Details
| Size | | Length: | 339 pages | | Height: | 9.5 in | | Width: | 7.8 in | | Thickness: | 1.5 in | | Weight: | 28.0 oz |
Industry Reviews
"Cook your way to paradise," Hawaiian chef, restaurateur and popular cooking-show host Sam Choy boldly asserts in his new cookbook on island (Hawaiian) fare. Choy's colorful, if a bit too exuberant, patter punctuates the text: about his Spicy Chicken Wingettes, "I'd like to say it's `finger lickin' good,' but I know it's even better than that"; on making salads, "Don't be timid. Just let it rip...." His philosophy is to "build a dish" with fresh ingredients as the foundation, adding marinades, then pastas, rice or vegetables as the "walls and roof" and finally, the sauce to bind and "decorate." While chapters cover various meat and vegetable side dishes (and even tropical drinks), seafood dishes predominate, including a section called Working with Fish and Shellfish. The Ingredients Glossary offers helpful purchasing tips and suggests substitutes for hard-to-find ingredients. His 200-plus, easy-to-make recipes represent a multicultural hodgepodge of flavors (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and European) as in Crab-and-Shrimp Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms with Mango B?arnaise Sauce, Honomalino Lamb with Satay Sauce and Pineapple Coconut Yum Yum. Although Choy incorporates Asian ingredients and seafood into his dishes, readers shouldn't automatically expect low-calorie meals: he's just as likely to use butter, cream, sugar, coconut milk and macadamia nuts alongside flavor enhancers such as Japanese wasabi and sambal oelek (Asian chili paste). Choy's passion for food coupled with a minimum fuss/maximum flexibility approach will inspire readers to fire up their hibachis and start cooking. (Mar.)
Fox
Hawaiian chef Choy has established a mini-empire of restaurants, with five in Hawaii, one in San Diego, and another in Tokyo. He refers to Hawaii as a "gourmet gathering place," and his cooking reflects influences from Chinese, Japanese, and other cuisines. Macadamias, tropical fruits, and coconuts are favorite ingredients, and there are, not surprisingly, dozens of fish and shellfish dishes. The recipes are in some ways an odd mix: the appetizers, salads, and fish dishes, for example, are more "restaurant-style," involving a number of components (usually not particularly difficult) and lots of seasoning and spice, while the meat and poultry dishes tend to be more old-fashioned, often homey. In addition, some recipes are intentionally low-fat, while others, especially the sauces, pour on the cream. Nevertheless, Choy has an enthusiastic style and includes many unusual and vibrantly flavored dishes here. For area (including San Diego) libraries and larger collections.
Dirda
"Cook your way to paradise," Hawaiian chef, restaurateur and popular cooking-show host Sam Choy boldly asserts in his new cookbook on island (Hawaiian) fare. Choy's colorful, if a bit too exuberant, patter punctuates the text: about his Spicy Chicken Wingettes, "I'd like to say it's `finger lickin' good,' but I know it's even better than that"; on making salads, "Don't be timid. Just let it rip...." His philosophy is to "build a dish" with fresh ingredients as the foundation, adding marinades, then pastas, rice or vegetables as the "walls and roof" and finally, the sauce to bind and "decorate." While chapters cover various meat and vegetable side dishes (and even tropical drinks), seafood dishes predominate, including a section called Working with Fish and Shellfish. The Ingredients Glossary offers helpful purchasing tips and suggests substitutes for hard-to-find ingredients. His 200-plus, easy-to-make recipes represent a multicultural hodgepodge of flavors (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and European) as in Crab-and-Shrimp Stuffed Shiitake Mushrooms with Mango B‚arnaise Sauce, Honomalino Lamb with Satay Sauce and Pineapple Coconut Yum Yum. Although Choy incorporates Asian ingredients and seafood into his dishes, readers shouldn't automatically expect low-calorie meals: he's just as likely to use butter, cream, sugar, coconut milk and macadamia nuts alongside flavor enhancers such as Japanese wasabi and sambal oelek (Asian chili paste). Choy's passion for food coupled with a minimum fuss/maximum flexibility approach will inspire readers to fire up their hibachis and start cooking. (Mar.)
Publishers Weekly (02/01/1999)
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