5 comments about Pacific Fresh.

1. I have tried numerous recipes in Pacfic Fresh and found each and every one to be great. The salads and salad dressings are outstanding as are the main courses and pasta dishes!! I have served many to guests and always receive rave reviews!
   
   Every cook needs a cookbook collection of reliable and easy recipes that consistently turn out great! Pacific Fresh is that book!!



2. Truly every recipe I've made from this cookbook is wonderful! Having moved away from the Pacific Northwest, I also find the author's notes by each recipe make me especially nostalgic! That aside...the food is delicious, and there are recipes for every taste!



3. This author always hits her mark with wonderful, easy to prepare, fresh, tasty recipes.



4. Pacific Fresh This is a great cookbook, using everyday fresh ingredients. I couldn't find my copy of it, so I just ordered a new one!



5. I bought three of these cookbooks for gifts as friends, as the first copy I bought up at Roche Harbor a couple of years ago has been terrific - use it more than most of my other cookbooks and haven't tried a recipe in it yet that I haven't really liked. The ingredient lists generally include groceries I already have in the house or are easy to grab at the store and the preparation time is a snap. Definately makes preparing dinner a pleasure. I'd highly recommend it.

3 comments about The Tillamook Cheese Cookbook: Celebrating 100 Years of Excellence.

1. I would say this book is almost cruel - if you are on a diet ;-)
   The photos are gorgeous, the recipes are hunger inducing.
   If you are a Tillamook lover, you have to see this book.



2. If you like cheese, you need to buy this cookbook. In fact, if you are mildly interested in cheese, you should buy this cookbook. My wife and I received this as a gift and have not stopped trying recipes from it! So far, our favorite is Hazelnut Crusted Salmon with a Cheddar Pesto sauce with brown rice. We are very excited to keep trying new recipes... so many induce drooling and a trip to the grocery that I can barely keep the cookbook out of my hands!



3. Obviously, this book was created by the Tillamook marketing department. Tillamook primarily makes cheddar cheese. Therefore, the vast majority of the recipes in this book are cheddar cheese, either medium, sharp or extra sharp. There are 5 recipes for Colby jack, a few for cream cheese, and a very small number for other types of cheese. By and large, this is a cheddar cheese cook book. The lack of non-cheddar recipes I think is a negative for the book.
   
   With any cookbook, finding the ingredients can be a problem. In general, that's not a huge issue with this cookbook, as many of the recipes just call for medium or sharp cheddar cheese. In the Pacific NW, you can use Tillamook. In other locations, I'm sure any medium or sharp cheddar (as the recipe calls for) would do. There are a few recipes calling for exotic Tillamook cheddars which my grocery store certainly doesn't carry - ie garlic white cheddar cheese and smoked black pepper white cheddar cheese - but that is the exception, not the rule. In general, the recipes are pretty simple, and the non-cheese ingredients are available at any grocery store.
   
   With this book, you can eat cheddar from morning 'til night. There are appetizer, soup, salad, fish, dessert, breakfast and pizza recipes. There are no less than 25 mac 'n' cheese recipes! On the one hand, it's a little hard to sort out the great recipes from the mediocre. On the other, there are plenty of choices.
   
   The book is enjoyable to flip through. Probably 1/3 of the recipes include a photograph of the cooked concoction.

5 comments about Roy's Feasts from Hawaii.

1. I bought this book after eating at the restaurant in Palm Springs. I'm in no way the most experienced cook out there, but I had no trouble understanding the directions - even to fix his Peking-style duck - and the recipes I prepared tasted almost as good as the restaurant.

   If you don't live near an Asian grocery, you may have trouble finding some ingredients. However, most of the "foreign" ingredients called for are very common at any Asian store - even a very small one. I was even able to get the specific brand of red chile paste he recommended at a tiny Asian market by my house without going to the larger Asian grocery downtown.

   Plus, most of his recipes do call for the same basic chili pastes and spices, so I wasn't discouraged by the thought of buying a whole bunch of bottles only to use a teaspoon out of each one.

   Excellent book, and well worth the money, in my opinion.




