The Blue Tomato

“Make Something Out of Nothing” — Cooking Inspired by Mom

bluetomatobook — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 23:02:55 +0000

Alan Wong’s Restaurants and Watermark Publishing, publisher of The Blue Tomato, are pleased to collaborate with the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i to present an event honoring mothers (and all those other women who raised us) and their role in our food heritage.

Inspired Food: The Roots of Hawai’i Cuisine, a brunch & talk-story with Chef Alan Wong & Arnold Hiura will take place Saturday, April 27 (10AM – 1:30PM) at the JCCH Manoa Grand Ballroom. This limited-seating event will include a talk-story presentation by Chef Alan and Arnold on the roots of Hawai’i cuisine and the roles their own mothers’ food played in their lives.

Since the whole concept of “comfort food” comes largely from what our moms used to make for us when we were children, we’re sharing this recipe from The Blue Tomato, the ‘Ahi Meatballs from Chef Alan’s Spaghetti and “Meatballs” dish. There are several components to the final dish, but this is the “meaty” heart of it — and you might be surprised to discover what the meatballs are really made of.

Spaghetti and “Meatballs” (photo by Alan Wong)

Just saying the name “spaghetti and meatballs” is comforting. It conjures up images of the family dinner table, mom cooking in her red-stained apron—her wooden spoon used to stir the sauce and for an occasional taste. This is an old recipe, using one-third part bread soaked in milk. After the meatballs are formed, they are baked in the oven and then immersed in a broth to plump them up. What gives me great pleasure is when someone eats them and still cannot fathom that they’re made from tuna. It calls for the freshest of tuna; we buy only sashimi-grade at our restaurants. It’s also a great way to incorporate trimmings—as I always say to the cooks, “Make something out of nothing.”

* * *

‘Ahi Meatballs

Makes 18 meatballs (428 grams)

The Milk-Soaked Bread

¾ cup (43 grams) ¾-inch cubes crustless white bread
6 tablespoons (64 grams) milk

The Meatballs

1 egg
1 tablespoon (8 grams) Kosher salt
½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground cumin
½ teaspoon (1 gram) onion powder
½ teaspoon (1 gram) garlic powder
½ teaspoon (1 gram) ground coriander
½ teaspoon (1 gram) paprika
½ teaspoon (½ gram) freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 ounces (228 grams) coarsely ground ‘ahi (use a meat grinder or a sharp knife)

The Chicken Stock

4 cups (892 grams) chicken stock (Chef Alan uses house-made stock; see The Blue Tomato for his recipe)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Making the Milk-Soaked Bread

In a small bowl, soak the bread with the milk for 20 minutes or until very soft. Drain the milk and squeeze the bread to remove excess milk. Place the bread in a medium mixing bowl.

Making the Meatballs

In a small bowl, whisk the egg with the salt, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, paprika, black pepper and cayenne. Add this mixture to the bread. Add the ‘ahi and mix all the ingredients until well incorporated.

Form round meatballs, approximately 2 tablespoons (24 grams) each, and place them on a baking sheet.

Cooking the Meatballs

Bake the meatballs for about 10 minutes or until cooked halfway.

While the meatballs bake, bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan. When the meatballs are cooked halfway, remove them from the oven and place them into the broth. Gently boil the meatballs until fully cooked.

* * *

The Inspired Food: The Roots of Hawai’i Cuisine event is a fundraiser for the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawai’i; proceeds from ticket purchases benefit the Center. Seating is limited to 200 guests; individual tickets are $125, or reserved tables of 8 can be purchased for $2,000.

Each ticket includes:

Brunch (tasting stations by Alan Wong’s; entrée selections prepared by Pagoda Floating Restaurant; coffee by Pavaraga Coffee and chocolate truffles by Choco Le’a)

Choice of either Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong OR Arnold Hiura’s Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands

Table purchases also include reserved seating; open seating for individual tickets. To purchase tickets, call (808) 945-7633 or email info@jcch.com.

