My 5 Best Recipes in ISLAS: A Celebration of Tropical Cooking

ISLAS is my first major collaboration with author Von Diaz, who wrote Coconuts & Collards. We met through Nicole Taylor the night we were quietly celebrating the release of The Last OG Cookbook at her home. This time, my role was more involved than just testing the recipes. I developed and consulted on half of them, focusing on Southeast Asia and the Pacific. I also had the opportunity to contribute a multi-page guide to rice, it is a staple very close to my heart because I grew up eating it every day.

Von organized her recipes by cooking method, not by meal or country. She discovered many parallels in her research and travels across islands that are hundreds of miles apart. Despite limited access to ingredients and tools, islanders possess a unique resilience when it comes to cooking with these methods:

• Marinating

• Pickling + Fermentation

• Braising + Stewing

• Frying

• Grilling, Roasting, + Smoking

• Streaming + In-Ground Cooking

Our book team was bigger than most (and I hope others follow suit). I worked in tandem with Bridgid Washington, another recipe developer. After we developed the recipes, tested them, and reviewed the headnotes before they went off to the presses. A few years later, we’re proud to see ISLAS on bookstore shelves and named one of Food & Wine Magazines Best Cookbooks of 2024. If you do not have a copy of ISLAS, you can purchase one here.

What are my best 5 recipes in ISLAS?

Of the Recipes I worked on…

• Chicken Jook - Hawaiian rice porridge may look and sound like Filipino arroz caldo (page 155), but its construction and flavor profile are different. Instead of using leftover rice as with arroz caldo, the raw grains are cooked with chicken broth and finished with scallions.

• Lemon Lasary - Malagasy lemon zest and chile pickle require some patience! It is best cured for 4 weeks and can last up to a year. I loved it so much that I put it on the hot dog menu at Wonderville and called it the Lemon of Zelda with brie cream and poppy seeds.

• Gato Pima - These fritters with chile are a lot like falafel except they are made with lentils and not chickpeas. I especially loved that it was easy to make and flash freeze for easy meals.

• Beef Tapa - A classic Filipino breakfast protein. In most recipes it is tenderloin, but I opted for sirloin or skirt steak for its availability. The beef is sliced thinly, marinated with calamansi, and oven-dried a little. It is then fried and served over rice.

• Sinigang Sa Mangga - I grew up eating Filipino sinigang na isda, a sour tamarind soup with fish and tomato. This version adapted from Yasmin Newman’s 7000 Islands leans on green mangoes as a souring agent.

As a Meat Eater…

• Griot - Haitian fried braised boneless pork shoulder. This celebratory dish is often eaten with Pikliz (page 99).

• Churrasco - Puerto Rican grilled steak marinated with garlic, oregano, and vinegar. It’s then finished with a tart wasakaka, a Dominican herb sauce with lots of lime.

• Poulet Boucané- Martinique sugarcane smoked chicken! It is also known as “buccaneer chicken.” The chicken is marinated in lots of allium, lime, rum, allspice, and thyme before it is grilled with sugarcane pieces.

• Lechon Kawali - A Flipino classic! Crispy deep-fried pork belly. Best enjoyed with bottled mang tomas and/or Sinamak (page 48).

• Soup Joumou - Haitian “freedom soup” to commemorate Haiti’s independence from France in 1804. Its base is pureed pumpkin and cooked with beef or goat with vegetables and scotch bonnet peppers.

As a Pescatarian…

• Vindaye Poisson

• Kinilaw Na Isda

• Mas Riha

• Cari de Poisson Et Potiron

• Bouyon Bred

As a Vegetarian…

• Asar

• Keshi Yena - Replace the beef with plant-based ground “meat”

• Mofongo Con Guiso - Pork rinds are optional!

• Ensaladanf Talong - Omit the shrimp paste.

• Curried Green Jackfruit

For Building a Cool Pantry…

• Asinan

• Ginger Beer

• Jerk Pork Tenderloin

• Seychellois Massalé

• Tamarind Chili Salt Salad

If I were Throwing a Massive Party…

• Kālua Pua’a

• Chamorro BBQ Chicken

• Red Rice

• Shoyu Ahi Poke

• Pickled Green Papaya

I would love to hear if you cooked any recipes and posted them on social media. Make sure to tag me or send them along via email to randwiches at gmail dot com.