2. Anyone who has eaten at Roy's will undoubtedly get excited at the prospect of making something out of this book. The layout alone will be inspiring with all the beautiful pictures of Hawaii and the food itself. However, novices beware, this is not cooking 101. There is quite a bit of prep for most recipes - sauces that need to be made requiring a multitude of ingredients before you even get to the core of the recipe - resulting in hours of work. I could see this being ok in a restaurant environment where many of these things are made in advance and put together on order, but for the haole home cook it is a little much. Additionally, I have never been that happy with the results of my labor. My husband and I are fairly good cooks and always look at each other as we ponder why it is just not as good as we think it should be. Maybe it is missing the view of Molokini, I don't know.



3. I've owned and used "Feasts from Hawaii" for several years. Roy's combination of asian flavors and french cooking techniques brings new excitement to your dinner table. Yes, the recipes are labor intensive and it is essential to have a source for asian ingredients as well as excellent seafood, but the results will make you feel you have discovered NEW FOOD! His pizza dough, which is sweetened with honey, is one of the best. You can pare down the recipes and serve interesting food or go for the presentation and cook like a pro. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels their cooking is growing stagnant with repeat flavors and themes. The recipes are challenging enough to make the work interesting and your family or guests will be completely content. Also, many of the sauces required for "a drizzle or drops" can be frozen and used as needed, or be a basis for other dinners during the week.



4. This is a must have for every library of cookbooks. The recipies translate very well in the home kichen. Although Roy's "Roy's Fish and Seafood: Recipies from the Pacific Rim"(a newer book) share some of the same recipies and has many that are new and wonderful, "Roy's Feasts from Hawaii", is the first book to add if you dont have it. it tends to be a little more simple and focused.



5. This book is a great resource for island cooking. The recipes are delicious although some of the fish varieties might be difficult to find after leaving the islands!

5 comments about Hollywood Du Jour: Lost Recipes of Legendary Hollywood Haunts.

1. Having grown up near most of the restaurants I thoroughly enjoyed reading the history contained in this book. The sticky orange buns from Tick Tock are now part of Sunday brunches at home.



2. I read Jonathan Reynolds' article in the NYTimes Magazine--an interview with a wacky-but-wonderful foodie whose current favorite cookbook is Hollywood du Jour, so I sent for it. It's great. I love the recipes, but the lore of these extinct Hollywood restaurants is great reading. I immediately sent one to my mother who had fond memories of the Brown Derby, Coconut Grove and Bullock's Wilshire, since she spent most of her young adult years in L.A. She always talked about grapefruit cake and Goodwin has the recipe--and the original Cobb Salad. If you collect cookbooks, take it from Alan Davidson, Foodie and gourmet historian and winner of the 2003 Praemium Erasmianum award for contributions to European culture, society and social sciences-"a very good book". I say 5 stars!



3. I gave this book to my daughter's father-in-law since his dad was the matre d at Chasens for years. He thoroughly enjoyed reading the recipes and memories. He remembers a lot of the recipes and now can cook them himself!



4. If you love old Hollywood and wonderful food, this is the book for you.
   The pictures are also terrific.
   Make sure you try the Grapefruit from the Brown Derby!
   This book makes a great hoestess gift.



5. I have wanted this book for some time and finally received it for Christmas. I was disappointed to see how small it is and how few recipes are actually included. The stories of the various restaurants are interesting enough but there are not very many photographs, so it is difficult to get a sense of the place. The recipes are few and far between, with one or two included for each restaurant, but many of them just for drinks. I was really hoping for a book that had a good selection of the dishes that were signatures of these forgotten hot spots - recipes that were favorites of celebrity patrons, or that had an interesting story behind them. Unfortunately, the book doesn't have that kind of depth. It's a cursory review of establishments that are now Hollywood history.

5 comments about Coyote Cafe.

1. I have had this book sitting around for awhile, and finally tried it. I'm a vegetarian, and this book is more meat oriented. I tried a couple of the recipes, inlcuding the tamales. Those were the best tamales I have ever eaten. Even better than Richard's in Albuquerque. The Coyote Cafe is hands down my favorite restaurant, and this book is definitely representative of the food from there. I highly recommend it.



