Fifth in a series of Hawai’i Cooks cookbooks from the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Mutual Publishing, Adam Tabura’s life experience living on Lanai and learning how to cook Filipino food from his grandmother and mother is compiled in the newest cookbook, “A Filipino Kitchen.”
According to Tabura, “Our great-grandparents came to Hawaii to work on the plantations; our grandparents and parents did the same. The food that my brothers and I grew up on was not strictly traditional, but took many twists and turns, revamped with the influence of the different cultures that make up Hawaii.
“In this book you will find classic favorites and as well as reinvented Filipino dishes for the contemporary table. They remain simple comfort dishes, without a lot of over-the-top sauces and spices, meant to be served family style. If there is anything to be said about the Filipino culture and its food, it’s that they really bring people together. Most important, our food is meant to be shared — so invite some ohana and friends over for some incredible comfort food.”
Here are some interesting recipes in the cookbook:
Chicken Afritada
“Afritada is a traditional recipe using chicken, pork or liver, with potatoes, carrots and tomato sauce. This recipe includes my twist, some coconut milk for richness.”
1/4 cup canola oil
2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
2 cans coconut milk
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 larger potato, quartered
1 large carrot, sliced
2 cups bias-cut green beans
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon green onion
Heat oil in large pot. Saute chicken until golden brown on each side. Remove and set aside. In same pot, saute garlic, onions and bell pepper until onions are tender. Return chicken to pot, along with any drippings. Add tomato sauce, coconut milk, chicken broth and bay leaves; simmer 25 to 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Add potatoes and carrots; simmer another 10 minutes. Once vegetables are tender, add green beans; taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with freshly green onions.
Tip: the bell pepper can be pureed instead of diced, which spreads the flavor through each bite.
Ampalaya
Stir-Fry
(Bitter Melon and Pork Stir-Fry)
“This dish used wild bitter melon, which is small and bulbous, not like the long bitter melon used in Okinawan and Chinese cooking. These are more bitter and very earthy in flavor. Not everyone likes them, but I do, especially in combination with pork. The texture is just great. If your bitter melon comes with shoots attached, those can be added at the end of cooking.”
1 1/2 quarts wild baby bitter melon, cleaned and cut into thin slices
8 cups lukewarm water
Salt, to taste
3 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, sliced
1 pound pork, thinly sliced
1 tomato, diced
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon patis (fish sauce)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 eggs, beaten
Combine bitter melon, water and salt in a large bowl; let soak 20 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. Heat oil in skillet and saute garlic, onions and pork. Add bitter melon, stir fry a few more minutes. Add tomato, cook until liquid from tomato has evaporated. Season with patis, soy sauce, pepper. Just before serving, add beaten eggs to pan and stir fry. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Adobong
Sili Paxil
(Green Pepper Side Dish)
“Adobong is a mild pepper, similar to Japanese shishito but with a stronger geen bell pepper. It has mild spiciness, but every once in a while you’ll get one that’s less forgiving, so beware. This is an inexpensive, simple recipe that I like to serve with steak or pork chops, or almost anything.”
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup sliced onions
1 pound adobong sili pepper, whole
1/4 cup sugar can vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Heat oil in large pan or wok on medium-high heat. Add garlic and onions, cook two to three minutes. Rinse peppers and pat dry completely with paper towels.
Add to hot pan, tossing to coat peppers/deglaze pan with vinegar and soy sauce. Reduce heat to medium; cover and cook five to six minutes; turn heat off and let sit, covered, three to four minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Serve hot.
7-Up Shrimp
“I’d never ever seen anyone put soda in their food until I discovered this dish on Lanai. I thought what a great combination. The chili and garlic highlight the shrimp flavor but the sweetness and the fizz of the 7-Up are key to the sweet succulence. When I visited the Philippines, I found 7-Up Shrimp on restaurant menus, made with huge head-on prawns. I loved it.”
2 pounds whole jumbo shrimp, 13/15 size, rinsed
2 cups lemon-lime soda
Sea salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 to 3 bird chili or adobong sili peppers, chopped (optional)
Place shrimp and lemon-lime soda in a large saute pan with pinch of slat and pepper. Place over high heat and bring to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-high. Add garlic, chilies and butter; cook eight to 10 minutes or until shrimp is cooked.
Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper, as needed. Serve hot.
Foodie bites
• Hawaii Community College’s Culinary Department’s The Cafeteria is open 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. through Friday. Call 934-2559 for take-out orders.
Email me at audrey wilson808@gmail.com.
