Hawaiian chef Sam Choy is sassy and sweet. So are the flavors of his food. Choy's cooking is hapu, a hybrid of Polynesian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, and European influences, combined in what he calls local-style cooking. In Wok-Seared Shrimp with Pepper-Papaya-Pineapple Chutney, a typical example, Choy marinates the main ingredient, then stir-fries it, and serves it with a colorful accompaniment. Fish or seafood stars in many dishes. Choy's marinades are generally a blend of garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sugar, with varying accents of scallion, sesame oil, and hot peppers. Both the preparation of ingredients and the cooking method are quick for most dishes. The accompaniment, often a salsa or chutney, is usually a toss-together of chopped fresh fruits and vegetables that can be made ahead of time.
Choy takes pride in his Hawaiian heritage. He talks about his family and local goings-on. His Catfish in Sweet and Sour Sauce supports local farming of this freshwater fish. Enticing, succulent Hibachi Pineapple Spears were invented one day at the beach to please the kids.
A fish-lovers delight, this book also offers appealing chicken recipes: Quick and Easy Shoyu Chicken, made with teriyaki sauce, will please just about everyone. Sixteen color pages help you present dishes as nicely as Choy does at his restaurants. If you can chop, stir-fry, and grill, Sam Choy's Island Cooking provides a fast, fun taste trip to the tropics. Don't miss the desserts and exotic drinks, like Lava Flow and Kona MacFreeze. --Dana Jacobi
From Library Journal
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.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Hawaiian food has at last transcended its faux-Polynesian period, in which cubed pineapple and gummy sweet-sour sauce defined the repertoire. Sam Choy's cooking admirably illustrates the maturation of a Hawaiian cooking style whereby native fruits, vegetables, and seafood combine to make new and unique dishes. Befitting one of the crossroads of the Pacific, Hawaii has always had excellent Japanese and Chinese eateries, but it has taken time to fuse those traditions with native foods such as coconuts, macadamias, and mangoes. Choy's version of Italian manicotti stuffs pasta shells with a mixture of dilled cheeses and sauces them with sausage, local fish, and tomatoes. Ginger perfumes many of Choy's steamed dishes, and cilantro substitutes for many mainland herbs. Pineapple and coconut dominate desserts, but the rich macadamia nut appears most frequently throughout the book. Mark Knoblauch
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