Lollipop, Lollipop, la, la, la lollipop!

Everyone loves flavorful candy on a stick and Ken Takahashi took the treats to a new level with his Burger Pops at last year’s Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range. Assigned grass-fed burger, Takahashi created something unique and fun to eat while “grazing” at Taste. Chef shares his recipe for making burger “lollipops,” tells how he got into cooking and details his use of grass-fed beef at Honolulu Burger Company.

Chef Ken Takahashi oversees the frying of Burger Lollipops by a Kona HawCC culinary student at last year's Taste.

From Hilo to O’ahu
Born in Sapporo, Japan, Ken arrived in Hilo at the tender age of five in 1967. He attended De Silva Elementary, Waiakea Intermediate and High Schools and graduated from UH Manoa with a BBA in international business. He opened Honolulu Burger Company in 2010 after getting into the culinary arts via restaurant management.

Takahashi explains, “I began in the restaurant business as a part time host at the Hilton Hawaiian Village’s Ajisai-tei restaurant.  There, I learned marketing and front-of-the-house operations, as well as rudimentary kitchen tasks from the chef.  Within a few months, I became marketing/ sales manager and was responsible for also managing their two other restaurants.  In order to effectively oversee the other restaurant operations, I had to learn how to cook and teach kitchen operations and cooking procedures to the culinary staff.  That’s where it all started.  After that, I opened a small hot dog, burritos and gyros stand called the Dog House at the King’s Village Shopping Center.

Besides loving food, Ken enjoys golf. He explains, “At last year’s Taste of the Range, I was able to sneak off with my friends from Hilo and almost finished 17 holes in two hours at Waikoloa Village Golf Club before it poured on us. Then I had to rush back to finish making our burger pops.”

Q and A

Q: How would you describe your cooking style and please give some examples.
A: Chop Suey!  I’m not ashamed to admit that through my career in the restaurant industry, I learned from whomever was willing to teach me.  My mom taught me traditional Japanese home cooking. I learned other cuisines from chefs at different restaurants that I was involved with. I picked up ideas from cookbooks, TV-I was a food network junkie when it first started- and I even learned how to make a great tzatziki sauce from a Greek taxi driver who didn’t like what I was using for my gyros. Finally, I experimented with tastes and ingredients in the kitchen-it was a lot of trial and error.

Q: Why do you use grass-fed beef?
A: At Honolulu Burger Company, our main goal is to use grass-fed beef as hamburger patties for burgers first.  We also started making loco mocos with it as well.  In addition, we use sliced grass-fed sirloin for our Teri and Philly Dip Sandwiches, as well as boneless short ribs and brisket for our braised short rib sandwiches.  I have experimented with mountain oysters but didn’t do too well….

Q. What are your favorite grass-fed beef cuts and why?
A: I really like all the different cuts because of the product quality.

Q: Do you let patrons know on your menu they are eating grass-fed beef?
A: Yes, our business plan revolves around the concept of eating local and grass-fed beef.

Q: What other local food products are your favorite and why?
A: The great thing about Hawai’i is that it is the true melting pot of world cultures, ideas and food!  We have such a diverse food culture that there is always a new favorite for me and it changes all the time.  (that’s why I’m so fat-Iove to eat all the time!)

Q: Are you participating in the 2012 Taste?
A: Yes!

Honolulu Burger Company is located at 1295 S. Beretania St. in Honolulu, 808-626-5202, www.honoluluburgercom.com.

Grass-Fed Beef Recipe: Big Island Beef Burger Pops

You may have remembered tasting the delish Kalua Big Island Beef….or maybe the Spicy Bloody Mary Mix that uses local WOW tomatoes and was featured by the RecipeRenovator.com? After just opening, Eddie Aikau Restaurant debuted last year at Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range to wide acclaim. At the helm of the popular Kings’ Shops restaurant is Chef Scott Kealoha Lutey. We feature Scott in this week’s Taste It blog, along with his recipe for Herb Cheese Rubbed Grass-fed Filet Mignon with Tomato Relish.

