ROBILLARD - The Ohana Grill Cookbook

In loving memory of my grandmother, Dora Gin, who welcomed generations of friends and family to her kitchen, where she generously shared both food and wisdom, and who always made time to listen. I miss calling you on the phone and hearing your cheerful hello! And to my mother, Lily Robillard, who taught me that ketchup is not just for hot dogs.

Adrienne Robillard

To my husband, Derek, and my mom, Janet, for their boundless patience and helpful advicenot just where this book was concerned, but in life, too. And to my dad, Boyde, for not grumbling too much when I kept stuffing the fridge with piles of grilling ingredients and leftovers.

Dawn Sakamoto Paiva

The summer after college graduation, when my boyfriend (now husband) and I were camping at Kahana Bay on Oahus North Shore, I grilled for the first time. It was nothing fancy because we had just enough in our budget for charcoal, matches, cold beer, chips, and hot dogs. We didnt really need much else, except ketchup, my favorite condiment, which we kept chilled in a cooler I borrowed from my dad.

I grew up in Kailua on the windward side of Oahu. When I was in the fourth grade my mom won a Nissan Sentra from the local Union 76 station. Shed been filling up the tank to drive to the Job Corps, where she taught business skills when she wasnt carting me and my brother to soccer practices, hula, childrens choir, and art lessons. As a single parent, she was often strapped for time and bought ready-to-eat huli huli chicken right off the smoking grill whenever we saw it for sale on the side of the road. Shed put some rice in the rice cooker, steam some broccoli, and we had dinner. Our generous neighbor and lifelong friend planted banana trees in our side yard, and with the existing mountain apples, mangoes, and strawberry guavas that grew there, we always had fresh snacks on hand.

Despite living on the mainland for many years, Hawaii has always been home, the only place Id ever buy Spam musubi and sushi rolls from 7-Eleven. When my elementary school friend and his wife were looking for a family to rent their house in Kailua, right down the street from my former elementary school and up the street from the house where my mom made mahimahi for us on Friday nights growing up, I took it as a sign. From there a plan to move back fell into place, and I relocated to Hawaii in 2017.

Since that first grill session at Kahana Bay, my husband, Dan, and I have barbecued on a classic Smokey Joe we kept behind our apartment in San Francisco, a series of Weber Go-Anywhere grills we took camping across California, and a number of backyard gas grills. Nowadays we have a larger grocery store budget and more mouths to feed, but we still enjoy the simplicity of grilling hot dogs.

I hope you enjoy the opportunity to experience the taste of island life in your own backyard with this collection of handpicked traditional recipes.

In Hawaii we have the good fortune of being able to grill just about any day of the year. Disposable barbecues sold at grocery stores are ideal to take to the beach or park. Shops sell ready-made kebabs strung with beef, chicken, pork, shrimp, vegetables, and fish. I grill primarily with gas, but any of these recipes works on a charcoal grill or your stovetop using a grill pan or skillet, though cook times may vary.

Grilling can simplify meal planning in todays busy world. There are often fewer dishes to clean than with stovetop cooking, and certainly fewer pots and pans in play. Theres more time to talk story, to slow down, and to inhale the aroma of the meal youre making. All you have to do is heat and oil a clean grill, cook your food, and enjoy.

A clean grill is essential for safety and the best flavor. Locate and check the fat trap and clean it out. If your grill uses aluminum trays in the trap, keep extras on hand so you can replace them as needed.

Preheat the grill to high, allow it to heat for 10 minutes, and then brush the grate clean with a stainless steel brush. Scrape off anything that was left behind from the last use. Then oil the grate by putting some high-heat oil (like canola oil) into a plastic container, absorbing the oil with a folded paper towelnot to the point of saturation, but just enough oil so that it wont drip off the paper towel.

Using a pair of tongs, move the oiled paper towel across the grate. This will help ensure that whatever youre grilling doesnt stick.

Grill tongs are essential for moving food on and off the grill. You should also have a big metal spatula on hand.

Trays made of nonshattering material like melamine are handy for grill prep and serving. I have two and feel like I could really use five.

You need a grill brush to clean and scrape char off the grate. You also need a basting brush for adding marinade during grilling.

Metal skewers are preferable because they dont dry out and catch fire or fall apart on the grill. However, wood or bamboo skewers can work well if you soak them in water for at least 30 minutes prior to use to avoid catching them on fire.

Every grill is different, and it takes using each one to get to know where the hottest spots on the grate are, how long it will take to cook in those locations, and which areas dont cook very well. The controls vary for different grills. Read the manual for your grill, if you have it, and if not, look it up online. Many grill makers have websites for their products.

Marination requires a minimum of 30 minutes but should never be longer than overnight, because the acid that tenderizes the meat can, over a length of time, cause breakdown, resulting in a compromise in texture.

With food allergies on the rise, you may find it necessary to substitute some of the ingredients used in this book. While sesame oil has a distinct flavor, it can always be substituted with vegetable oil. Sesame seeds are always optional. Some shoyu has gluten in it, and some is gluten-free. Check the bottle to be sure. You can skip the fish sauce if necessary.

These items are handy to have on hand for the recipes in this book. If I need an ingredient sooner rather than later, I ask at a neighbors house. We end up talking story for longer than it would take to drive to Kailua Town to shop, but the time spent talking face-to-face is well worth it. How else would I have found out that my neighbor had guavas to share for the making of this book?

• Apple cider vinegar
• Bay leaves
• Black bean sauce
• Black pepper
• Black peppercorns
• Brown sugar
• Calrose rice
• Canned unsweetened coconut milk
• Cayenne pepper
• Chili oil
• Chili powder
• Cornstarch
• Corn syrup
• Curry powder
• Fish sauce
• Five-spice powder
• Furikake
• Garlic (fresh)
• Ginger (fresh)
• Hawaiian sea salt or other large-grain salt