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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, December 3, 2008

TASTE
Kurisu recipes

 •  Family-owned KTA Superstores is committed to Hawaii products

Advertiser Staff

For his cable TV shows aired on the Big Island, "Living in Paradise" and "Seniors Living in Paradise," supermarket executive Derek Kurisu delights in sharing simple recipes that recall his plantation village childhood. Here are a few that he has demonstrated in promoting Hawai'i-grown and -made foods.

"Koko" is the endearing nickname for Japanese-style homemade pickles, generally made with cabbage and served as a relish at every meal in the old days. This is Kurisu's recipe, which makes use of the microwave and keeps the technique simple.

CABBAGE KOKO

  • 1/2 large or 1 small cabbage, cut into strips

  • 4 large daikon (Japanese white turnip), sliced thin

    For the sauce: 1 cup water; 3/4 cup sugar; 1/3 cup vinegar; 2 teaspoons salt

    Rinse cabbage and daikon in cold water and drain (a salad spinner works well for this). Mix together in large airtight container with a lid.

    In a microwave-safe container, combine sauce ingredients. Microwave on low for 30 to 45 seconds, just until sugar dissolves (do not overheat; sauce should be warm, not hot). Pour sauce over cabbage and daikon. Stir and leave in refrigerator overnight. Stir next day and it's ready.

    Per tablespoon: 5 calories, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 20 mg sodium, 1 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 0 g protein

    HOT HOT HOT DOG

    This is hardly even a recipe, but when Kurisu talks about teaching elders to cook — especially widowed men who know little about the culinary arts — this is the kind of dish he's talking about.

    Place 3 Island-style hot dogs in a rice cooker. Add enough water to come up about one-fourth of the side of the wiener. Turn on rice cooker and steam. If you have Mountain Apple Brand Portuguese hot dogs, drain water once the dog is steamed and allow to brown in rice cooker for a few minutes. Place dogs in a bun and top with local-made kim chee.

    TOFU SALAD

    Tofu salad is a potluck must; here's Kurisu's recipe, which is a bit different, incorporating both peppery pickled Japanese radish and the salty Korean-style codfish relish called taegu.

  • 1 bunch watercress (or use romaine lettuce mixed with radish sprouts)

  • 1 package bean sprouts

  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced

  • 1 block firm tofu, sliced in chunks

  • 1 takuwan, sliced in matchsticks

  • 5 ounces or more taegu, prepared Korean codfish

  • Radish sprouts for garnish

    For the sauce: 1/2 cup shoyu; 1/2 cup vegetable oil; 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 2 tablespoons sugar

    Layer watercress, bean sprouts, tomatoes, tofu, takuwan and taegu in large, flat pan or dish. Top with radish sprouts.

    Make sauce by bringing ingredients to a boil, allowing sugar to melt; cool. Pour cooled sauce over salad. (If you like a lot of juice, you can double the sauce recipe.) Serves 6 to 8.

    Per serving (based on 8 servings): 300 calories, 21 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 10 mg cholesterol, greater than 1500 mg sodium, 14 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 17 g protein