2. I had to finally find out about the recipes from this well known author and his book, restaurant and more. Solid and innovative recipes, well written it won't take you long to find some new recipes. I have just begun to look through and try some. Try some mexican southwestern food that is different and not a lot of mus and fuss.This book is a winner.



3. 
   This is a wonderful collection of great southwestern recipes that work. The author Mark Miller has introduced Cajun and Creole elements into many of his recipes making them unique without sacrificing the southwestern charachter of the dishes presented. Each and every dish is definately worthy of calling itself southwestern.
   
   Definately comprehensive this book covers with a plethora of recipes in 10 chapters anything you may be looking for to fill your southwestern Table. The chapters covered are: cocktails, salsas, sauces and soups, appetizers and salads, Tamales, seafood and fish, game and fowl, meat, desserts and breads and what the author refers to as his bag of tricks which is an assortment of staple dishes that you will find in just about any tex-mex restaurant.
   
   Particularly useful to me I found the Tamales chapter which apart from some basic principles on preparing tamales, includes 16 different recipes.
   
   On the negative side, I found the book very difficult to use as the print of the recipes is extremely small. As I am over 40 and my eyesight is not what it was 20 years ago, I have had to scan and enlarge the recipes that I have used in order to use them. Other than that this is a good buy and a good addition to your cookbook library!



4. My father and I have been making the carnitas tamales with the Manchamantel Sauce for years for Christmas, and I have yet to have served them to someone who did not say that they were the best tamales they had ever eaten... The rest of the recipes in this book are also delicious... I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves southwestern cuisine!



5. Not bad, not great but certainly not the worst. Most recipes are not that basic. They take time and ingredients that may be difficult to find, but overall pretty good.

4 comments about Ovens of Brittany Cookbook.

1. I have used this cookbook for years and everything that I have made has been excellent. Most recipes are easy to do and you will get rave reviews from your friends and family.

   My favorites include all the soups, Bailey's Corn Oat Muffins, and the Carrot Cake.

   Enjoy!




2. This cookbook is so full of awesome recipes of such a wide variety!! This is, honestly, my very favorite cookbook. Couldn't live without it.



3. Eating at the Ovens of Brittany was a real treat when I was in graduate school at UW-Madison. I've used this cookbook for about 20 years and it's still my favorite. The Triple Chip Cookies have become my signature recipe and I'm in trouble with my friends if I don't bring them to a gathering. The blueberry muffins are my all time favorites; hearty bread muffins, not sweet and cake-like. I just ordered my second copy of the cookbook. I wore the first one out!



4. This cookbook is just excellent! I've been asked to share the recipe every time I take a food from this cookbook to a social gathering. I've focused largely on the soup and salad recipes because that's what I like, and all of them have given me gourmet quality flavorful foods using interesting herbs and spices that are easy to find. The Chicken Almond Salad is the best and the Potato Chowder, Tomato Dill Soup and Spanish Country Soup are my favorites soups. I will say that if you don't want to spend time in the kitchen, this cookbook may not be for you because many of the recipes are a little labor intensive. Also, as you might expect with a restaurant cookbook, many of the recipes are not compatible with a fat-restricted diet (some can easily be modified however).
   That being said, I would highly recommend this cookbook for its recipes that consistently turn out products that taste absolutely wonderful.

4 comments about Sierra Mar Cookbook: Post Ranch Inn.

1. "You can learn so much about food just by listening to people from different cultural backgrounds talk about their food memories...what you hear is about the soul of their food, not its science." ~ Chef Craig von Foester
   
   The Sierra Mar Cookbook features recipes from the #1 Hotel Restaurant in California. The ever-changing menu features a fusion of French, Mediterranean and Asian culinary influences. The pictures alone produce a sense of awe and are beyond inspirational.
   
