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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, July 9, 2008

FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Ferreting out recipes for readers

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Columnist

 •  Isle egg crisis

  • Kate Morikawa is looking for the pea salad from Ryan's and Kincaid's (the one with onions and maybe water chestnuts and a mayonnaise sort of dressing). This is one I should be able to track down if the Restaurants Unlimited chain shares it (they share some recipes, but not all). But if you happen to have it, shoot it over to me.

  • James Kobashigawa wrote to say he had been reading blogs on "old-kine memories" and something came up about those old "secret sauces" many hamburger drive-ins used to serve. He recalls Meg's, where you could get five burgers for a buck. He wonders what was in those. I recall them, too, but can't say for sure what was in them. It was usually a mayonnaise and ketchup base but sometimes involved mustard, pickle relish, maybe pickle juice, maybe even powdered dashi. Anybody got any of these old secrets to share?

  • Another reader is looking for a recipe for coconut pineapple pie that she last tasted at Waipahu High School in the 1950s. Anybody got that one?

  • Morning Glory recipes, such as those served at Neiman Marcus, are on the mind of another reader. That one, too, is out here. I'll see what I can find.

    A visitor from Kansas writes: "My daughter would love the recipe for the fish tacos served at Moose McGillycuddy's restaurant. We tried these at several places in Waikiki, and these were the best by far." The manager there said he was flattered, but they don't reveal that recipe. Anybody got a good fish taco to share instead?

    As our archive server has suffered a serious crash, I can't find the kalbi with Asian pear marinade that reader Muriel Fujii is craving, which ran some time ago, but I did find a marinade online. This type of kalbi is called kalbi chim (aka jim, tchim, jjim) and the authentic version is extremely complicated (two different marinades, braising slowly, garnishing with such ingredients as dried red dates, etc.). You can read more about it at www.tableconversation.com.

    Here's a simple version I found online: Marinate kalbi ribs in this mixture: 3/4 cup soy sauce, 1 Korean pear or Asian pear, grated with juices, 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic, 1/2 small white onion, grated or sliced, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, 1 tablespoon honey. Marinate at least one hour and braise the kalbi ribs in this mixture. I've heard the kalbi chim at Sorabol is a life changer.

    To reach me with answers to any of these requests, or memories of old-style "secret sauce," use the contact information below.

    Mahalo!

    Send recipes and queries to Wanda A. Adams, Food Editor, Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Fax: 525-8055. E-mail: wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.

    For more information about our 150th anniversary cookbook, call 535-8189 (message phone; your call will be returned). You can order the cookbook online.