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Cook Real Hawai'i: A Cookbook

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Cook Real Hawai'i: A Cookbook Hardcover – March 30, 2021

by Sheldon Simeon (Author), Garrett Snyder (Author)

4.8 1,361 ratings

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The story of Hawaiian cooking, by a two-time Top Chef finalist and Fan Favorite, through 100 recipes that embody the beautiful cross-cultural exchange of the islands.

ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker • ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Taste of Home, Vice, Serious Eats

Even when he was winning accolades and adulation for his cooking, two-time Top Chef finalist Sheldon Simeon decided to drop what he thought he was supposed to cook as a chef. He dedicated himself instead to the local Hawai‘i food that feeds his ‘ohana—his family and neighbors. With uncomplicated, flavor-forward recipes, he shows us the many cultures that have come to create the cuisine of his beloved home: the native Hawaiian traditions, Japanese influences, Chinese cooking techniques, and dynamic Korean, Portuguese, and Filipino flavors that are closest to his heart.

Through stunning photography, poignant stories, and dishes like wok-fried poke, pork dumplings made with biscuit dough, crispy cauliflower katsu, and charred huli-huli chicken slicked with a sweet-savory butter glaze, Cook Real Hawai‘i will bring a true taste of the cookouts, homes, and iconic mom and pop shops of Hawai‘i into your kitchen.

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From the Publisher

Editorial Reviews

Review

“An incredible primer on the delights of Hawai‘i’s food, and a heartfelt portrait of Simeon’s own family history there.”—Eater, “The 17 Best Cookbooks of Spring 2021”

About the Author

Sheldon Simeon lives on Maui and is the chef and owner of Tin Roof, where he serves local Hawai’i favorites. His restaurant Lineage was named one of Bon Appétit’s top 50 new restaurants. Simeon was a finalist and voted Fan Favorite on seasons 10 and 14 of Top Chef.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

I’m local: L-O-C-A-L!
As brown as one dollar size ‘opihi shell
I’m as local as the ume in your musubi
As one spaghetti plate lunch with side order kim chee
I’m as local as the gravy on the three scoop rice
As all the rainbow colors on da kine shave ice
—Frank De Lima’s Joke Book

What is the food of Hawai‘i? Ho boy, that’s one question I’ve been asked many times. I always have an answer, but every time it leaves my mouth I wonder if I captured the whole truth, in all its splendor and complexity.

Hawai‘i has been home my entire life. I’m sure many people say this about where they grew up, but I believe there’s no place on earth more beautiful than our islands, home to swaying palm trees, sugary white sand beaches, and impossibly green mountains streaked with waterfalls. The Hawaiian Islands form one of the most visited yet most remote archipelagos on earth, a tiny scattering of green surrounded by the blue vastness of the Pacific. We’re the fiftieth state, but, as we joked in school, the guy who drew the map always stuck us way in the corner. About 1.5 million people live in Hawai‘i, a number dwarfed by the 10 million who came as visitors last year. How does a place that has so long been defined by the outside world define itself? The answer is the reason why I set out to write this book.

After competing on two seasons of Top Chef, I’ve been extraordinarily fortunate to have a kind of national exposure. When I was younger, I saw these opportunities as a way to gain recognition and validation from the mainland, looking to restaurants in L.A. and New York for inspiration.

During my first season on the show, most people knew me as the chill Hawaiian guy. It took me a while to get across that I was not actually Hawaiian—as in native Hawaiian—but a third-generation Filipino from Hawai‘i. Big difference. See, in Hawai‘i we identify ourselves ethnically rather than geographically, which may tell you something about our cultural influences. On the mainland people might say “I’m a New Yorker,” but here it’s “Betty is second-gen Japanese Korean,” or “Lyndon? He’s Portuguese Chinese Hawaiian,” and so on. More on that later. The Hawai‘i-Hawaiian thing was the tip of the iceberg, though. On the show I found myself answering lots of questions about where I was from. Do you eat lots of Spam? Yes. Pineapple? Sometimes. Macadamia nuts? Not as much as you think. Is the poke really better there? Yes, by a huge margin. Do you drink mai tais? Sure, but I like beer and Crown Royal better.

