I'M sorry to have been remiss in telling about the wonderful Healthy Hawaiian Nutritional Lunches program at Kawaiaha'o Church. Eat well and eat healthy
at Kawaiaha‘oI had heard about it, intended to try one of the lunches, but there was always some full-fledged restaurant beckoning for a review. It took a co-worker to bring me one of the Hawaiian plates last week with the sad news that June 26 would be the last day of the program because of lack of funds.
Now, in one of those "you don't realize what you've got 'til it's gone," moments, I'm trying to play catch up because it's not too late to save the program, run by Tammy Hoe-Smith, who is a bundle of energy and good intentions, and her two volunteers, Patricia Warren and Auntie Louella Ah Soon.
Hoe-Smith's days usually start just before 5 a.m., when she opens her restaurant, Kaaawa Country Kitchen. About 6 a.m. you might find her shopping for produce at various People's Open Markets, then, depending on what day it is, she takes care of her multiple outreach programs and catering jobs.
Cooking at Kawaiaha'o begins at 7 a.m., Wednesdays through Fridays. By 10 a.m., she is out the door. Yesterday, she made lunch deliveries to Kaiser Permanente in Moanalua, Pali View Baptist Preschool in Kaneohe and Alu Like Ke Ola Pono Kupuna Project in Waimanalo.
"I used to have someone make the deliveries for me, but the kupuna, they miss me. It's important to come and show face, talk story."
By noon, she's back at Kawaiaha'o, meeting and greeting those who want to connect with the person who cooked their meal.
TO keep her plates healthy, Hoe-Smith emphasizes use of fish and chicken in place of pork in local dishes, and steams or bakes food, such as ahi steak, rather than frying. She also minimizes use of salt.
A dish of chicken pinacbet incorporates no added salt and very little patis, or fish sauce. "People would add patis, shoyu and salt, but the patis has salt. You need only a little for flavoring."
It was Hoe-Smith's father, Herbert Hoe, who introduced her to the advantages of a healthy Hawaiian diet. The ohana is an important ingredient in her philosophy of cooking. "It involves getting families in the kitchen, hands-on, learning to cook together," she said.
"There is one member of the church who eats lunch here every day I'm here and the biggest compliment was when he told me my cooking tastes just like my dad's. Somebody recognized who I belonged to, that I was Herbert's daughter, without knowing me.
"The food tells people who I am, just like talking story with the kupuna comes from my mom. She loves to talk story and make people feel good. I can do that and I can be the behind-the-scenes person like my dad.
"I no need be on the cover of no books, no magazines. I'm just who I am, that's it. With my T-shirt and shorts I'm all good."
Hopefully, Hoe-Smith will be back in Kawaihao's kitchen in September. "I don't want it to end," she said, and is working on a proposal to run the lunch program more as a business than an outreach project. But for now, here are the entrees for her last dates at the church. All plates come with toss salad, poi and sweet potato:
Tomorrow -- Chicken luauJune 24 -- Mahimahi
June 25 -- Taro lasagna (layers of taro interspersed with ground turkey)
June 26 -- Chicken laulau
Kawaihao Church: Healthy Hawaiian Nutritional Lunches available through June 26
Hours: Pick up from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Orders must be called or faxed in by 9 a.m. on the day desired
Price: $5 per plate
Call: 522-1342 or fax 522-1341See a listing of past restaurants reviewed in the
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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews run on Thursdays. Reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. Star ratings are based on comparisons of similar restaurants:
-- excellent;
To recommend a restaurant, write: The Weekly Eater, P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802. Or send e-mail to features@starbulletin.com