Maui No Ka Oi

Chef Scott Lutey (far right) and team give the shaka the 2011 Taste

Born and raised on The Valley Isle, Chef Lutey is a local boy who “loves to free dive and surf.” He credits his grandmother, who did a lot of cooking when he was growing up, for igniting his flame for the culinary arts. “I always remember the fish-steamed uhu or fried akule. If the opihi were big, she would put them on the grill.”

After graduating from Maui’s Lahainaluna High School, Lutey attended Kapiolani and Hilo Community Colleges. He earned his culinary chops at numerous restaurants and hotels on Maui and Kaua’i before coming to the Big Isle to serve as executive chef at Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Café. On the way, the Hawai’i native earned numerous awards and accolades, including being named a James Beard House “Featured Chef” and Angostura “World Class Taste” grand prize winner.

The four-time Hale ‘Aina Award winner has been at Eddie Aikau since it opened in July 2011 and has been wowing patrons with his innovative menu that relies on a wide variety of local foods-everything from Waipi’o Valley taro and ti leaf to Hula Girl Honey.

Q and A

Q: How would you describe your cooking style?

A: Simple.  I try to enhance the flavors and presentation of local products, like with our Watermelon Salad or Waimea Tomato Salad.  I try to present the foods in interesting ways, with different textures and layers of flavors.

Q: Why do you use grass-fed beef?

A: I use grass-fed beef because I support the local farmers and ranchers of course.  But a big part of it is flavor.  GFB has no hormones or the other chemicals they pump into other cows.

Q: What are your favorite GFB cuts and why?

A: The filet, because the flavor is very clean.  Sometimes other beef, packaged meat, has a “bloody” flavor.  The grass-fed filet doesn’t have that.

Q: Do you let patrons know they are eating GFB on the menu?

A: Yes, absolutely!

Q: What other local food products are your favorite and why?

A: My favorite is still the fish.  You can get meat all over the Mainland, but there’s nothing like the fish here in the islands.  Asa, our fresh fish provider, came in with a beautiful, fresh mahi and cut it just this morning.  Why come to Hawai’i and not eat the fish?

Q: Are you returning to participate in Taste?

A: Yes!

Eddie Aikau Restaurant and Surf Museum is located at the Kings’ Shops in the Waikoloa Beach Resort, 808-886-8433, Facebook. Read the Recipe Renovator blog on the 2011 Taste and get Chef Scott’s Spicy Bloody Mary Mix recipe.

Wowing attendees with grass-fed Kim Chee Meatloaf, Chef Michelle Yamaguchi of Honolulu’s ‘Umeke Market made a culinary name for herself at last year’s Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range. Chef Michelle is returning to Taste again this September to again offer her healthy and delicious style of cooking that is featured in the market’s deli. We feature Michelle in this week’s Taste It blog, along with her popular recipe for Kim Chee Meatloaf.

A Midwest Upbringing

Chef Michelle Yamaguchi of 'Umeke Market wowed the crowd at last year's Taste with her Kim Chee Meatloaf. A former journalist, the busy mother of three is returning to Taste in 2012

Michelle Yamaguchi says she grew up “eating the most amazing fresh fruit and vegetables.” The produce was sourced from mother’s family, who operated a farm in Wisconsin. They planted and tended a garden with lettuce, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and squash. She also helped preserve food typical to Midwesteners: canning tomatoes and peaches, and making berry preserves.

Michelle says her days spent with food on the farm spurred her interest in the culinary arts, which is her second career. Michelle has a journalism degree and first worked as a reporter for Pacific Business News. However, she is glad she traded in her notepad for a stockpot and loves working as chef/manager for ‘Umeke Markets’ two locations. In her spare time, the busy mother of three enjoys hiking “anywhere and everywhere.” In the summer, she heads to the beach and loves snorkeling at Three Tables on the North Shore.