Chef Alan and Arnold will be autographing books following their presentation; additional copies of their books will also be available for purchase, to help benefit the Center.

StarChefs.com Rising Stars Gala

bluetomatobook — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 23:25:49 +0000

Congratulations to AWR Next Generation chefs Michelle Karr-Ueoka and Wade Ueoka! Both were named Rising Stars by StarChefs.com in the first-ever group of Hawai‘i chefs given this distinction by the online culinary magazine.

Thirteen up-and-coming chefs, and one mixologist, were named to the 2012 Rising Stars list. To see the full list (and they are all outstanding, talented individuals), visit the StarChefs site.

We are especially proud of Michelle, who is only the third pastry chef to ever take home the People’s Choice award, voted by the attendees at the Gala Dinner as the Best Dish of the Night! She had some tough competition for her Hanaoka Farms Lilikoi Brûlée. Her inventive layered dessert combines the traditional custard of a crème brûlée with pâte de fruit and lilikoi sorbet, topped by a tuile garnish, which is torched to a caramelized finish, in place of the usual burnt sugar topping.

This beautiful photo of Michelle’s dish is courtesy of Ed Morita (@NctrnlBst / Nonstop Honolulu), who did a fantastic Q&A with Michelle. Check it out on the Nonstop Honolulu site.

Wade, in keeping with his approach to re-creating home-style favorites (see his Mochi-Crusted ‘Ōpakapaka dish in The Blue Tomato), served up an Oxtail “Soup” consisting of an Oxtail and Corned Beef Roulade topped with boiled peanuts, ginger and green onion on a bed of shiitake mushroom risotto. Comforting and delicious!

To see the full list of dishes served up at the gala dinner, visit the StarChefs site.

We are also proud of Chef Alan Wong himself, who was voted by the 2012 class of Rising Stars to be awarded the StarChefs Mentor Award. This award, presented by VitaMix is given to one influential chef who, in the opinion of the Rising Stars, has shaped a new generation of local culinary talent. Congratulations, Chef!

We have to say we’re not too surprised, given Chef Alan’s philosophy, as he writes in The Blue Tomato:

I still get the most enjoyment out of the creative process—the research and development. Be it a menu-planning meeting or a cocktail-development session, I relish the interaction with the staff and the discoveries we make as a team. This is the kind of activity that helps people grow and schools them in the creative process. …I like watching people develop and become more successful.

Accepting his award, Chef Alan remarked that the Rising Stars “kids” may think that he and the other mentor chefs have had an impact on their lives, but the reverse is true as well; the Rising Stars have had an impact on his life, and their mentors’, that they will remember always, too.

Congratulations to all of the 2012 Hawai‘i Rising Stars—your success is well-deserved, and we look forward to seeing great things from you in the future!

IN THE MEDIA: 11/21/12

bluetomatobook — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 22:57:35 +0000

StarChefs.com reviewed of The Blue Tomato back in October.

Wong’s multi-hued plating style and his fusing of multiple ethnic influences should be inspiration enough for most readers to imitate and create with whatever product they choose to celebrate.

Here are a few other reviews that we missed posting to this blog:

The Honolulu Weekly‘s reviewer borrowed a copy of The Blue Tomato from the paper’s food editor:

She handed [the book] to me ceremoniously, as though she was entrusting her first-born child to me. I accepted the challenge, but couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated by the hefty weight of the 11-year follow-up to Alan Wong’s New Wave Luau. … And did I enjoy The Blue Tomato? Immensely. Once I wholly and utterly waded into the foodie fray, I discovered that Blue Tomato is a cookbook–yes, but it’s also a good many other things. It’s an intimate glimpse into the mind and kitchen of Alan Wong, it’s a collection of anecdotes from the local farming community, it’s a treasure trove filled with fruitful cooking tips and it’s a philosophy. Above all, it’s wonderfully inspiring–as long as you have a dream.

