Aloha cookbook and food fans! The enjoyment of eating raw fish has been a part of most every culture that has had access to fresh seafood, primarily born from on-the-spot hungry fisherman using whatever ingredients they had on-hand. In Hawaii,
Aloha cookbook and food fans!
The enjoyment of eating raw fish has been a part of most every culture that has had access to fresh seafood, primarily born from on-the-spot hungry fisherman using whatever ingredients they had on-hand. In Hawaii, cubed and seasoned, it is called “poke” (pronounced “poe-kay”).
Nowadays, influenced by a variety of new cultures and cuisines to Hawai’i, there are numerous varieties of poke, and the selection at deli counters like Ishihara Market, Kauai Pupu Factory, and others are mouthwatering! Eating poke is like eating potato chips; once you start, it’s really difficult to stop! So ono, yeah? We think it’s like eating candy! YUM!
Sam Choy, Hawaii’s-own internationally famous chef, has compiled this beautiful cookbook of poke recipes that shows you how to have all that great poke with ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen or at your farmers’ markets!
Printed in a specially-designed spiral-binding with hardcover case for easy use during your poke creating, “Poke: Hawai’i’s Food” is packed with 150+ pages of great recipes for all the modern classics of poke, as well as new creative variants (or “nouveau poke” as Chef Choy calls it), including sections on seared, cooked, and deep-fried poke! There are even a few vegetarian options, too, like tofu poke!
Part of the book also has special guest chefs who have contributed their own favorite poke recipes as well, including names such as Emeril Lagasse and Alan Wong.
And for fun, Chef Choy has included an “on-the-go” section, winner recipes specially crafted for when you visit your mainland friends and want to introduce their palette to the savory wonder that is poke.
All this poke talk is making us hungry! These great pictures of the different poke varieties probably has something to do with it!
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Ed and Cynthia Justus are owners of The Bookstore in Hanapepe.