Soki Nitsuke

A favorite dish of mine - soki nitsuke - from Najimi Shokudo, near the Sunabe seawall in Mihama. A very filling set that I find hard to finish all the soba and gohan. Lots of soki and vegetable/tofu chanpuru. And a good deal at ¥650. Also very good is the tebichi nitsuke. Soki - pork ribs, tebichi - pork legs. Available as jiru too. Delicious!

Char Siu Ribs

Char siu pork baby back ribs that I made in my tiny Japanese oven. Room for only one rack.

Diner's Drive-In

Diner's Drive-In
Honolulu Star-Bulletin

PORK TERIYAKI

3~4 lbs. boneless pork butt, sliced 1/4'' thk.

Marinade:
1-1/2 cups water
1 cup shoyu
1 cup sugar
2-1/2 tsp. sherry
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 thick, 1'' piece ginger, crushed

1. Combine marinade ingredients, pour over pork.
2. Marinate in refrigerator at least 24 hrs.
3. Grill in skillet or on flat grill. (8 servings, 5-1/2 ~ 6 oz.)

MACARONI SALAD

1 lb. macaroni, cooked
2-1/2~3 cups mayonnaise
1/2 cup watercress, in 1/2'' pieces
1/2 cup carrots, shredded
1/4 cup onion, very finely grated
1/4 cup celery, finely diced
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

1. Combine all ingredients, mix well.
2. Chill at least 1 hr. to allow flavors to mix & mellow. (10 servings)

Chicken Alice's Wings

CHICKEN ALICE'S WINGS

5 lbs. chicken wings
vegetable oil, for deep-frying (Wesson oil)

Batter:
1/3 cup Parks Brand Kim Chee Sauce
1 Tbs. garlic, minced
2 Tbs. salt
2-1/2 cups flour
2 cups water, or more, as needed

1. Rinse & dry chicken, cut off & discard wing tips.
2. Cut joint to separate drummettes from other 1/2 of wing.
3. For batter, combine kim chee sauce, garlic, salt & flour.
4. Add water gradually, enough to make thk. batter, about consistency pancake batter.
5. Add chicken to batter, mix well, chill in refridge 2~3 hrs.
6. Heat oil to 350°, deep-fry chicken pieces ~10 min., until chicken rises to surface & coating is deep brown.

A well known dish by a lady who owned a bar and a restaurant. She came up with this recipe and it was beloved by a lot of folks. I bring back the Parks Brand Kim Chee Sauce with me from Hawaii. Never tried it yet with another brand. Spicy and so delicious! Goes very well with beer (after all Alice developed it as pupus for the bar) My Okinawan co-workers love it!

Garlic Mochiko Chicken

This is a favorite in Hawaii made by many people, with many recipes. Good hot or at room temperature. Favorite item in many bento places. ONO!

GARLIC MOCHIKO CHICKEN

2 lbs. chicken pieces (thighs, drummettes, wings)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup mochiko (rice flour)
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup shoyu
3 ea. eggs

1. Mix ingredients, marinate chicken at least 3 hrs.
2. Deep-fry in 375° F oil until brown, drain on paper towels.
3. While hot, dip in Dipping Sauce.

Dipping Sauce:
1 cup shoyu
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbs. sugar
4 drops sesame oil
1 tsp. chili flakes
2 stalks green onion, minced

Mix together all ingredients.

Pork Tofu

Simple dish from Hawaii that can be of beef or chicken.

PORK TOFU
Residential Services Division, Hawaiian Electric Co.

1 lb. pork, thinly sliced in 2'' x 1'' pieces
4 ea. dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked, stemmed, sliced
1/4 cup bamboo shoots, julienned
shirataki (optional)
1 Tbs. oil
1/2 cup shoyu
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 cup water, or more
1/4 cup sugar
1 ea. med. onion, sliced
1 sml. piece ginger, crushed
1 blk. firm tofu, cubed
12 stalks green onions, cut in 2'' lengths

1. In skillet, heat oil, brown pork, add shoyu, mirin, water, sugar, onion, bamboo shoots, mushrooms & ginger, bring to boil, simmer 5 min.
2. Gently stir in tofu, simmer gently few min. more.
3. Add green onions just before serving.