I came to realize that the Hawai‘i I knew was often misunderstood on the mainland, shaped by years of ad campaigns with airline stewardesses handing out leis, ham and pineapple pizza, and big brown guys dancing with fire sticks. I mean, those do exist, but they’re not the whole picture.
The warmth of home, what I missed most when I was away, was in things that guidebooks didn’t explain to tourists, the deeper nuances that make our culture different from any other place on earth. Most of all that meant food. Hawai‘i food, or what we call local food, tells a story of where we come from. It is embedded in every part of our language, our songs, our jokes. We celebrate it every chance we get. It doesn’t just fill our bellies, it keeps us being who we are. If you didn’t know the Hawai‘i I knew, how could I share all of that with you in a plate of food?

For the last many years, that question has defined what I cook. It’s not just about ono grinds (delicious food), it’s about connecting what we love to eat with culture and community. A deeper meaning to the deliciousness, if you will. Eventually that pursuit led me to the cookbook that is in front of you. What better way to tell a story?

Before digging into local grinds, it’s necessary to understand one concept that underpins the entire culture of Hawai‘i. Aloha is a word you’ve no doubt seen plastered on coffee mugs and T-shirts at gift shops. You might even know it means both hello and goodbye. But the true meaning of the aloha spirit is something more profound: the extension of goodwill and grace with no expectation of reward, the purest expression of compassion, hospitality, and love. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the concept of aloha originated in one of the most isolated places on earth, where by necessity people took care of each other and the land that fed them in order to survive. Aloha is demonstrated not just in words but in deeds, and the creating and giving of food for friends and strangers alike is one of the most essential acts of aloha in existence. Food makes family, families make food. There is no one without the other.

The family we talk about in Hawai‘i can mean different things, as in your blood relatives but also your distant cousins, adopted relatives, in-laws, friends, and even neighbors, all encompassed in the Hawaiian word ‘ohana. This notion of one big ‘ohana suits the diversity found here, too, made up of a hodgepodge of cultures that arrived as immigrants from countries like China, Japan, Portugal, Korea, and the Philippines. You may have heard Hawai‘i referred to as “the melting pot of the Pacific,” but that’s not entirely accurate, since it implies everything blended together into one homogenous stew. The reality is that Hawai‘i is more of a salad bowl, or better yet a plate of chop suey: each ethnicity tossed together but still distinct. Growing up, we poked fun at each other’s differences and quirks in a good-natured way, while also being aware and proud of those unique traits that made us who we are.

For a sociologist, this intermingling is fascinating. For a cook, it’s delicious. Peek into a garage or house party on the weekend and count the number of cultures spread out on the table. Oxtail soup nestled next to kim chee dip with a side of fried wontons and fish cakes. Across the room the kids are fighting over the last piece of butter mochi. From afar this multicultural combination seems to have no rhyme or reason, but to us it just feels natural—the most organic form of fusion cuisine. It’s a rich and intricate history playing out on the table. I’m not Korean, but I love to make kalbi. I’m not Chinese, but I love to make chow fun. Breaking bread together expanded our palates and created new combinations of flavors and ingredients. All those traditions running into each other is what makes our food so special. As locals say, how lucky we live Hawai‘i.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarkson Potter (March 30, 2021)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 304 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1984825836
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1984825834
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.84 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.3 x 1 x 10.3 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #25,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #6 in Hawaiian Cooking, Food & Wine
- #179 in U.S. State & Local History
- #212 in Celebrity & TV Show Cookbooks

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4.8 1,361 ratings

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Sally A. Larhette

Taste and Quality

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2024

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My kind of cooking, great flavors and wonderful fresh food to cook with! Enjoying a meal to the utmost with mostly local products. A favorite recipe in the book ,Cauliflower Katsu. curry, how to turn a vegetable into an adventure of delicious flavor and textures.There are so many great recipes, chicken especially, sauces and real Hawaii classics, beautiful photographs of the prepared recipes, you will never tire of this cookbook!

there are so many great well written recipes and incredi

One person found this helpful

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jan

great recipes

Reviewed in the United States on January 14, 2024

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I love this book, lovely pictures and stories of the Hawaiian islands and personal stories of the author's family etc. Great recipes and easy to make. A perfect addition to our cook book collection. Mahalo