23 Fresh As Hell Recipes I Developed in 2023

What a year. It’s dizzying to think of everything I made in my kitchen (and other’s people’s kitchens) in 2023. I can never describe my cooking in a word or theme, but I can tell you I have cool clients who trust me to create unique menus. There was no shortage of snacky bites, hot dogs, sandwiches, and cheese. Last year, I promised myself to explore more seafood and I plan to keep it in my weekly rotation. I’m also letting go of the “I’m not a baker!!” mantra. It turns out that I can bake. I accomplished a long-term goal of making my own bread for the return of random sandwiches—which I was very nervous to bring back into the world. Through cookbook testing, I learned a lot about plant-based eating and Vietnamese cookery.

To everyone who ate my experiments, thank you. Here’s to more communal eating, cookbooks, and knowledge sharing 🥂

Here are 23 dope recipes I developed over the last 12 months.

1. Cheese Board Smörgåstårta

• Laughing Cow Spread (Patreon)

• Sweet Blue Cheese Filling (Patreon)

• Cider Cheddar Filling (Patreon)

2. Fried Chicken N’ Spam Musubi

3. Ocean Teal Ginger Chicken Bao

4. Asparagus Sea Bean Miso Soup (Patreon)

5. Marinated Tofu Mochi Pocket (Patreon)

6. Lion’s Mane Satay with Peanut Sauce

7. Scallion Pancake Hot Dog

8. Stuffed Bries

9. Sourdough Loaf Pizza

10. Peppers, Please! Ssamjang Mayo with Tortilla Crunchies

11. Furikakemari Damacy: Yuzu Mayo & Crunchy Furikake (Patreon)

12. Eggplant “Parm”: Eggplant Lasagna with Mushroom Bechamel

13. The Boba Shop: Taiwanese Fried Chicken & Champagne Pickles

14. Mortadella Melt with Pickled Pears

15. Tomato Pesto Scramble (Patreon)

16. Ramp Leaf Pasta with Ranch Cream

17. Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Ramp & Chorizo (Patreon)

18. Figure 8 Larb Dumplings

19. Faroe Island Salmon Namerou (Patreon)

20. Banana Leaf Wrapped Salmon

21. Shiitake Cured Salmon

22. Ube Funfetti Cake with Pandan Frosting

23. Aji Verde Tostone

Some of these recipes are on my Patreon for a small monthly fee. Others, I would love to fully write for publication 🤗 If you’re an editor interested in any of these, please get in touch!

Steamed Fish with Ginger, Leeks, and Arugula

At the time of writing, I was very new to fish. I only started eating sushi when I was 23. Undertaking a whole fish, I had to steel myself to the idea. I went with a Chinese style that I grew up with at restaurants. A whole white fish, sometimes branzino, sometimes sea bass, or flounder; steaming out of a circular bamboo tray and seared with a trickle of hot oil. It always had a soupy soy sauce broth gathering in moat around our prey.

Over the years, I’ve played many variations on this theme. You’ll see stalks of lemongrass in the GIF below or crushed calamansi at the end. Try your own mixes with a splash of vinegar or wine with the soy sauce.

This was part of my dinner with Lara Heintz, check out the full menu.

Steamed Whole Fish with Ginger, Leeks, and Arugula

Things you'll need:
1 whole white fish, cleaned with head and tail 2 by 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled 1/4 cup soy sauce 4 cloves garlic, sliced 1/2 orange, zest reserved	Generous handful of arugula 1 leek, root end removed 1/2 cup vegetable oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Pat the outside of the fish dry with paper towels.

2. Season the fish generously on the inside and outside with salt and pepper.

3. Separate the white part from the green stalk of the leek. Julienne the white parts and submerge in a bowl od cold water to clean them.

4. Rip the green part of the leeks apart and rinse well in cold water, making sure there is no mud between the layers.

5. Line a steamer basket with the green leeks.

6. Stuff the fish with half the garlic, ginger and white leeks.

7. Steam the fish over the green leeks for 8 to 10 minutes until it flakes off when you stick a fork in it.

8. Ready a heat-safe platter with the arugula.

9. Heat the vegetable oil on high heat in a small pan until it is hot. Stand back and flick a little water at it, it should pop.