Ben of FocusSnapEat documented his experience making the Singapore-Style Seafood Stew from The Blue Tomato:

In the end, I thought the entire dish tasted great with the curry having a nice kick from the Madras curry. This is the kind of dish that’s perfect for the winter. Plus, when plated, the dish totally looks like a restaurant entrée.

Ben did a fantastic job, and chronicled it all in stunning photos. Last year, he attended one of our Taste Hawaii Tour events, and documented that on his blog, too.

Finally, a review from Gayot:

More than just a cookbook and certainly not just a collection of recipes, The Blue Tomato is an approach to cooking characterized by creativity and innovation.

Next Generation Dinner – Sept. 2012

bluetomatobook — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 03:06:42 +0000

If you’ve watched Chef Alan’s Blue Tomato interview video, you know that one of the possible titles he considered for The Blue Tomato was The Next Generation. “The Next Generation” became the final chapter of The Blue Tomato instead, and it expresses his belief in teaching the generations that came after us. It’s a philosophy that he holds to in the kitchen, as well as outside—training his staff, as well as spending time at classrooms with students, teaching them about sustainability and where our food comes from.

Creating better individuals and professionals…leads to a better dining experience.

In addition to allowing some of his staff the chance to include a favorite recipe in his book, Chef Alan gives them a chance to shine in his restaurant with the Next Generation Dinner Series. Each Next Generation Dinner features an up-and-coming cook at Alan Wong’s Honolulu. With guidance from Chef Alan, the cook develops his/her own dishes and creates a menu showcasing his/her personal style.

September’s dinner will take place on Wednesday, September 12 and features Chef de Partie Hongseob Kim.

Chef de Partie Hongseob Kim has taken what he learned in working with Chef Alan Wong to create a menu more personal to him. For this evening only, guests can take a journey into the kitchen of Chef Kim’s mother.

The intent behind this menu was to introduce people to unique flavor profiles not found in Hawaii by combining them with fresh, locally grown ingredients. Inspired by Chef Alan Wong’s encouragement to “celebrate the land”, Chef Kim has transformed some of Hawaii’s best products in an education of Korean cuisine in his interpretation. Chef Kim’s favorite dish on his menu is the “Keahole Abalone” which marries Big Island Abalone from the Big Island with a sauce that his mother would make for breakfast.

NEXT GENERATION DINNER

Wednesday, September 12, 2012
5:00 – 10:00 p.m.

5-Course Tasting Menu

Inspired by home cooking, family gatherings & cultural events

Side by Side Tastings

Shochu vs. Shoju
A Tasting of White Kim Chee

To Start
“Korean Black Noodle”
Ahi-Wrapped Black Noodle, Hamakua Springs Tomato Water

Second Course
“Keahole Abalone”
Ochazuke Risotto, Otsuji Farm Dinosaur Kale Chip
ˇˇˇ

Third Course
“Opakapaka Thai Curry” Made by a Korean with Korean Chiles
Pumpkin Seeds, Wailea Agriculture Heart of Palm
ˇˇˇ

Fourth Course
“Seng Kalbi”
Sesame-Crusted Maui Cattle Company Beef Tenderloin, Mung Bean Pancake, Korean Miso Jus, Manoa Lettuce

Dessert
“Yacsic”
Sweet Mochi Rice

$85 per person/ $130 with wine pairings

Call 808-949-2526 for reservations.

Taste of the Nation Hawaii 2012

bluetomatobook — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 01:17:09 +0000

Please join Chef Alan Wong, this year’s Honorary Chef Chair, at Taste of the Nation Hawaii, a fundraiser to help fight childhood hunger nationwide.

Nearly 17 million children face hunger in America. Most families that live below the poverty line in America are working families, yet their regular income is not sufficient to cover the cost of housing, medical care, child care, transportation, clothing and food. Employment is simply not enough to safeguard these families against hunger and poverty.

Here in Hawaii, our Child Poverty Rate is nearly 14% which ranks us 41 of the 50 United States, while our national rank in Food Hardship is a devastating third place finish. One out of every four keiki in Hawaii face childhood hunger and we can do something to fix it.

