Synopses & Reviews
Offering more than 175 recipes that reflect the many cultures of the Pacific islands,
this adventurous cookbook features low-fat, healthful cooking emphasizing vegetables,
fish, seafood, poultry, and pasta.
Inspired by sunny Mediterranean and Asian cooking, the Pacific palate is a multicultural
sensation. Polynesian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Samoan, Portuguese, Filipino,
Vietnamese, and Thai people are just some of those who have had an impact upon the
cuisine. In addition, a European and Western influence has recently emerged with the
explosion of five-star resort hotels in the 1980s.
This cookbook is about looking at the familiar with new eyes, integrating old and new
flavors. For example, a typical Asian dish, the spring roll, is transformed into a
spectacular dessert by using a fruit plentiful in the islandsÑthe banana. The book is
also about introducing unfamiliar ingredients that are rapidly becoming available in
supermarkets due to the influx of immigrant populations around the world. Asian noodles
such as udon and soba are a good example of ingredients that can be found in many stores
now but may be intimidating to the average cook familiar with only Italian pasta. Recipes
here explain not only how to cook these different noodles but also how to prepare sauces
for them.
The methods in this book promote a light approach to cooking, with vegetables cooked just
enough to take the raw edge off and with fat significantly reduced. Throughout the book,
delightful illustrations enhance the recipes.
Alaina de Havilland is a caterer and party designer based in Honolulu and the Big Island
of Hawaii. Currently she is a consultant for a number of restaurants on the Big Island.
She has established a reputation for her extraordinary culinary creations.
100 illustrations, 50 in full color
Synopsis
Offering nearly 175 recipes that reflect the many cultures of the Pacific Islands, this adventurous cookbook features low-fat, beautiful food emphasizing vegetables, fish, seafood, poultry, and pasta.