10. Place the fish on the arugula and sprinkle the rest of the garlic and leeks on top.

11. Carefully pour the hot vegetable oil along the length of the fish.

12. Finish by squeezing the orange and, pouring the soy sauce over the fish. Top with orange zest!

Did you try this recipe? Let me know on social media by tagging @Randwiches.

Sawsawan, Filipino Dipping Sauce

When I first encountered North Carolina whole hog barbeque, I couldn’t exactly explain why I immediately loved it. Was it because every large family event I had been to involved a whole pig? Birthdays, graduations, weddings, funerals. Or was it the thin, vinegar-style bbq sauce that was generously doused onto the pork?

It hit me, yes. Growing up, we had tall, skinny bottles of vinegar steeped with chilis and garlic. As I traveled around the Philippines, every dining table had ramekins of calamansi, chili, and garlic to make your own. Sawsawan is the secret to consuming tons of fried pork and grilled fish. The acidity dances with the fatty molecules on your tongue to cleanse and ready you for more. Try it with lechon kawali, fried chicken, or even French fries.

This is a basic mixture, so feel free to experiment by adding a little sugar, chopped onion, dried fruits, soy sauce, and/or calamansi juice. Swap out the vinegar if you don’t have white vinegar; rice vinegar will yield a mellow sauce, while balsamic will be sweet. If you can’t find Thai bird chilis, sub in 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes. This was part of my dinner with Lara Heintz, check out the full menu.

Sawsawan

Makes 1 cup

Things you'll need:
1 cup white vinegar 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns	1 bay leaf 2 garlic cloves, sliced 1-2 Thai bird chilis

1. In a clean jar or plastic container with a lid, mix 1 cup white vinegar with ½ teaspoon crushed black peppercorns, a bay leaf, 2 cloves sliced garlic, and 1 or 2 sliced Thai chili peppers.

2. Let the mixture marinate at room temperature for up to 2 hours and then store in the fridge for 3 days before using.

3. When the sauce runs low, you can keep adding vinegar and aromatics to keep it steeping. Make sure all the elements stay submerged and you’ll be good to go.

Did you try this recipe? Let me know on social media by tagging @Randwiches.

Crunchy Kimchi and Garlic Rice

Growing up in a Filipino-American household, we had white rice with every meal. It was my job to make it from when I was 14. Even younger, I played with the rice dispenser we kept in the laundry room. It’d go “Shhhhing” with every button press. My mom taught me to wash the rice and measure with my finger. It wasn’t until I was well into my 30’s that I learned you could change it up. Never too late, I guess?

I found kimchi chips in the snack aisle of an Asian grocery store. If you can’t find them, you can either try dehydrating your own kimchi or using the wet, fermented stuff. This was part of my dinner with Lara Heintz, check out the full menu.

Crunchy Kimchi and Garlic Rice

Serves 4

Things you'll need:
2 cups white jasmine rice 2 cups water, plus more for washing	1/2 cup cabbage kimchi chips (or fresh!) 8 cloves garlic, sliced as thin as you can 1/2 cup vegetable oil

1. Wash the rice with two changes of cold water and drain completely.

2. Transfer to a rice cooker or a small pot with the 2 cups of water.

3. Steam with your rice cooker’s white rice setting. If boiling in a pot, bring the rice to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low, put on the lid and steam for about 20 minutes until fully fluffy.

4. The grains should be tender and separate. Do not stir. If it appears wet, continue to steam on low heat until the excess water is evaporated. If it appears too dry, add 1/4 cup water and continue to steam.

5. While the rice is cooking, heat the vegetable oil on medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes.

6. Add the garlic and stir lightly to separate the slices.

7. Bring the oil up to a boil for 2 minutes and turn off the heat.

8. Leave the pan on the burner to finish bubbling for 20 minutes.

9. The garlic should be golden brown on the edges and no longer raw in the center. If you’d like to take them a bit further, bring to a boil again and turn off the heat. They can overcook easily, so watch them carefully.