   The unique style of this cookbook displays six intriguing menu options that represent six evenings at Sierra Mar:
   
   Local Farmers Markets & Perfect Timing
   Monterey Bay Salmon, Taste Memory & Total Utilization
   Tomatoes, Terroir & the Artistry They Inspire
   Preserves, Marmalades & Capturing Flavors that Sustain Us
   Black Truffles, Shellfish & Pondering the Soul of Food
   Slow Braising of Flavors & Big Sur Chanterelles, a Rustic Spirit of Taste
   
   It seems rare for a cookbook to have the variety of stunning scenic pictures and it leaves you longing to visit this restaurant. A slopping field of flowers melts into a perfectly pink sunset in one picture and in another waves dash against the rocks.
   
   Recipes that looked especially tempting include:
   
   Salad of Grilled Black Mission Figs, Bitter Greens and Bleu de Haut Jura Cheese with a Port Reduction
   
   Pancetta-Wrapped Sika Venison Loin with Pistachio Puree, Huckleberry Sauce and Pumpkin Dumplings
   
   Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage-Pecan Brown Butter
   
   Composed Main Lobster Salad with Satsuma Mandarins, Hearts of Palm and Basil Oil
   (the colors are gorgeous and look very tropical)
   
   Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Crispy Potato Cake and Oyster Mushroom Cambazola Compote
   
   Ceylon Tea - Glazed Salmon with Hoisin-Braised Bacon and Pea Tendril Salad
   
   Throughout the book there are step-by-step technique pictures with descriptions so you can learn how to slice potato gaufrettes. A section of "basic recipes" introduces you to Brioche, Pate Brissee, Champagne Vinaigrette, Fig Jam, Red Wine Syrup and Fines Herbes.
   
   If you are looking to impress someone with recipes that will create an intoxicating culinary experience, I can't think of any cookbook that compares to this one! The pictures are stunning and the flavors are complex and have comforting seasonal appeal.
   
   100 Stars!
   
   ~The Rebecca Review
   Author of Seasoned with Love: A collection of
   best-loved recipes inspired by over 40 cultures



2. This cookbook is a valuable addition to the library of those who have a greater-than-average interest in the preparation of fine gourmet cuisine. The recipes are well-described and keyed to seasonal ingredients. The photographs are beautiful, and illustrate artistic presentations. The preparations are interesting, creative and delicious without going way over the top.
   
   I would warn potential purchasers that this is not really a cookbook for the casual home cook. You should ask yourself the following questions:
   
   Do you enjoy spending an entire day in the kitchen preparing dinner?
   Does your list of kitchen equipment include a mandoline, a chinois, and a juice extractor?
   Do you know where to purchase ingredients such as grade-A foie gras, diver's scallops, guinea hen, ramps, or baby chioggia beets?
   
   If the answer to any of those questions is "no", then this book will probably spend more time on your coffee table than in your kitchen.
   
   I think a lot of books of this sort are written by chefs who prepare their dishes in restaurants with an army of sous chefs, line cooks, dishwashers, and the necessity of feeding a crowd of customers each evening. Moving the techniques to the home setting where you are preparing dinner for your family and maybe a few guests requires a process of translation that leads to error-prone and incomplete recipes. This cookbook has been well thought out and edited, and avoids the problems that others have found with "gourmet chef" cookbooks. All recipes are calibrated to serve 6 in a format of a multi-course "tasting menu" dinner. That means the portions are each relatively small, and designed to be individually plated. Each course has well-thought-out wine recommendations for those who like to pair indiviudal courses with wines. Definitely not Tuesday night dinner.
   
   I have looked over the recipes, and personally prepared the "Smoked Salmon-Wrapped Day Boat Scallops with Quail Egg, Fennel Emulsion, and Salmon Roe". It worked very well, with no missing ingredients, steps, or poorly-thought out proportions.
   
   I think this book was well worth the price. As Jaques Pepin likes to say -- "Happy Cooking!"



3. Although I may be somewhat biased in my opinion (Craig is my brother), I am unbelievably impressed with Craig's culinary skills. I have personally been to Sierra Mar and tasted many of Craig's creations. My brother was somewhat skeptical of my opinions because I used to be an extremely picky eater growing up, so I hope he's been surprised by my lack of fear in trying new foods.
   
   If you have never been to Sierra Mar and tasted the fine cuisine invented by Craig, you are truly missing out on a culinary adventure you will savor for years.
   
   Way to go Craig!
   
