Cooking Tips

About ingredients, cooking tools and hints

I believe cooking should be fun and creative. The goal is to eat something tasty and share with your friends and family.

If you are new to cooking, don’t be too intimidated. Try something easy first. Of course, some recipes need techniques, but if you have fresh and good products, your dish will be tasty. It’s also important to plate your food so that the dish looks good. A great dish is a combination of taste, aroma and presentation.

When I cook, I try to follow below guidelines.

Use fresh and good ingredients (not necessarily expensive or organic).
Use good quality spices and condiments. (see what I use below )
Use good quality pots, pans, and knives.
Think about the color and plating

1: Most produce in Hawaii is shipped from mainland and other countries. So, I need to make sure the produce is fresh or ripe enough for cooking.

2: Spices and condiments are super important. I try to avoid refined or processed products such as sugar and flour as much as possible. Substitutes for sugar are honey or maple syrup. Instead of margarine or vegetable oil, I chose butter, olive oil, and avocado oil. Salt and pepper have to be good quality. Use real, fresh ingredients like lemons not pre-squeezed lemon juice from a plastic bottle.

3: Pots and pans are important. Use good sturdy ones. Everyone has their own favors, and I use quality stainless steel pots and pans. the heat conduction is great; you use less time for cooking. Knives need to be sharpened.

4: Plating is super important. Appearance matters. You can be creative, and it is fun to make your own art on a plate.

Have fun to create a dish. Relax and enjoy one glass of beer or wine.

Even though I put 4 guidelines above, they aren’t strict rules. Have fun cooking.

Buon Appetito