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When I heard about Beverly Gannon's book, Family-Style Meals at the Hali'imaile General Store, with recipes from that popular Maui restaurant, I was excited to taste the regional cuisine. Especially with visions of our president growing up in Hawaii, I wanted this cookbook to take me there.

Kalua pork and lobster spring rolls are made with a pleasing combination of spices and served with mango-chile dipping sauce.
Kalua pork and lobster spring rolls are made with a pleasing combination of spices and served with mango-chile dipping sauce.Read more

When I heard about Beverly Gannon's book, Family-Style Meals at the Hali'imaile General Store, with recipes from that popular Maui restaurant, I was excited to taste the regional cuisine. Especially with visions of our president growing up in Hawaii, I wanted this cookbook to take me there.

Author Beverly Gannon, the chef-owner of the Hali'imaile General Store, writes about the importance of food in her family as she grew up and encourages home cooks to include children in the making of family meals. She also gets it: her recipes include excellent tips for using leftovers, warnings about lengthy ingredient lists, and suggestions on completing the prep work before diving into the actual cooking.

Gannon's cooking is described as combining Pacific, Asian, and Southern flavors. She adds a tropical touch to some familiar comfort foods - pineapple compote to potato pancakes, and popular Hawaiian fruit to the absolutely delicious Barbecued Chicken and Smoked Gouda Quesadillas. (The Southern part must be the criminal treatment of vegetables - nothing like adding an eight-ounce brick of cream cheese and 15 tablespoons of butter to your spinach and artichokes.)

I must say, too, that she is not shy about adding copious amounts of butter and cream to other recipes. The Ultimate French Toast, for instance, has a quart of heavy cream and eight yolks to serve eight! Not exactly the breakfast of champions. With some recipes, I was able to substitute lower-fat options. In the satisfying Chicken Fettucine Casserole, I used low-fat sour cream and 2 percent milk and also added more spinach to the dish. To be fair, there are healthier options, such as the Asian-inspired minced-chicken lettuce wraps and the edamame salad, among others.

I used the base recipe of Kalua Pork to make two of the book's dishes; Kalua Pork Potsticker Salad With Grilled Pineapple, and Kalua Pork and Lobster Spring Rolls. My fear of frying did not stop me; the instructions were clear and walked me through the recipes handily. The salad was good, but the spring rolls were amazing. The filling of lobster and pork is mixed with a pleasing combination of fresh ginger, garlic, cilantro, and sesame oil. I might also note that my 7-year-old son came into the kitchen as I was making these and actually asked to help. I used the Kalua Pork to make really good tacos, which was a "leftovers suggestion" for this recipe.

Family-Style Meals at the Hali'imaile General Store is filled with gorgeous photography, but not always of the food or ingredients. These items may be commonplace in Hawaii, but some were unfamiliar to me and were a challenge to find. While the book did not transport me to the beach or substitute as a vacation, it did take me to the gym for an extra workout. Truthfully, I would happily go anywhere for the quesadillas and spring rolls.

Kalua Pork and Lobster Spring Rolls With Mango-Chile Dipping Sauce

Makes 16 to 18 spring rolls

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1 cup Kalua pork (see note)

1 cup chopped, cooked lobster

1 carrot, peeled and shredded

2 cups finely shredded won bok (Chinese or Napa cabbage)

6 green onions, green and white parts, chopped fine

3 garlic cloves, chopped fine

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 teaspoons sriracha (Thai chile sauce)

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

16-18 spring roll wrappers

Peanut oil for frying

Mango Chile dipping sauce (see recipe)

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1. In a large bowl, combine the pork, lobster, carrot, won bok, onions, garlic, ginger, and cilantro and mix well.

2. In a small bowl, combine the salt, sesame oil, sriracha, oyster sauce, and sesame seeds. Pour this mixture over the filling mixture and mix well.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the cornstarch and water. On a large clean work surface, lay out a spring roll wrapper with a point facing you. Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling across the bottom of the wrapper, about 2 inches above the point. Fold the bottom point up over the filling and fold in the sides toward the middle. Put a dab of the cornstarch mixture on the top point. Starting at the bottom, roll up to form a tidy bundle. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers. Cover and chill the spring rolls for at least 1 hour before frying.

4. Line a plate with paper towels. In a heavy saucepan, heat about 2 inches of oil to 375 degrees. Add 2 spring rolls and turn with tongs to fry evenly, for about 11/2-2 minutes, until crisp and browned. Remove with tongs; drain on the plate. Repeat with remaining rolls.

5. Serve hot with mango-chile dipping sauce.

Notes: 1. To make Kalua pork: Combine 3 pounds boneless pork butt (cut in half) salt, pepper, one tablespoon of liquid barbecue smoke and three cups of water in a roasting pan. Cover tightly with foil and cook for 23/4-3 hours in a 325 degree oven. Shred the pork when done.

2. Spring roll wrappers, thin squares or rounds, 6 to 7 inches in diameter, made from flour and water, are different from egg roll wrappers, which contain eggs.

Per serving (based on 18, without dipping sauce): 139 calories, 8 grams protein, 19 grams carbohydrates, trace sugar, 3 grams fat, 17 milligrams cholesterol, 297 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.EndText

Mango-Chile Dipping Sauce

Makes 4 cups

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1 large ripe mango

3 cups rice vinegar

4 cups sugar

1/2 cup seeded and finely diced red bell pepper

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1 tablespoon sambal oelek (Indonesian chile sauce)

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1. Peel the mango; remove the flesh from the seed and dice. Place the flesh in a food processor and puree, adding a small amount of water if necessary for smoothness. Measure 3/4-cup of puree. (Store leftover puree in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze.)

2. To prepare the sauce, combine the vinegar and sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve the sugar and continue to cook for 35-40 minutes, until the mixture is reduced and syrupy. Add the bell pepper, onion, ginger, cilantro, mint, and sambal oelek to the sugar syrup. Stir well, remove from the heat, and cool. Stir in the mango puree.