   Love,
   
   Your Little Sister Suzanne



4. I'm Craig's little brother, but I was surfing Amazon and didn't even know he had a book out until I saw it here! So I ordered it.
   I like to cook, but I was very intimidated by trying my famous chef brother's recipes. I have to say, the way the book is presented that making these dishes is very easy to understand, you just have to be willing to search out a few uncommon ingredients, and be willing to buy a few items for cooking that you might not have had before. But if you are passionate about food and don't mind some extra effort, it is really worth buying this book and trying these supremely delicious recipes!
   
   You might think it's biased of me to write a good review, but seriously, one taste of Craig's creations and you'll realize that relation has nothing to do with it. ;)

5 comments about Hawaii's Spam Cookbook.

1. All of the dishes are easy to prepare as well as tasty. Kids especially love the main courses and appetizers. Spam is practically a staple diet of the locals in Hawaii, and you will find "spam musubi", soyu spam, etc. at many picnics and beach outings. Unbelievably, there are also very elegant dinners in this book, that you would not even think could be made with Spam!



2. When I first moved away from Hawaii in 1995, my grandmother gave me this book to take along with me to Japan. In Japan, the SPAM there still has the "key" to open the cans. Anyway, I used several of the recipes such as: "SPAM MUSUBI", "Korean Style SPAM", and "Sato Shoyu SPAM" and introduced them to my Japanese colleagues who immediately fell in love with SPAM. I told my Japanese colleagues to visit 7-11 in Hawaii to see that SPAM MUSUBI is even sold there!! Now I live in Indiana where SPAM is well, not as popular as it is back in Hawaii. I have brought SPAM MUSUBI to work where my new colleagues have frowned in disbelievement, but after they tried it, they did not have a bad thing to say about this ingenious SPAM creation. Ms. Kondo Corum's book is well written and provides a glossary of unfamiliar terms for the non-Hawaii person. Besides SPAM, she also covers some other local island favorites such as: vienna sausages, corned beef, and sardines. The recipes and instructions are easy to read and the meals are easy to prepare. The artwork adds to the appeal of the recipes. If you love SPAM and would like to get recipes that you would normally not find here in the 48 states, this is your book!



3. On a per capita basis, Hawaii consumes more than three and a half times more Spam annually than any other state (that's four million cans a year, all told.) The author claims, and makes a good case that Spam is "Hawaii's soul food." After World War Two when Spam became the brunt of derogatory jokes in most of the world, Hawaiians continued their Spam consumption at a voracious rate. In the process they got more and more imaginative in the preparations. I travel to Hawaii on business quite a bit, and can vouch for the popularity of Spam: even the Local McDonald's has a Spam breakfast. I just had it last week, in fact: it consists of two pieces of fried Spam, scrambled eggs, and two scoops of rice. Try finding that on the mainland.
   
   While I admit to having the McSpam breakfast as a novelty, Hawaiians take their Spam very seriously, and this book showcases some extremely imaginative methods of preparing Spam. It has "Spam and Mushroom Rolls," "Spam Musubi," "Kalua Spam," "Spam Won Ton," "Spam Chowder," "Spam Fu Young," "Spam and Zucchini Omelet," and the unpleasant sounding "Basic Spam-Fishcake Pupu Mix," among many other recipes.
   
   To say that there is a wide variety of Spam recipes here is quite an understatement, but there's much more than just Spam here. In a continuing homage to the Hawaiian love of canned and potted meat food products, there are also recipes for sardines, corned beef, and Vienna sausages, all of which are wildly popular on the islands. Enjoy the "Sardines and Warabi [Fern Shoots]," "Mabel's Kim Chee Sardines" (which is a gastronomic line in the sand I refuse to cross), "Sardine and Tofu Souffle," "Puukolii Pork 'n Beans," "Vienna Sausage Pupus," "and something named simply "Pokey-Pokey" (Filipino scrambled eggs complete with Vienna sausage, eggplant, and garlic.)
   
   The book contains many basic, yet amusing, illustrations, and a glossary of terms germane to Hawaiian Spam cookery, which helps the neophyte Spam chef substantially.
   
