Runaway to Hawaii while waiting for Alaskan Grown

Posted by chefalaska

Posted: April 3, 2008 - 12:53 pm

Yesterday I took a tour of the valley, saw the first cheese produced by Matanuska Creamery, frolicked in a storage bin of potatoes at the Vanderweele Farms, and saw the nuts and bolts of Arctic Organics as well. This was rejuvenating-in other parts of the US there is a spring crop going to market, we have a little ways to go, but seeing the green houses holding seedlings makes market time feel a little closer.

Food wise, this is the hardest time of year to write about alaskan fare. The spring breakup process makes me wanna go away. This spring tasting menu at the Crow's Nest I did just that.

My wife and I got married in Hawaii a few years ago, during the trip I picked up a $2 book called LOCAL FOOD -Where to eat in Hawaii By Joan Clarke. This was my inspiration for a sophisticated "plate lunch" meets Hawaiian regional fare tasting menu-no, there is no spam sushi...

I was surprised at the many cultures that are fused in Hawaii. A brief history is that Captain James Cook and other voyagers passed through in 1778 introducing salted and preserved meats and fish, Christian missionaries arrived in the 1800's from the east coast, introducing a new england pantry. Mid 1800's sugar cultivation lured many foreign laborers to Hawaii, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Korean, Filipinos. These cultures took the natural bounty and adapted accordingly, producing a local fare.

I was hoping to highlight some unique items like Umeboshi-salted sugar plums- We made a salad dressing using rice wine vinegar and Aji Mirin-to sweeten and sour the salty aspect of the plums. Moi, a fish traditionally reserved for Hawaiian Royalty is a moist, trout like fish with a firmer flesh- A true treat.
I am humbled to say that I learned that kalua prepared meat the centerpiece of luau's , and traditionally an offering to the God's means it is smoked and steamed with ti leaves... not cooked in kahlua, the Mexican coffee liquor. We hard smoked our boar shoulder, and braised it in pineapple juice and jalepeno, successful, I think.

FIVE COURSE "SPRING" TASTING MENU
Star fruit, pommello, macadamia nut salad with an umeboshi vinaigrette
-2005 Zantho muscat, Australia

Pan Seared Moi, wasabi sweet potato puree, mai tai sauce
-2006 Monchof Estate Reisling, Germany

Grilled Mako Shark, Kahlua Boar, grilled bok choy, hoisin-jalepeno sauce
-2004 Vale do Bomfin Reserva, Portugal

Aged Cranberry Ridge "feta" Goat Cheese, pineapple, kiwi and red sea salt
NV Dow's Fine White Porto, Portugal

Portuguese Bread Pudding, coconut sauce
-200 Schwarz "Weiss", Austria

Happy Grubbin'

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