Q and A

Q: How would you describe your cooking style?

A: My cooking style is simple, healthy, practical and imaginative. Meatloaf, for example, is pretty basic comfort food, but we’ve done it Kim Chee Style and with a Hoisin BBQ Sauce that people have fallen in love with! I’m also a huge advocate of whole grains and we make a wide variety of grain salads: quinoa, barley, millet.

Q: Why do you use grass-fed beef?

A: That’s an easy one: taste. When you start with a great product, it’s hard to go wrong. Start with fresh garlic, salt and pepper …. I’m also big on fresh herbs. Avoiding the use of hormones and antibiotics as much as possible is important to our customers.

Q: What are your favorite GFB cuts and why?

A: Because we’re a much more casual dining experience, we keep it simple and real. We work mainly with the ground beef right now. Burgers, meatloaf, local moco …

Q: Do you let patrons know they are eating GFB on the menu?

A: We make it a point to let customers know what we’re serving and why, especially the healthy meat options. Many of our customers return regularly for that reason alone. That and the food is really good.

Q: What other local food products are your favorite and why?

A: I love, love, love the organic kale we use from Ko Farms. Our raw ‘Umeke Kale Salad continues to be a customer must-have. This ultra-healthy super food has been largely ignored by the masses and chefs alike and considered little other than as a lowly garnish. As of more recent, our Kale Smoothie is also a top seller, easily surpassing the famed Acai Bowl and Acai Smoothie, among others.

Q: Are you returning to participate in Taste?

A: Yes, 2011 was our first year participating in the Taste of the Hawaiian Range and we’re absolutely thrilled to be invited to return. It was a fantastic event – from the hotel and kitchen staff, to the other vendors and volunteers, to the event guests – Big Island folks especially. They showed such appreciation for both our efforts and the event in general. Much aloha!

‘Umeke Market is located at Bishop Square in Downtown Honolulu, 808-522-7377 and across from Kahala Mall at 4400 Kalaniana’ole Hwy., 808-739-2990. http://www.umekemarket.com

Grass-Fed Beef Recipe: Kim Chee Big Island Beef Meatloaf

Cooking Grass-Fed Beef 101 seminar

About 1,200 eager eaters filled the Lagoon Lanai and Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Waikoloa Village on September 30 to celebrate our local food and the people who produce it. Meat was on the menu-dry-aged, 100 percent grass-fed beef, plus lamb, mutton, goat and wild boar-and a cornucopia of locally farmed ingredients.

Wild boar, prepared by the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, was a big hit

This year’s Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range began in the early afternoon with a pork industry seminar for 81 community college culinary students and continued with the 2011 installment of Cooking Grass-Fed Beef 101, an engaging, public cooking demonstration led by KTA’s Derek Kurisu and Chef Scott Hiraishi of Sam Choy’s Kai Lanai. Samples of Shortribs Delight and Braised Oxtail were passed all around, along with their recipes.

George Kahumoku and Friends serenaded attendees

At the evening Taste, festival-goers enjoyed delicious cuisine prepared by 35 chefs, samples from 30 local food producers and a dozen displays focusing on agriculture- a whopping 85 “things to do.” Country music-paniolo style-was performed by George Kahumoku and Friends to serenade attendees munching on kiawe-smoked roast beef, kim chee meatloaf, kalua pork and tempura meatball lollipops.

Dragonfruit and more filled the table by Adaptations

Food producer booths ranged from the fresh produce and edible flowers of Adaptations, to the sweet cane juice of Kalapana Organics. Educational displays encouraged conversation and offered handouts, including UH’s College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resource’s (CTAHR) “Benefits of Edible Ginger” and the saddle-making know-how of Ka Hana No’eau. The Paniolo Preservation Society kicked off a membership drive by awarding a standout photo of the late Walter “Wala” Stevens, Parker Ranch’s legendary horseman.