   If you want a single book on cooking Spam Hawaiian style, this is the best volume you will ever find. I'm not saying that I would eat everything in this book, but I am saying that this is the book I recommend above all others in the quest for preparing authentic Hawaiian Spam dishes!
   
   'Ai iho!



4. For Breakfast I have Spam. For Lunch, Spam, and for Dinner, Spam. This cookbook comes in real handy for my voracious appetite for Spam.



5. I bought it for a friend who was very pleased with it. I am not sure she has tried any receipes yet though.

5 comments about Prairie Home Cooking: 400 Recipes that Celebrate the Bountiful Harvests, Creative Cooks, and Comforting Foods of the American Heartland.

1. I gave this cookbook as a Christmas present to a very good German friend of mine who loves to cook and we had fun noticing the similarities between the recipes in the book and the traditional recipes of Germany.



2. Prairie Home Cooking is the kind of cookbook you curl up and read with before ever entering the kitchen. Wonderfully written, it interweaves heartland history with beloved recipes. Growing up in the country, this cookbook took me back to simpler times and the comforts of food made with love. As I plan my move back to the prairie and grow my own food, this book will serve as my never-ending reference and companion. The Blue-Ribbon Brownies recipe (page 373) will make you the most popular baker around! My ancestors, being German, probably made many of the recipes in this cookbook. I am honored to replicate them. Prairie Home Cooking is my very favorie cookbook. A huge variety of recipes- something for everyone!



3. Judith M. Fertig's "Prairie Home Cooking" is a wonderful compendium of heartland recipes that will make you feel like a modern-day Laura Ingalls Wilder in the kitchen. It is the kind of book you want to sit down and devour while sitting on the couch, drinking a cup of tea and nibbling at a homemade oatmeal cookie.

   The recipes are wide-ranging, taking their cue from the many immigrants who settled the American west and midwest. There are many German and Scandinavian recipes here, which is in keeping with the immigration percentages, but there are lots of Native American, Russian, Italian, and other "flavors" in the mix as well.

   Sara Love's superb illustrations deserve special mention. These block print pictures lend such a homey, heartland atmosphere to the book and complement Fertig's comfortable-as-old-slippers voice beautifully. This book is a treasure!




4. I got on to this cookbook through a friend who is also mad keen on Laura Ingalls wilder - (I love those books and have the little house cookbook. At first I thought this book would be more of the same - but this is so much more! Unrestrained by the limitations of Ma's cooking and other things described in the little house books - this is a wealth of heartland home cooking which is presented extremely well also.
   
   This isn't a fancy book - there are no styled photos of steamy puddings and roasts - but rather it is simply presented with recipes following one another and illustrated with very tasteful line drawings where appropriate
   
   The books presentation I really liked overall - (I thought I would say this quickly - while I love my lush Nigella-style books - I do like the simpler ones when they are done well.
   
   The beauty of this book is it is all recipes and handy information about the cooking itself. The availability of items - the cooking of what was around (ie chokeberries etc) and some wonderful tips such as how to make your own sourdough starter - some excellent tips on how to do chicken and old fashioned pickles etc which you just don't see around much these days (watermelon rind!)
   
   It is a good sized book, and for someone who lives in New Zealand, I found it stacked full of things which I wouldn't normally cook as we have an almost entirely indigenous and British heritage - there is little influence in our culture of the Scandanavian for instance which seems to be very strongly prevalent in the reipces. I say this because it might be that Mid West America still does many of these tasty recipes - but for me the delicious mixture of old fashioned recipes and exotic mixtures were fascinating
   
   This book is definitely at the most accesible part of my cooking shelf and is thumbed through a lot.



5. I bought this book on a whim when I belonged to a cookbook club about 8 or 9 years ago. I was not very familiar with food from the American heartland and was curious. Being practically a life long vegetarian, I wasn't sure if this book would hold any interest for me but I was willing to give it a go. In my mind, I always thought of midwestern food as being heavy meat based affairs. Sure, this book has meat, fish and fowl recipes but it is also loaded with recipes for great sauces, baked goods and veggie and grain side dishes that will interest all types of eaters.
   
