By Joan Namkoong
Advertiser Food Critic
 Cookies latest addition to poi snacks
Looks like poi is becoming the next li hing craze in the snack food world. With poi biscotti, bagels, English muffins, breads, rolls and even kiwi, coconut and banana flavored poi to squeeze from a bag, there seems to be a whole lot of poi products being produced. Newcomer to the lineup is Poi Cookies, crisp, light, shortbread-like cookies.
"Taro is worldwide but poi is a Hawai‘i thing," said Roy Shimonishi, owner of the Hungry Lion restaurant. Shimonishi and his partners, journalist Eddie Sherman and baker Greg Teshima, have been working on poi cookies for more than a year and finally came up with a recipe they like. Evidently others liked the cookies, too: Their first customer was the new Duty Free Galleria store in Waikiki, followed by Hilo Hattie’s on Maui and O‘ahu.
Once you get past the purplish-gray cast, the cookies are pretty good. But don’t expect much poi flavor. Clever packaging designed by Mike Cueva adds to the cookies’ appeal; these are definitely in the category of "only in Hawai‘i." The 7-ounce boxes also are available at the Hungry Lion, 1613 Nu‘uanu Ave., for $6.
Shanghai bok choy
Looking for a darling of a green vegetable? Tucked between the choi sum and mustard greens at the supermarket is Shanghai bok choy, also known as green stem bok choy or baby bok choy. Spoon-shaped green leaves with flat white stems characterize this 6- to 8-inch-long vegetable.
With a tender texture and a slightly sweet taste, this prized green should be steamed or stir-fried, whole or halved lengthwise. A little oyster sauce does wonders for this vegetable, which cooks quickly and remains bright green. Look for fresh heads and use within a day or two of purchase.
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