3 people found this helpful

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Stephanie Terao

Boom. Five stars

Reviewed in the United States on May 29, 2021

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This is one of my favorite cookbooks now. Ive made the kalbi, teri steak, and hot sauce so far and everything turns out amazing, the recipes are easy and forgiving. The pictures are beautiful and the stories in it are interesting and taught me a bit more about how the mixing pot of Hawaiian/Asian/Portugese cuisine came to be. And there’s bits of Sheldon Simeon’s loveable humor we all grew to love on Top Chef. As a fourth generation Japanese American hapa, this is the type of food that feels like home. I would love to go to Maui and check out Tin Roof in person, but until then I’ll continue cooking my way through this cookbook and thinking of Hawaii.

3 people found this helpful

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TAW

Great Cookbook! for a Cooking Enthusiast (although some ingredients harder to find)

Reviewed in the United States on October 14, 2021

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Great indigenous cookbook! I've cooked several recipes off this cookbook and they all were 10/10 thus far! What I like about it, the text & instructions are very easy to read/understand/follow. The photos are excellent, great images in the cookbook. I wouldn't say this is a Hawaiian food recipe cookbook, because it is infused with a mixture of a lot of asian stuff in it as well.. I would say about 10-15% of the ingredients listed I have Never heard of before! Which I'd say is the only difficult part because they don't sell those ingredients at my local market which makes it hard to find, I suppose you'd have to go searching at some asian market for some of these ingredients. Other than that, Great cookbook from a great chef!

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Jeanne

Local Girl Loves This Book!

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2024

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A very special history of Hawaii, through the lens of its food. Beautiful photos. The stories make it so much more than a cookbook.

3 people found this helpful

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Hawnredneck

Stunning pictures & narrative

Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2023

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Absolutely love this cookbook. I got it to give as a gift for my kids but I can’t part with it so it’s a Christmas gift for me instead. lol. Great gift for newly weds who love island food.

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RMA

GOING AWAY GIFT

Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2023

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Couple of my nieces moved away to Las Vegas so i gave them this cookbook. So far the recipes that they have used, have turned out great. You can take them away from Hawai'i but you cannot take Hawai'i from them. Enjoy!

9 people found this helpful

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Shawn Fonseca

Great local recipes

Reviewed in the United States on July 21, 2023

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Easy to follow and includes all the local recipes you ever wanted to try

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Leah Grantham

Kamaʻāina approved!

Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2021

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I was born and raised on West side Maui and live in Canada now. I get pretty homesick for Hawaii often. The people, the landscapes, and the food!! Oh the food! I knew I had to get this to support a local boy who made it big, but I am surprised how good for my soul those cookbook has been. So far I've made the huli huli chicken, the butter mochi, and the poke. Each one connected to a thousand childhood memories of potlucks, school fairs, tailgate parties, beach BBQ, baby's first birthday luaus, high school graduations. I could cry.
Mahalo Sheldon Simeon, for helping me feel a little closer to the Aina from Canada!

12 people found this helpful

Queenie Chen

Cookbook like no other

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2021

Verified Purchase

This cookbook doesn’t just give you accessible, creative, delicious recipes - it tells a story. Sheldon introduction to the book and to each dish had the power to make me cry or laugh. Thank you for teaching me the Aloha spirit, I now can’t wait to visit Hawai’i.

One person found this helpful

Truthful

Excellent recipes

Reviewed in Australia on June 25, 2021

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Very informative and excellent recipes

Jessie

Amazing Recipes

Reviewed in Canada on April 7, 2022

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So much culinary knowledge and culture infusions. A perfect addition to any cook book collection. Really appreciated the add ones about preserving as well as specialty sauces

One person found this helpful

Reed

Local Hawaiian food with a Filipino influence

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 31, 2021

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Well photographed and produced, the author has a national profile as well as a local one. Most local 'Hawaiian' food cookbooks show heavy Chinese/Japanese influences, but this one shows off dishes of Filipino origin/inspiration. Good to have, to show how local food is developing.

2 people found this helpful

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