The Benefits of Edible Ginger display was presented by UH's CTAHR

Taste was again put on as a Zero Waste event with the help of County of Hawai’i's Dept. of Environmental Management and the students of Kanu O Ke Aina. As such, attendees easily and efficiently divided their throw-aways into a host of waste bins at each trash station.

Ka Hana No'eau members demonstrated saddlemaking

Mahalo to all the hard-working volunteers and generous sponsors who made the 16th Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range a success.  You have furthered the event’s goal of educating everyone that our Hawai’i Island ranchers produce quality, grass-fed beef that tastes good-all of it-from nose to tail!

Photos by Fern Gavelek

In an effort to hookup local ranchers and farmers with food service buyers, Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range has a VIP Pre-Taste trade show from 5-6 p.m. During this time, participating chefs and invited resort and restaurant purchasers can “taste and see” a cornucopia of fresh foods and value-added products.

Vendors, who participate in the trade show for free, also stay for the 6-8 p.m. Taste to offer samples to the general public. Having food producers at Taste enables attendees to “talk story” with the people providing our food.

This year’s Taste hosts about 30 agriculture vendors and a dozen educational displays. Ranging from fresh hearts of palm to bottled water, all the products are locally produced. New producers strutting their stuff include Kalapana Organics-while favorites like the Hawaii Cattle Producers Cooperative and Wailea Agricultural Group-return.

Sugar cane juice debuts by Kalapana Organics

Kalapana Organics

Debuting at this year’s event, Kalapana Organics will tout the company’s sugar cane juice. Originally called Sugar Rush, the newly named Organic Hawaiian Cane Rush comes in a line of flavors like Coco Cream. Producing the juice are Jackie Prell and “Ginger” John Caverly. The couple farms the sugar cane just north of Hilo on 18 acres in Onomea; they make the juice at their production site and adjacent new Sweet Cane Café at 1472 Kilauea Avenue in Hilo.

“We also farm lilikoi, ginger, tumeric, limes and lemons in Kalapana to flavor our organic-certified juice,” adds Prell. She says the company recently starting pasteurizing the juice with an ultraviolet Cider-Sure. “This will give it a longer shelf life and enable us to increase our distribution reach.” For more info, visit www.kalapanaorganics.com.

Village Burger uses Hawaiian Ranchers Red Veal

Hawaii Ranchers Red Veal

Offered by the Hawaii Cattle Producers Co-op, Hawaiian Red Veal is produced from calves weighing up to 600 pounds, who have just been weaned off the mother cow. These young animals have eaten some grass on pasture as they have been allowed to roam freely. No hormones or antibiotics have been administered to these humanely raised animals and they have been subjected to minimal stress. Meat is pinkish-red in color and tender with enough fat to offer a mild beef flavor.

Wailea Agricultural Group's Michael Crowell and Lesley Hill

Wailea Agricultural Group

Showcasing its fresh Hawaiian heart of palm at Taste, Wailea Agricultural Group also offers a wide diversity of fresh fruit, flowers and spices. Located in Honomu, the company began operations in 1994 and is a Hawai’i Seal of Quality member.  At the helm are Michael Crowell and Lesley Hill, who met at the University of Hawai’i.

“Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range is a wonderful way for the community to see all the agricultural products coming from the Big Island,” explains Hill. “It is our 13th year and during our participation, we’ve been able to educate attendees about heart of palm-what it is and how it tastes.” For more info, visit www.waileaag.com.

Mealani’s Taste of the Hawaiian Range is 6-8 p.m. and sprawls from the Hilton’s Grand Ballroom to the Lagoon Lanai. Pre-Taste activities include a 3 p.m. culinary demo, with sampling, Grass-Fed Beef Cooking 101.

Ticket prices for the evening Taste and Cooking demo are conveniently sold online at www.tasteofthehawaiianrange.com. Taste tickets remain priced at $40 presale and $60 at the door, while the cooking demo is $10. The above link also lists ticket sale locations.