   The Gingerbread Waffles are divine. The first time I made them was when my grandson was staying for the weekend. He loved them! I've made them several times and they are consistently good. It's a wonderful surprise for weekend guests.
   
   Lap of Luxury Chicken Pot Pie is awesome. Yes, I am a vegetarian and I substitute seitan or chickenless strips for the bird meat. I actually taught a cooking class at Whole Foods in Fresno, California using this recipe, the vegetarian version, of course. It was a hit.
   
   Smoky, Spicy Barbarcue Sauce is another favorite recipe of mine. Last summer we had friends over for a vegetarian BBQ and we grilled veggie burgers, of course. I used this sauce and my non-barbarcue sauce loving friends were truly impressed. They liked it so much, one of them had to have the recipe before she went home that night!
   
   We really love the Indian Griddle Cakes. The recipe has them paired with creamed chicken, but we like 'em with butter and pure maple syrup. Really, really tasty.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves to cook. It would make a really nice gift, too.

3 comments about Hawaiian Cookbook.

1. This book was really easy to use and didn't have a lot ofterminology or technique's that we're too "foreign" for usregular people. I have made at least a half a dozen different recipies out of this book so far. They have all turned out pretty well and had a lot of flavor. I am not a master chef by any means so I recommend this book to the simple cook!



2. This cookbook written by the mainland-american manager of the now-defunct Hawaii Kai restaurant in New York City represents the epitome of fine Tiki Restaurant Dining in the 1970s.
   
   This style of cooking is perhaps best characterized as take-out Chinese food served with a slice of pineapple in a hollowed-out pineapple-shell used as a container, eaten in a restaurant decorated with carved wooden tikis, bamboo struts and thatched huts.
   
   Half of this book is dedicated to this genre, where the actual recipes are very similar or even identical (soy sauce, sherry, ginger, garlic) but the presentations are elaborately different with an emphasis on outlandish (flambee recipes etc). Since the average reader scarcely have time to cook dinner, the advice on food presentation hardly seems relevant.
   
   In the time since this book was written, the chinese tiki restaurant cuisine has evolved to Modern French or American cuisine with Asian ingredients, and these are the books that you can buy from the likes of Sam Choy et al, and these are the dishes that you will encounter in the fine dining hawaiian restaurants today.
   
   Yet, what has always appealed to me about Hawaiian Cooking, is the more humble homecooking (today known as "plate lunches") that evolved from the simple traditional dishes that the plantation laborers from Asia and their Hawaiian polynesian spouses would make. This included grilled meats with asian marinade, japanese style fried cutlets, some chinese style noodle soups, and sadly only a small number of "real" polynesian dishes like laulau, kahlua pig, lomi salmon, haupia, and poi (perhaps less than a dozen of such traditional unadulterated polynesian recipes have survived).
   
   Half of this book does try to address this wealth of simple but authentic home cooked dishes. But that is clearly not the strength or emphasis of this book, and in fact I'm not aware of ANY hawaiian cookbooks that seem to do these dishes any justice, and your best bet at the moment is to search for recipes on the internet.
   
   I think that in emphasizing the "new" and "high class" restaurant style cooking be it from the 70s or today's contemporary cuisine, the cookbook authors have missed out on the true wealth of home cooked hawaiian cuisine that people in Hawaii eat everyday and perhaps take for granted, but for the rest of us living outside of Hawaii, it would be a priviledge to learn those recipes.



3. I was pleasantly surprised with how good this cookbook is. I am having a big luau in a few weeks and this book has been a huge help! Not only are the recipes easy to follow but most of them can be prepared ahead and frozen, with all the details included at the bottom of the recipe. I prepared many of them ahead, and of course had to sample each! The Bali Bali meatballs with sauce, excellent. The stuffed mushrooms Lelani, awesome and my kitchen smelled wonderful! I can't wait to make the Hawaiian Banana Pie and the Tahitian Chicken, not to mention the Baked Clams!! Too many to mention. If your planning a Luau and need some great easy to follow recipes, this is the book for you. I highly recommend it! Oh, and don't forget to try the Beef with Peanut Sauce and the BBQ'd Pork!!!