Local Boy Chicken

A dish I make all the time. Easy to do and has the tastes of Hawaii with not too much trouble.

LOCAL BOY CHICKEN
Sadie Wong, United Church of Christ, "The Joy of Eating"

2 lbs. frying chicken, cut up
2 pkgs. frozen spinach (10 oz. ea.), chopped or leaf,
thawed, squeezed dry
1 can coconut milk (12 oz.)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 tsp. dried minced onion
1 tsp. sugar

1. Spread spinach over bottom of 9'' x 9'' x 2'' casserole.
2. Place chicken pieces over.
3. Mix remaining ingredients, pour over chicken.
4. Bake uncovered in preheated 350° F oven 1-1/2 hrs.

Note: I use boned chicken thighs, skin on, cut bite-size.



Prior to covering with soup mixture.



After removing from oven.

Chinese Beef Stew with Foo Jook

One of my favorite dishes was Beef Stew with Foo Jook on wat min at Helen's on Kapahulu Avenue in Honolulu. But the place has closed and the owner/cook never did want to pass on his recipe. So I had to try a bunch of different recipes for Chinese Beef Stew. Best recipe was from Clara Tom, ''Cantonese Chinese Cooking''.

L&L Lemon Chicken

LEMON CHICKEN
L&L Drive-Inn
Honolulu Star-Bulletin

3 lbs. boneless chicken thighs
vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Marinade:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 ea. egg
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. powdered chicken base (bouillon)
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1. Combine Marinade, marinate chicken in refrigerator 2 hrs.
2. Drain chicken, deep-fry in 350° oil 3 min., serve w/ Sauce.

Lemon Sauce:
1/4 cup potato starch (cornstarch), mixed w/ 1/4 cup water
2 cups water
1-1/2 cups sugar
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 ea. lemon, sliced
1/2 oz. ginger
1 tsp. lemon extract
1/2 tsp. yellow food coloring

1. In pan, combine remaining Sauce ingredients, bring to boil.
2. Stir in starch/water mix, continue cooking until thickens.

L&L Chicken Katsu

One of the favorite "plate lunches" from L&L Drive-Inn. L&L started in Hawaii but is spreading across the U.S. Are over 50 in Hawaii now and over 100 on the mainland, predominatly in the western states. But there is one in New York City. Even talk about maybe one in Japan.

Notice the use now of the styrofoam container. Also notice the prerequisite two scoops rice and scoop macaroni salad.

CHICKEN KATSU
L&L Drive-Inn
Honolulu Star-Bulletin

2 ea. eggs
3/4 cups cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup water
15~20 ea. chicken thighs, ~4 lbs., boned, skinned
1 lb. panko

1. Open chicken thighs, flatten.
2. Combine 1st. 6 ingredients.
3. Coat chicken in egg batter, then panko.
4. Fry in oil (max. 325°) until brown & crispy.
5. Cut chicken into strips and serve w/ sauce.

Katsu Sauce
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
1 cup sugar
2-1/2 cups water
1/3 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. chicken bouillon
1/4 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
2~3 dashes Tabasco sauce

1. Combine all ingredients, bring to boil.
2. Add cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken, chill.

Big-Way Burger Sweet & Sour Spareribs

A recipe from my collection which I thought I'd share. Sorry for the small picture but that's from the article. Another favorite "plate lunch" Hawaii people enjoy. But too bad that the place has closed down after over 40 years in business. But the dish is very tasty! Notice that Hawaii people like vinegar? I have made it with smaller quantities like the shoyu chicken recipe. Have also made it for 60 people. Try it, you'll love it!