- Taste of the Nation Hawaii

Copies of Chef Alan’s The Blue Tomato will be available for purchase at the event. Proceeds benefit Taste of the Nation Hawaii.

Chef Alan Wong’s The Blue Tomato Wins Prestigious IACP Culinary Award

bluetomatobook — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 22:37:21 +0000

Watermark Publishing is pleased to announce that the The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong by Chef Alan Wong, co-written by Arnold Hiura, has been named the “Chefs & Restaurants” category winner in the 26th Annual International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Cookbook Awards. The Blue Tomato’s fellow nominees in the category were Home Cooking with Jean-Georges by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and The Art of Living According to Joe Beef: A Cookbook of Sorts by Chefs Frederic Morin and David McMillan, and Meredith Erickson. To see the full list of finalists and nominees in all 18 Award categories, visit the IACP website.

Says Wong: “It took many hands, many minds, and a lot of teamwork to produce The Blue Tomato. I’m honored, and proud of the recognition for the entire team. The Blue Tomato represents a lot of what happens within our restaurants, so I’m very happy for our entire team because they live it every day.” Read more from Wong on his blog.

The IACP awards program recognizes excellence and innovation in the culinary industry; its Cookbook Awards are among the most prestigious in the industry. Past honorees have included Rick Bayless, Mark Bittman, Dorie Greenspan, Thomas Keller and Julia Child. The 2012 Awards were given out in 18 categories. The Blue Tomato and the other award winners were announced at the Awards Ceremony on Monday, April 2 in New York during a gala event as part of IACP’s annual conference.

The Blue Tomato previously received the Ka Palapala Po‘okela Award of Excellence in Cookbooks, the top award in the category, as well as an Honorable Mention for Design from the Hawai‘i Book Publishers Association, and was one of three nominees for the 2011 Samuel M. Kamakau Hawai‘i Book of the Year Award.

A founding chef and renowned master of Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine, Alan Wong is known the world over for his creative, cutting-edge cuisine. A 1996 winner of the James Beard Award, he is a tireless ambassador for Hawai‘i Regional Cuisine and a leader in America’s farm-to-table movement. Chef Alan worked previously at The Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, Lutèce in New York City and The CanoeHouse on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. In 1995 he opened Alan Wong’s Restaurant—now Alan Wong’s Honolulu—and, in 1999, The Pineapple Room by Alan Wong, also in Honolulu. The Blue Tomato is his second cookbook.

Connect with The Blue Tomato via Facebook (www.facebook.com/TheBlueTomato) or via Twitter (@bluetomato808).

The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong is priced at $40.00 (ISBN 978-1-9356900-7-8) and is available at bookstores, other retail outlets and online booksellers, or direct from the publisher at www.thebluetomato.net.

Watermark Publishing is a Honolulu, Hawaii, book publishing company. Established in 1999, Watermark Publishing has produced a number of award-winning books—including children’s books, memoirs, biographies and cookbooks—specializing in titles that celebrate Hawai‘i’s unique, “mixed plate” culture.

The Blue Tomato Announced as Finalist in Prestigious IACP Culinary Awards

bluetomatobook — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 01:21:39 +0000

The Blue Tomato: The Inspirations Behind the Cuisine of Alan Wong by Chef Alan Wong, co-written by Arnold Hiura, is one of three finalists in the 26th Annual International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) Cookbook Awards in the “Chefs & Restaurants” category. [To see the full list of Cookbook Award finalists, as well as nominees in several other Award categories, visit the IACP website.]

The IACP awards program recognizes excellence and innovation in the culinary industry; its Cookbook Awards are among the most prestigious in the industry. Past honorees have included Rick Bayless, Mark Bittman, Dorie Greenspan, Thomas Keller and Julia Child. The 2012 Awards will be given in 18 categories. The Awards Ceremony will take place on Monday, April 2 in New York during a gala event as part of IACP’s annual conference.

Connect with The Blue Tomato via Facebook (www.facebook.com/TheBlueTomato) or via Twitter (@bluetomato808).

