The Poke Cookbook: The Freshest Way to Eat Fish by Martha Cheng [0451498062, Format: EPUB]

The Poke Cookbook: The Freshest Way to Eat Fish by Martha Cheng

Print Length: 96 Pages
Publisher: Clarkson Potter
Publication Date: January 24, 2017
Language: English
ASIN: B01I85PPYE
ISBN-10: 0451498062
ISBN-13: 978-0451498069
File Format: EPUB

Poke, the traditional Hawaiian snack of raw fish seasoned with soy sauce and sesame oil, has hit the mainland. On the islands, it’s the casual dish that brings everyone together—but now you can bring these flavors into your own kitchen with 45 recipes for traditional poke, modern riffs, bases, bowls, and other local-style accompaniments. From classic Shoyu Ahi to creative Uni, Lychee, and Coconut to vegetarian Mango and Jicama, poke is delicious, simple, and endlessly customizable.

A very broadly useful niche cookbook.

While I have no expertise in Hawaiian food, my adult son spent many summers in Hawaii. He assures me that this cookbook in its classics section reflects true Island flavors and that the remainder of the book reflects Island sensibilities. The traditional raw, seared or cooked fish pokes recipes are fundamental to understanding the remainder of the cookbook. The author suggests alternative fish and at times, alternative ingredients if you cannot obtain the required ingredients. The result is that you can quickly become an “extemporaneous” poke cook using what is available in the current season in your locale. This freedom in recipes is enhanced by the inclusion of the South Asian “Bhelpuri Shrimp”, the “Moroccan Blackened ‘Ahi”, the Peruvian “Mahimahi Ceviche with Mango and Liliko’i”

More surprising is the Vegetable Poke section where vegetables, generally cooked, are presented in poke style. Several recipes here are excellent outside this context e.g. “Sweet Potato and Cilantro”, “Beet and Macadamia”, “Carrot Ginger”. These recipes are good but not particularly innovative. The book closes with bases for Poke Bowls giving a complete meal – here contemporary food trend show as in the cauliflower rice “Kimchi-Cauli Rice”, “Poke ‘Nachos’” … and a few drinks, snacks, etc. to create a complete meal.