
On the mainland people might say I'm a New Yorker,' but here it's Lyndon? He's Portuguese Chinese Hawaiian.' " He offers a brief history of the islands and describes local eating customs, including ohana food served family style the plate lunch served with rice and mac and cheese and pupus, an array of bountiful appetizers guaranteed to satiate even the most ravenous appetites. A third-generation Filipino-Hawaiian, Simeon details what it means to be Hawaiian and the important role that ethnicity plays in that definition: "See, in Hawai i we identify ourselves ethnically rather than geographically.

Two-time Top Chef competitor Simeon celebrates Hawaiian cuisine in this enticing collection. Through stunning photography, poignant stories, and dishes like wok-fried poke, pork dumplings made with biscuit dough, crispy cauliflower katsu, and charred huli-huli chicken slicked with a sweet-savory butter glaze, Cook Real Hawai‘i will bring a true taste of the cookouts, homes, and iconic mom and pop shops of Hawai‘i into your kitchen. With uncomplicated, flavor-forward recipes, he shows us the many cultures that have come to create the cuisine of his beloved home: the native Hawaiian traditions, Japanese influences, Chinese cooking techniques, and dynamic Korean, Portuguese, and Filipino flavors that are closest to his heart.

ONE OF THE TEN BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker

The story of Hawaiian cooking, by a two-time Top Chef finalist and Fan Favorite, through 100 recipes that embody the beautiful cross-cultural exchange of the islands.
