives Sheldon’s story and how food and cooking kept his family connected. Through all he’s done, he still said he thinks of himself as a glorified line cook, but I’m sure most don’t think of him that way. This cookbook has opened my eyes to recipes that I may not have thought to try out. It is definitely for a food lover, and someone wants to learn more about the wonderful local cuisines of Hawai’i. Please note: I’ve received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Recipes to make and eat while dreaming of Hawaii!
Cook Real Hawaii is the perfect cookbook to read and use when you are missing or dreaming of the Hawaiian Islands. The author, Sheldon Simeon, does an excellent job explaining Hawaii’s unique culinary history. He describes all of the cultural influences on food including the different names, spellings, etc. There are even differences between the islands. There are lots of beautiful photos in the book of food, Hawaii, and people. Some of the recipes have ingredients that might require a visit to a specialty foods market, but Simeon does an excellent job of offering substitutions or explaining why a particular ingredient is necessary. There is also a thorough and helpful glossary of ingredients in the back of the cookbook. I have a long list of recipes I’ve marked to try, but I started with Pancit, which is a noodle stir-fry. It was excellent, especially with the fried garlic, of which there are two recipes in the book. The next recipes I’m looking forward to trying are Hurricane Popcorn, Maui Kale Salad, Poke, and Guri Guri. There is an eclectic mix of recipes in this cookbook, which means there is something for everyone from the casual home cook to the full-fledged foodie. I’ve received a free copy of this cookbook from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
I want to go there!
I’ve never been to Hawaii but I’ve always wanted to visit. Every time I watch a food program based there I’m intrigued so I was thrilled to find this book in my mailbox. First of all, it’s a beautiful book. The pictures are gorgeous and I really enjoyed reading about the history of Hawaii as well as the background of chef Sheldon Simeon. There are so many recipes that I would like to try. They range from Huli Huli Chicken to Chocolate Birthday Cake Butter Mochi and everything in between. I can’t wait to try some of these out and hopefully sometime soon COVID will die down and we can travel again but in the meantime I will live vicariously through this book. I received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautiful, Delicious, Accessible Food!
COOK REAL HAWAI’I by Sheldon Simeon is packed with delicious and accessible recipes that are beautifully photographed. I was hooked from page one and have flagged most of the recipes and it includes a ton of our favorites that we love from places around here, plus more that we are going to add. I love that we can cook our own instead of running out for takeout. I also love that Simeon included a whole section on ingredients describing the ingredients used and offering ideas for substitutions. My pantry is expanding, as are my go-to recipes. When I say the recipes are accessible, I mean it. These are foods that are eaten every day on the islands, and I love that Simeon has chosen to focus on these recipes, plus adding the stories giving the reader/cook a insight into each. I also love how he brings in all the cultures that influence the food and culture of Hawai’i, and there are so many. Simeon is a two-time Top Chef finalist, and I am so glad he decided to focus on the food he grew up with, the food of his family and home, and not the food he though he should create. This cookbook is a treasure, and I can see it becoming one in my family. Recipes, stories, pantry suggestions: This cookbook has it all. I received a free copy from Clarkson Potter in exchange for a free and unbiased review. #CookRealHawaii #SheldonSimeon #ClarksonPotter
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com