10. Drain the garlic from the oil and save the garlic-scented oil for other cooking projects.

11. Crush the kimchi chips in a mortal and pestle or with the handle of a wooden spoon in a bowl. If using fresh kimchi, chop it coarsely.

12. Transfer the rice to a serving bowl. Dress it with the kimchi and garlic chips.

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Love kimchi? Try kimchi pork chops!

Did you try this recipe? Let me know on social media by tagging @Randwiches.

Eggs Will Roll! Make Your Own Tamagoyaki

Whenever I saw tamagoyaki on Japanese food menus, I’d skip over it thinking, “Why do I want eggs at a sushi place?” My idea of an omelette was a dry half-moon with lots of vegetables speckled through it. Blame Denny’s skillets, I guess? When I started eating omakase or “chef’s choice” meals, an egg would be offered at the end. Taking a tentative bite, I wasn’t expecting to have my mind blown. It wasn’t like any omelette I’ve had before. It was sweet, soft, and intricately layered. It was a perfect bite after an evening of salty, fatty, filling fish.

This version is made sweet with mirin and a little sugar. To finish, a peppery bite of grated radish and beet to offer crunch against the soft egg. If you don’t prefer radish, a turnip will also work. While it is meant to finish a meal, I loved it as a simple breakfast with pickles. It takes a little practice and patience. The first poured rolls never look good, but as you cook and roll, it’ll stick to itself.

Tamagoyaki

Serves 2

Things you'll need:
3 tablespoon dashi stock 2 tablespoons mirin 1/2 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon soy sauce	1 teaspoon salt 3 large eggs, beaten Vegetable oil 1 tablespoon black radish, grated 1 tablespoon beet grated

1. Mix the dashi stock with mirin, sugar, soy sauce, and salt in a bowl. Crack the eggs and beat until uniformly yellow. Check that the sugar has dissolved into the mix thoroughly.

2. Heat a cast-iron or medium pan over medium heat. Soak a paper towel in the vegetable oil and use tongs to wipe the pan with it. You can use any shape pan, just note that the omelette will have irregular edges that you can cut off.

3. Pour in enough egg mixture to coat the pan and tilt it to spread it around. When the omelet starts to set, roll it up away from you using a spatula. It’s ok if it’s isn’t perfect or breaks.

4. Re-oil the pan with your paper towel. Pour in more egg mixture into the empty part of the pan. Lift up the first roll and tilt to let the egg mixture runs underneath.

5. When it looks set but still a little wet, starting from the rolled up end, roll the omelette back toward you to make a single roll with many layers.

6. Repeat the process until you use all of the egg mixture.

7. Let the egg cool for 5 minutes. Move the roll gently onto a sushi rolling mat covered with a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll the omelet firmly into the mat and leave to stand rolled for 10 minutes in the fridge to set.

8. Cut the omelette into 1.5” pieces and serve with the grated black radish and beet.

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Let me know if you try it! Tag @Randwiches on Twitter or Instagram.

Seared Pork Chops Dripping with Sweet Hazelnut Sauce

Pork chops are the perfect serving size for dinner and with help from toasty hazelnuts, you'll have a showstopper in no time. Add a grain or warm up a piece of crusty toast to soak up the rest of the dressing.

Hazelnut Pork Chops

Serves 2

Things you'll need:
2 pork chops 3 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning 1 tablespoon pepper, plus more for seasoning 4 cups water 1 cup ice	1 bay leaf 3 cloves garlic, crushed 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/2 cup hazelnuts 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon water

1. Prepare a quick brine by boiling the water, bay leaf, salt and 2 cloves of garlic together for 5 minutes.

2. Turn off the heat and add the ice. 

3. Brine the pork chops for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours in the fridge.

4. Drain and pat the outside of your chop dry with a paper towel.

5. Rub the chops with olive oil and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.

6. Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F.

7. Heat a cast iron or oven-safe pan on high on the stove.

8. Sear the pork chops on both sides for 2 minutes to brown the outside.

9. Place the pan in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.

10. Meanwhile, roughly chop the hazelnuts.

11. Mash them with the last piece of garlic, honey and bit of water.

12. The pork chops are safe to eat when it is cooked to 145 degrees F.

13. Transfer the chops to a plate to rest for 2 to 3 minutes.

14. Whisk the pan juices with the hazelnut mixture and pour over your chops.

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Let me know if you try it! Tag @Randwiches on Twitter or Instagram.

