Kohala High School on Hawaiʻi Island held a 100-year celebration earlier this month. And what better way to continue that celebration than to share some recipes from the area?
These recipes come from a collection called North Kohala Favorites. It was compiled by the North Kohala Cookbook Committee and published in either 1991 or 1992. The book was sold at the K. Takata Store, with the proceeds going towards various community fundraising projects.
The Takata Store has a long history in the area. Keizo and Hatsuko Takata first opened the store in Hāwī in 1923. The family relocated it to its current location in Kapaʻau in 1992. While the store is no longer operated by the family, it's serving the community under KTA Super Stores' parent company.
It was hard to pick just one recipe when this book is packed with hundreds of them, all of which look delicious. There are tons of recipes for local favorites and some surprising ones that are less familiar. There are the usual conversion charts and information pages that most recipe compilation books of this type have. There are some business advertisements throughout some of the pages as well.
The brown bread recipe stood out to me because it uses three different flours for its structure, plus a variety of mix-ins. The cans used for the Hāwī bread are probably 1-pound coffee cans. Loaf pans can be used instead, but the bake time might need to be adjusted to ensure the bread is baked through. I usually check in 5 to 10 minute intervals if additional baking time is needed.
It was also hard to pass up the shrimp salad because any recipe called “Da Kine” is as local as it gets. The recipe calls for vegetables that are commonly on hand for the salad, but feel free to substitute with favorites instead. Or even better, add more vegetables, such as grilled zucchini or sautéed mushrooms.
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
