Elyse Inamine

For the Love of Kewpie is here! Well, almost. So crazy to hold this lil book (made with the best team: @thelescook @eugenejho @nothinginpassing @juliajuliaroserose @smellalemons @julep30 @workmanpub @kewpie_official @kewpieusa @dsvetcov ), flip through it IRL, and show @travisiswong that I mentioned him in my acknowledgements (because I forgot to earlier lol). It comes out October 21, and you can pre-order at the link in my bio!

Feeling extremely grateful, honored, humbled, and excited to share something that’s been in the works for about a year now: a package all about the food of Hawai'i told by locals for @bonappetitmag and edited by @missjenchoi and me. It’s in the August print issue and now expanded online at bonappetit.com/hawaii! I’m turning into emotional mush as I type out this caption. It has been such a gift to research and talk story with everyone who so generously gave their insight, recipes, expertise, time, and more, and to work with this incredible group of contributors and sources: @chefwonder @megankkakimoto @olapakauwila.wilz @chefsamchoy @robynnemaii @tkiramadden Brandy Nālani McDougall @mauifreshstreatery @musubman @chefhuihi @lovell.nalani @waipa_ohana @gigibluenyc @millefete @lehua_at_imiloa @thelocalgeneralstorehi @brendangeorgeko @kelsiedayna @mahucha_art . I’m reminded of how I’m still learning so much about the food of Hawai'i—and how I’ll never stop, whether it’s digging into the evolution of local dishes or reflecting on my late grandma’s restaurant in Makiki (her lucky cats are now at @thecurbkaimuki , top shelf on the left). In this package, you’ll hear from chefs, scholars, community leaders, and authors on the lei of each island, the continued unfurling of local food, the recovery of Lahaina, the importance of limu, the humble sweet potato, and so much more. You’ll get a glimpse of the Hawai'i they know and love, in all its complexity, abundance, ingenuity, strength, and joy. Thank you so much to team BA for making this happen: @caronewt @hazinto @meganistamcfly @beth.sacca @nicktraverse @ryanharringtonba @katefenoglio Greg Robertson Brian Carroll @sylvz @hkarlphoto @shilpauskokovic @maytojune @rightupyour_ali @goodbyealma @carlywesterfield @oliviaquintana @urmilamakes . Jen, you deserve all the lei for this beautiful package; thank you for inviting me to work on this and for your thoughtful and open approach to covering a place so special to me and many others. I’m so glad we could work on this together—and finally share it with everyone 🌿

The first thing I did as a full-time freelancer was text @esze.e to see if he was looking for a writer for his cookbook…and if I could be that person. A few months earlier, we worked together (with @thelescook !) on a hot pot story for Bon Appétit that got nominated for a James Beard media award, and it was so fun that it didn’t feel like work. During that time, Eric mentioned he was in the cookbook proposal process, and I kept that little nugget of information in the back of my mind. Luckily, by the time I texted him, he was still looking :) Now after a couple years of brainstorming, recipe testing, and coming up with a proposal I can best describe as rowdy, this cookbook is happening! I’m so excited to work on “Taiwanese?” with @jwapner at @hardiegrantusa and make this wild idea of a cookbook come to life. Thank you to our agents @micheledeis and @dsvetcov for your support (and timely pushes). And thank you, Eric, for trusting me with your story and recipes and for bringing me along. I hope you are ready for an annoying amount of Google docs and spreadsheets from me.

🍙 Next week! 🍙 Creating a Cookbook Changes the Way You Cook with Chef Sheldon Simeon and Elyse Inamine Thursday, April 2 7 - 9 PM Book talk and tasting MOFAD is thrilled to host @chefwonder and writer and editor @elyseinamine for an insightful conversation that will explore how writing a cookbook can change a chef’s culinary point of view. 

Chef Simeon’s new cookbook, Ohana Style: Food from Hawai’i, for Your Family, is all about cooking for your oʻhana—your family, friends, and community. But the book also came about through his oʻhana. 

Chef Simeon and Inamine will discuss this along with how breaking free from tradition and nostalgia led Simeon to create a book that blends community, locality, and identity. Bites courtesy of Selina Sabolboro of @mofflebar . Copies of Ohana Style available for pre-purchase via @kalnyc ! As always, ticket holders have access to our newest exhibition, Street Food City ahead of the program from 6-7pm. See y’all soon! Link to tickets in bio! Click: MOFAD Programs 🌞🌞🌞

Yung Radish (and geotjeori made from cabbage loosies) forever ❣️

Some v good meals lately! 💥 trio of perfectly seasoned seafood (tuna w/ THAT seaweed!) at @sunnsnyc 💥 a concha with a surprise inside @vato.nyc 💥 @babboristorante , esp this Seven Fishes seafood salad + THE WALNUT CRACKER 💥 the white borscht + charm of @pierogiboys 💥 anything @jamesyworld cooks! 💥 all the dips + carbs from @shukettenyc 💥 all the soups at Xin Ne Du 💥 the most delightful pasta (bow tie! thin slips of lemon! lots of cheese) c/o @chambers.nyc