Ambrosial Whole Chicken with Sumac and Thyme

Everyone should know how to roast a chicken. With a few tricks, you can have a flavorful chicken dinner and save the leftovers for sandwiches. Don’t throw away the bones! You can use those to make a broth, too.

You can switch the olive oil for butter. My friend Claire Matern puts a whole lemon in the carcass, while I opt for a whole head of garlic. You can do both if you want to get crazy.

Whole Roasted Chicken with Sumac and Thyme

Serves 4

Things you'll need:
1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds 2 tablespoons sumac 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, stems removed or 1 tablespoon dried	1 tablespoon salt 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 head garlic, split crosswise Optional: sesame seeds

1. Check the inner cavity of the chicken for giblets or the neck. Save for making broth another time.

2. Pat the chicken dry on all sides with a paper towel.

3. Rub a bit of the olive oil on your hands and shimmy your fingers under the skin over the breast, still keeping the skin attached around the edges.

4. Drizzle the rest of the olive oil over the outside of the chicken and rub it on every part.

5. Sprinkle the salt, sumac, and thyme leave evenly over the bird.

6. Stuff the garlic head into the cavity of the chicken.

7. For crispy skin, let the chicken dry uncovered on a sheet pan in the fridge overnight.

8. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

9. Roast the chicken on the middle rack for an hour, check the temperature. Continue to cook for up to another 30 minutes until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F at the thickest part.

10. Crank on the boiler and brown the skin for 2 to 3 minutes. Be careful not to let it burn.

11. Remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving.

12. Pull the roasted garlic out of the chicken. Remove the skins and mash up the cloves with the pan juices. If there isn’t enough juice, add 1/4 cup broth or water. Scrape up the bits from the pan to mix it in.

13. Collect the pan juices and pour over the chicken when serving. Finish with a shower of sesame seeds.

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Let me know if you try it! Tag @Randwiches on Twitter or Instagram.

Crunch Into This Bacon Wrapped Garden Dog

How can I make a bacon-wrapped hot dog feel less….bad? I had a bit of shame after eating pork on pork for a whole week but luckily a trip to the farmer’s market gave me some ideas. Crunchy carrot and springy leek played nicely with the crisp texture and snap of sausage. You’ll find that the sauerkraut eliminates any need for ketchup and mustard (though you are allowed to use them if you want)l. Swap in any julienned veggies that you would normally eat raw: radishes, celery, snap peas, or turnips!

Bacon Wrapped Garden Dog

Makes 1

Things you'll need:
1 hot dog 1 small carrot 1 piece bacon	1-2 tablespoons sauerkraut 1/2 a leek or 1 scallion Split-top hot dog bun

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Carefully julienne vegetables with a mandoline or a knife. Think about sizes that would be consumed in one or two bites.

3. Wrap the bacon around the hot dog and secure with two toothpicks.

4. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until the bacon is fully cooked. At the 4 minute mark, use a pair of tongs to flip it over.

5. When it’s done, place the bacon-wrapped hot dog in the bun and dress with your vegetables. Tuck thinly sliced carrot between the bun and meat, strew the sauerkraut along the length of the bun.

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Let me know if you try it! Tag @Randwiches on Twitter or Instagram.

Stalk Up On Lemony Sumac Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus and lemon go really well together but if you don’t have citrus on hand, sumac works in a pinch. It is a red, dried berry used in Middle Eastern cuisine. Have this roasted asparagus with a soft egg, hummus, or as a light snack.

 Sumac Roasted Asparagus

What you'll need
1 bunch of asparagus 1 tablespoon ground sumac 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried ½ teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder	1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Snap off off the tough white ends of the asparagus.

3. Lay them out on a sheet pan in a single layer.

4. Drizzle them with olive oil. Sprinkle all of the spices evenly.

5. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes, shake the pan to toss them around a little bit.

6. Continue to cook for 5 more minutes until they brown in some areas.

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Gonna try this recipe? Let me know by tagging @randwiches on Twitter or Instagram.