When members of the Anahola Japanese Community Association set out to publish a cookbook, it turned out to be much more than that. “At so many of our get-togethers there’s always all this good food. So our original project was
When members of the Anahola Japanese Community Association set out to publish a cookbook, it turned out to be much more than that.
“At so many of our get-togethers there’s always all this good food. So our original project was to mainly put out a cookbook with all these recipes,” said Jeannie Yoshida, secretary of the AJCA. “But then it became sort of this historical kind of book with some of the members’ stories in it.“
There are memorial stories of Toshimi Kodani on his life and family, Hideo Tanabe and the family farm, and stories from the Esaki family.
“Members used this book to tell their stories because, with the members dying, so many memories are lost,” Yoshida said.
Yoshida asked the members for old family recipes, and although she joked that getting these recipes were “like pulling teeth,” she was happy to do it and is happy with the result.
They are available at Esaki’s Produce or from any AJCA member for $5.
“It’s not for profit,” Yoshida said. “It’s more just to get this out there from the members.”
It was almost like a treasure hunt for AJCA president Earl Kashiwagi and his friends.
“There’s a lot of good stuff in there,” he said. “Everyone was wondering how these old guys make this stuff, so they looked through the old keepsakes and found out.”
Kashiwagi was quick to point out his version of fried chicken.
“It’s fried chicken only with this fiesta mix,” he said. “You go to Papaya’s and get this fiesta mix and add a little chili pepper according to your taste. And that’s it.”
He and his wife, Chris, submitted several recipes for the main dish and sauces categories.
One of the recipes she submitted was Susan’s Marinated Pork.
“That one is a good one,” he said. “You can serve that with anything you like, blanched broccoli or green or yellow zucchini with butter.”
For more information on how to get the cookbook, call 822-4642.
Susan’s Marinated Pork
2 pounds pork
1/2 cup guava puree
1/2 cup shoyu
1/2 oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
piece fresh garlic
Put in 2 pounds of pork, cut into chunks. Cook in sauce until soft.
Serve with vegetables or rice.
• Recipe by Chris Kashiwagi.
Uncle Mark’s
Ono’est Chicken
1 quart water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup salt
1/2 allspice
1/2 teaspoon peppercorn
1 whole local fresh chicken
Soak chicken in above ingredients. If overnight, add 1/2 to 1 quart more water. Otherwise, soak at least four hours. Rinse off and dry with paper towel. Rub with paprika and cook in kamado or oven till done. Cook in oven at 250 degrees for about an hour.
• Recipe contributed by Paul Esaki.
• Lanaly Cabalo, lifestyle writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 237) or lcabalo@kauaipubco.com.