Birthdayyyyyz (spreading lil celebrations over the month) > birthDAY

A short (but full!) trip to L.A. with lots of family time + hangs with old friends + ofc good food. Some highlights: 🌟 this glorious spread at @borit_gogae_kfood (TY @jamesyworld for the rec!) 🌟 fun lil slices—this one is inspired by crab rangoon—from @oldgoldla 🌟 scrolling through photos my nieces took on an old digital camera I’ve been toting around 🌟 the Japanese breakfast (and duck cassoulet!) at sweet @azay_littletokyo 🌟 seeing the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree—I took this one heh 🌟 a v good, extra herby Ploughman’s salad c/o @tomat.la 🌟 finding out my four-year-old nephew is better at parking than me 🌟 @tempuracarlosjr crispy goodness 🌟 can’t get over musubi bb Jesus (there is a whole nativity scene at my parents’ house!)

A delightful few days in Chiang Mai, with hot, muggy temps (kinda miss it!) + many excellent cocktails❣️ 🌱 truly insane pomelo (so juicy!) + yellow queenfish salad from @maadae.slowfish 🌱 so relaxed during my massage at @fahlannaspa 🌱 floored by @nanuanchun ’s sato at @andthen.chiangmai , lightly effervescent + rich in an almost peanutty way 🌱 v good shopping underneath ikaa bistro (อี๊-ก่ะ บิสโตร) 🌱 best khao soi of my life at @kaosoy_nimman 🌱 local beans delivered by New York man at @khna.coffee 🌱 the! coconut! cream! pie! @baanpiemsuk 🌱 more good shopping (and music) at @densouvenir 🌱 we don’t need more ceramics but we had to at @jingjaimarketchiangmai 🌱 ordered the whole menu at @barbruma x @thewhiterabbit.speakeasy , and would do it again 🌱 the only way to travel 🌱 smoky, veg-heavy, so-savory-it’s-almost-funky rad na from the woman in the pink apron at Chang Phueak Market (ตลาดช้างเผือก)—she’s worth the wait! 🌱 still, spiritual spots around every corner

Into EVERYTHING on Jeju-do (I want to live here!), minus the gigantic spiders (I will have to get over that): 🔸 super fresh mackerel + shrimp at @mansun064 🔸 @budeulbar ’s chill vibes 🔸 so! much! uni! at @unidam_jeju 🔸 my favorite🍊picker, chauffeur/driving instructor, and travel partner @travisiswong 🔸 this sweet spread from @amunacafe_ 🔸 random walks with this kind of view 🔸 the most mind-blowing meal during our whole vacation: Jeju black pork gomtang, deceptively simple + absolutely riveting, at nogorock (노고록). GO! 🔸 a very fun coffee omakase c/o @cafe_jmbj 🔸 hot tip: the inside galleries for suseok (scholar’s stones) + preserved tree roots are the best thing at @jejustonepark (also, go!) 🔸 perfect lil bite: grilled Jeju black pork from @gyoraeblackpork2015 🔸 @podomuseum is so cool, particularly this current exhibition with this insane room by @nerdy_artist_union 🔸 all the shops we hit up: @west.ore.jeju , @franzstore_factory , and @grunmind_vintage 🔸 a v charming pasta-filled lunch at @italy_bubu_jeju 🔸 I’m an island girl through + through

So much good food (but not enough soju) packed into a few days in Seoul: 🎈perfect lil bite: chadolbaegi with crisp, lacy edges at Bong San Jip (봉산집) 🎈one of many sunny walks 🎈a post-flight must: Mugyo Samgyetang (무교삼계탕) 🎈didn’t get the wear-all-black memo for Seongsu 🎈thrifting (always + forever!) at Dongmyo Flea Market (동묘벼룩시장) 🎈this bottarga pasta is truly decadent at @atta.seoul 🎈a new friend 🎈such a good rec from @susanhjkim : @solsot_official 🎈solid coffee and yes we did buy that black mug from @meshcoffee 🎈@travisiswong and every cat we came across 🎈insane texture at Eongteoli Fried Chicken (엉터리통닭) —and v charming hospitality 🎈@scr_radio vibes 🎈more excellent coffee, this time at @peer_coffee 🎈budae jjigae here just hits *different* 🙏🏼 Namsanteo Cheongdam (남산터 청담본점)

Looking back at our super cute book talk with @elyseinamine @thelescook @carolinekhwang @synonym_mag as they took us down the rabbit hole of FOR THE LOVE OF KEWPIE 💌 We learned so much about the history, lore, and secrets of @kewpieusa and “mayolers” 🤓 So many incredible recipes that make this chic little book pack a punch 💥 Thanks to everyone who came out to support! We have a few signed copies left available in the shop and online. A little something special if you pick up FOR THE LOVE OF KEWPIE in the shop 🤫🫰🏽 #kewpie #fortheloveofkewpie #cookbooklove #bookstagram #indiebookshop #nowservingla #readingmakesmehappy #japanesefood