Taste Hawai‘i Tour Photo Galleries

bluetomatobook — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 08:33:05 +0000

View photo slideshows from the Taste Hawai‘i Tour. For larger images, click on the photo to go to the main gallery for the event. (See yourself or someone you know in a photo? Visit the photo galleries on Facebook at the Blue Tomato page or the Kau Kau page and tag them!)

Have photos you’d like to see added to our galleries? Post them on our Facebook pages or email them to us: info (at) bookshawaii.net.

Omnivore Books:

HVCB Media Event:

San Francisco Ferry Building:

JCCCNC Event:

HCCNC Mixer:

San Jose Lunch at Akiyama Center:

Birthday Bash at Hukilau San Jose:

Restaurant Week Hawaii Promotions

bluetomatobook — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 00:30:01 +0000

Come and Taste Hawai‘i during Restaurant Week Hawai‘i (Nov. 14 to 20, 2011) at Alan Wong’s Honolulu and The Pineapple Room at Macy’s Ala Moana Center! Both restaurants will feature special prix fixe dinner menus. See the menus here.

In addition, The Pineapple Room is part of a special promotion at Ala Moana Center: Get a FREE copy of The Hawai‘i Book of Rice by dining at any two different participating Ala Moana Center restaurants from Nov. 14 to 20, 2011, and presenting your receipts during the same time period at the Customer Service Center. Recipes from Chef Alan Wong and Pastry Chef Michelle Karr are featured in The Hawai‘i Book of Rice by Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi from The Blue Tomato publisher, Watermark Publishing. For more information on the free book promotion, visit Watermark Publishing’s blog.

Taste Hawai‘i Tour Event Prize Giveaways

bluetomatobook — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:06:57 +0000

Photo: Hawaiian Airlines

Attend the ticketed Taste Hawai‘i Tour tasting events with Chef Alan Wong and Arnold Hiura, including Chef Alan’s Birthday Bash on November 2, and you could win dinner for two at The Pineapple Room or Alan Wong’s Honolulu, a collection of cookbooks, or possibly even a trip for two to Hawai‘i to dine at Chef Alan Wong’s new restaurant at the Grand Wailea Resort (scheduled opening: February 2012)!

Prize drawings will be conducted at the three ticketed tasting events (in San Francisco at the JCCCNC; in San Jose at the Akiyama Center (lunch) and at Hukilau San Jose for Chef Alan’s Birthday Bash); winners must be present to claim their prizes; one entry per household; entry form must be filled out in person.

Photo: Grand Wailea Resort

San Francisco Dinner and Akiyama Center Lunch Prizes:

Dinner for Two at The Pineapple Room
Dinner for Two at Alan Wong’s Honolulu
Set of Hawai‘i Cookbooks from Watermark Publishing

Chef Alan’s Birthday Bash Prizes:

Trip to Hawai‘i Prize Package

Roundtrip Airfare to Hawai‘i, courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines*
4 Nights Ocean View Accommodations + $200 Dining Credit at Chef Alan Wong’s new restaurant at the Grand Wailea Resort (scheduled opening: February 2012), courtesy of Grand Wailea Resort

Alan Wong's Honolulu

Dinner for Two at The Pineapple Room
Dinner for Two at Alan Wong’s Honolulu
Set of Hawai‘i Cookbooks from Watermark Publishing

Purchase your tickets:

San Francisco JCCCNC Dinner

Akiyama Center Lunch

Chef Alan’s Birthday Bash

*Award certificate is valid for 80,000 HawaiianMiles, the current equivalent of two roundtrip tickets on Hawaiian Airlines between one of their West Coast gateway cities and Hawai‘i (Hawaiian Airlines reserves the right to change mileage award levels at any time). Winner must have or be willing to open a HawaiianMiles account in order to take advantage of the prize award. Certificate must be redeemed by 1/31/2012 in order to claim the mileage award; once miles are deposited into a HawaiianMiles account, they are subject to the expiration and usage terms dictated by the HawaiianMiles program.