SWEET-&-SOUR SPARERIBS
Big-Way Burger, Wahiawa, Hawai'i
Honolulu Star Bulletin

10 lbs. pork baby back spareribs, cut in 2'' cubes
1-2/3 cups sugar
3 cups vinegar
3 cups shoyu
3/4 cup crushed ginger
1-1/2 Tbs. cornstarch

Brown ribs, transfer to pot.
Add water to cover meat 1/2-way.
Bring to boil, then lower heat, cook 1 hr.
Add rest ingredients, except cornstarch, simmer 20~30 min.
Meat should be tender but not soft enough to fall off bone.
Mix cornstarch w/ water until smooth, add to thicken sauce.
Serve on bed chopped cabbage w/ 2 scoops rice & kim chee. (20 servings)

More Okinawan Favorites

More pictures I have found.



焼きそば yakisoba



そば soba



ゴーヤチャンプルー goya chanpuru

Hum Ha Roast Pork

A favorite - Chinese roast pork fried with hum ha (shrimp paste) and green onions. Simple but so tasty. Hard part is making the roast pork! Can't find it here in Okinawa. So easily obtainable at home in Chinatown in Hawaii.

I eat freshly made roast pork with a touch of oyster sauce or mustard/shoyu. Leftover roast pork is then used for the hum ha roast pork.

Steamed Pork Hash

Just your everyday Cantonese-style steamed pork hash, with the white of hamdan mixed with pork, chopped mushrooms, water chestnuts and green onions, the yolks laid on top.

A Hawaiian-Style Stew

One way some folks make stew in Hawaii is this watery, soup-style which I really like, unlike the usual gravy-style (said I was a soup guy). It's even done without tomatoes.

I make it with beef short ribs, carrots, potatoes, round onion, some tomatoes and water. Seasoning is ginger, garlic, salt and pepper. Sometimes I add daikon, zucchini or mushrooms. I usually eat stew with shoyu added and kim chee as side.

Okinawan Favorites

Some pictures I found of Okinawan food I thoroughly enjoy.



煮つけ nitsuke



ソーキ汁 soki jiru



みそ汁 misoshiru



ソーキそば soki soba

As can see I'm mostly a soup kind of person. More to come.

Hawaiian-Style Oxtail Soup

This is Hawaiian-style beef oxtail soup with daikon (turnip) and shiitake mushrooms. Usually topped with blanched pieces of gai choy (Chinese mustard cabbage), chopped Chinese parsley and green onions, served with grated ginger. Braised with ginger and star anise. Very ONO! Basically a Chinese dish but a definite comfort food for all folks of Hawaii with many variations.

A very similar dish here on Okinawa is called Hone Jiru. Made from buta (pig) backbones, cooked and served almost in exactly the same style but with local greens. Also very ONO! Then there's Soki Jiru (pork ribs) too. But the backbones are the best. Maybe pictures later.

My Okinawan Laulau

Don't have the usual Hawaiian laulau available here on Okinawa so have to improvise. Here I make it with pork belly, hotate, ika and spinach. Put Hawaiian salt and liquid smoke, wrap it in foil and steam for 3 to 4 hours. I usually make 4 or 5 each time. Freeze some for later. But is ONO (tasty in Hawaiian) and hits the spot!

For those not familiar with laulau in Hawaii, it's a bundle made with pork, beef or chicken, plus a piece of salted butterfish, covered with taro leaves, finally wrapped with ti leaves, then steamed for hours.

There's taro grown here but I don't believe it's the same kind as in Hawaii, though looks similar. Plus the farmers here don't sell the leaves, they throw it away. Okinawans don't seem to use it in their cooking. I've asked a lot of people here what they do with the taro leaves? But they don't know. So I have to resort to spinach leaves. Tastes OK but really not the same. Guess I have to make friends with an taro farmer.

This is the raw ingredients before wrapping in foil and steaming, but before wrapping, I put on more spinach.

