Seeing tuna tofu patties at parties or potlucks seems less common now compared to when I was a kid. This is a recipe that feels really impressive to make, but is actually pretty easy and uses a lot of basic ingredients that are easy to get.
It comes from the Itadakimasu Centennial Cookbook that was put together by the Women of Nu‘uanu in 1985. The group was a part of the Nu‘uanu Congregational Church. The cookbook was a project that was part of many events that commemorated the 100th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Hawai‘i.
The foreword in the cookbook explains a brief history of the immigration and the relationship that the church had with the people who came. The book also explains, “The main objective [of the cookbook] was to recognize the thousands of unnamed Japanese women, who with tremendous courage, left Japan for these distant islands.”
There are nearly 300 pages of recipes that range from traditional Japanese foods to local favorites and also include recipes that were popular around the time it was released. Each section has cute artwork and some of the recipes have ingredient illustrations under them, all done by Carol Hamada. There’s also a section of recipes that centers around the microwave as a cooking method.
The tuna tofu patties are really quick to make for a meal after work, it’s good as leftovers, and the recipe is easily scaled up if you’re going to make it for a gathering. The recipe doesn’t state this, but you should drain the tuna before mixing it in. The mixture will be too wet to hold together when cooking if you don’t.
This Foodie Friday is sponsored by Aloha Tofu.
Foodie Friday is a segment in the Akamai Recap newsletter that's a place to talk story and connect over food. If you have a favorite recipe or food-centric memory you’d like to share, feel free to send them via email to pclay@hawaiipublicradio.org
