|
A rainbow of sources for our recipes
This morning when I woke up the first thing that I did was to look outside my window. I have a cool (70 degrees) mountain view, on the left Tantalus, on the right Manoa Valley. The sun was already bright and I could see the trees showing their first spring flowers. Then I decided to go for a run.
This morning for the one million and one time I congratulated myself to have taken a job exactly 22 years ago which brought me to Honolulu. This morning was my anniversary day in Hawaii.
One time I was at the Kauai Culinary Institute of the Pacific doing a visiting chef cooking class. I was advising the students to travel to enlarge their culinary experience when a young fellow interrupted me and said "why do you want me to leave Kauai???" I didn't know what to say and remained silent. I love these guys...every time I have an opportunity to go to Kauai I jump on the plane.
In my kitchen it's a different story they all left for the Mainland especially to learn at the Culinary Institute of America. Even when they travel and work abroad they all came back home. My kitchen is a mixed bag of local ethnicities from Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese ancestors. More and more they influence my recipes and our New Spring menu is the perfect illustration.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"We grow kids," Gary Maunakea Forth, MA'O Organic Farms
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Two weeks ago, looking for new seasonal ingredients, we all visited MA'O Organic Farms on the west side of O'ahu (photo of in-field tasting: Gary Maunakea Forth on left with Chef de Cuisine Kevin Chong and Mavro culinary team). I was impressed by the 100% organic production and touched by the spirit of this non-profit organization. They don't grow only vegetables they "grow kids," as Gary Maunakea Forth puts it, who work at the farm under a community college scholarship program.
MA'O inspired our new appetizer, Meli-Melo of Spring Vegetables: in French "Meli-Melo" means messy in a positive way.
Photo Credit: Justin Morizuno
The food and wine pairing committee selected a chenin blanc, the Argilex de Gautier 2005 a dry, mineral Vouvray with stone, pear, apple and apricot overtones.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hamachi Poke & Caviar 2010 version of my Ahi Tartare of 22 years ago!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photo Credit: Justin Morizono
 | My second day in Honolulu 22 years ago I was already at the fish auction. I was so blown away by the quality of the bigeye ahi that I created this day a new recipe: the "Ahi Tartare & Caviar, Taro Chip and Ponzu Sauce." This dish became a big hit and I did thousands of them. As always I became totally sick of it and I removed the Tartare from my menu. You know that we change the menu every season and never bring back an old recipe (only on special request).
Our chef de cuisine Kevin Chong asked me if he could create a new version of the Ahi Tartare. Et voila... the recipe is back in our menu but in this totally different version.
Hamachi Poke & Caviar, the hamachi is cut into small cubes and seasoned with Hanapepe salt, shallot, chive and extra virgin olive oil. It is topped with California Estate Malossol Caviar, farm raised white sturgeon. I decided to use farm raised sturgeon because I don't want to have anything to do with the extinction of the osetra and sevruga sturgeons (the belugas are already extinct).
You are going to tell me "you call this a new recipe when you just substitute ahi by hamachi..." Well, wait a minute! The fish is served with avocado butter, kai choy (mustard) leaves, country bead croutons and a Japanese Kanzuri sauce (yuzu, chile pepper paste, sea salt). The new recipe is just great and I am not sure if I must be happy or upset. We pickup a wine from Spain the beautiful Pazo Barrantes Albarino its candied orange peel and white flower aroma create a liaison between the fish, the caviar and the sauce.
|
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Keahole Lobster & Pirie Mango Salad, Sauce Poisson Cru
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photo Credit: Justin Morizono
 A few weeks ago I was in Bora Bora the final destination of my promotion onboard of the new "Odyssey" the latest jewel of Seabourn Cruises. In Tahiti I had "poisson cru" every day and of course I came back totally intoxicated with South Polynesian flavors.
Here you go, Keahole Lobster & Pirie Mango Salad, Sauce "Poisson Cru."
In Tahiti if you use coconut milk from a can you insult the whole culinary population of the Islands. I was ashamed because in Hawaii when I needed coconut milk I always use from the can. Not anymore! I promise to my Polynesian friends that I will use only fresh coconut milk for the rest of my life even if I cook in Alaska.
Perfect timing, the mango are early this year. We season the mango with curry and mix them with roasted red bell pepper, skin off jalapeńo, cilantro and ginger. The sauce, fresh coconut milk, lime juice, lemon grass. The wine? We selected the Washington State, Dusted, viognier from Yakima Valley not afraid of the coconut-lime-lemongrass combination; a new lobster best friend.
|
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Kurabuta Pork "à la Saigon"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Photo Credit: Justin Morizono
 Our sous-chef Andy Le is behind the
Kurobuta Pork "à la Saigon." His Vietnamese roots dictated the recipe. The loin is wrapped with betel nut leaves, the shank is crispy on the skin and topped with green papaya, cucumber and tomato, served with wood ear mushrooms-pork jus. Andy, I am so proud of you this recipe is a killer.
You are not going to imagine where the wine we paired with the pork is coming from...I was ready to bet anything (even my car) that the committee was going to choose a white wine until I blind tasted this pinot noir. Like everybody else I voted for the spectacular Movia, 2004 Pinot Nero from...Slovenia! It is always a first time for everything.
Please check our spring menu on the web and especially our new 100% wagyu beef, with oxtail rillettes, potato fondants, bordelaise sauce paired with the Italian Terralsole, Rosso di Montalcino.
Mahalo for reading the above story; you know how excited I become every season when we start a new menu. We look forward to welcoming you back this season.
To feasts & friends!
George Mavro
|
|