From another batch that was frozen then heated up.

¥130 Okinawa Breakfast

Thought I'd put in something from Okinawa. This is the breakfast I have that I pick up on the way to work from a place a few minutes from my office. A bowl of Okinawa soba (¥100) and a vegetable tempura (¥30). That's US$1.13. Not shown but sometimes add a couple deep-fried chicken drummettes (¥25 a piece). Inexpensive and delicious! Especially nice in the upcoming colder winter season.

Rainbow Drive-In Shoyu Chicken

A dinner following a recipe for an item from a "plate lunch" from Rainbow Drive-In located in Honolulu. Those from Honolulu know the place, just outside of Waikiki. Just chicken thighs braised in a strong shoyu/vinegar-based sauce. Sauce is delicious over rice! Sorry, no macaroni salad though.

SHOYU CHICKEN
Rainbow Drive-In, Kapahulu Ave., Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu Star-Bulletin

12 lbs. chicken thighs

Sauce:
2-1/2 cups sugar
3-1/4 cups shoyu
3/4~1 cup vinegar
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
6 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3~4 cloves garlic, crushed
3"~ 5" piece ginger, crushed

Wash, drain chicken, combine Sauce ingredients. Combine chicken & Sauce in pot, bring to boil, cook until chicken is tender, 30~40 min., stirring occasionally to coat chicken w/ Sauce. Skim oil, thicken w/ cornstarch, bring to boil again. (12 servings)

Notes: I have halved the recipe, also doubled it, even tripled it. My Okinawan co-workers love it. But you have to keep watch, basting often. I leave the skin on and hence there's a lot of oil. But I skim off as much of the oil as I can. Another thing is to use a wide pan or pot so more chicken can be immsersed at the same time. And you don't have to follow the sauce to chicken ratio. I usually make up a smaller quantity of sauce and cook about 6 thighs for dinner and have enough for a bento lunch to take to work the next day.

The REAL thing from Rainbow Drive-In. An older photo, shows origin of name "plate lunch" where meal was served on paper plate with two scoops rice and mound macaroni salad. This was put in a thin cardboard box, and that was the take out meal. Nowadays plate lunches are served in those styrofoam containers.

Kālua Cabbage

Just a dish made with kālua pork, cabbage, sliced onion and ginger. A favorite of folks from Hawaii.

First have to make the kālua pork. I make it in a crockpot. Just pork, salt, liquid smoke and water, cooked a long while. I make a lot of kālua pork and freeze in portions so have available when feel like eating this or just kālua pork alone.

Shrimp Fried Rice

My shrimp fried rice. Has also diced char siu, along with round onion, green onion, scrambled egg and mushrooms. I cook my fried rice with hum ha (shrimp paste). Smells the place up but tastes so delicious. My mother always cooked it this way. Actually grew up thinking that it was the only way fried rice tasted! To this day I rarely eat any other fried rice. Only exception would be salted fish (hum nyee) fried rice. This I would eat anytime.

Another...

Here's another jook, this time cooked with dried scallops, with condiments of Chinese parsley, pidan, hamdan, chung choi and green onions. I love pidan.

But here in Okinawa, I haven't been able to find pidan (century or 1000-year old egg). So on my visits home I bring back and also have them sent.

Also can't find hamdan (salted duck egg). And there's no fresh duck eggs for sale, so make my own out of extra-large chicken eggs.

My first attempt...

My first attempt at blogging and posting.

Am a Chinese from Hawaii working in Okinawa. To eat what I am familiar with from home I have to cook my own. This is a usual meal for me on weekends when I let the slow cooker do the work. Learned this way from my mother.

Rotisserie chicken bones jook with sliced shiitake mushrooms, condiments of chopped Chinese parsley, green onions, chung choi and Szechuan pickles. Usually add shoyu and sesame oil, then mix up to eat.

If successful, I'll post more of some things I've cooked.