JIM KEMPTON Forewords by Steve Pezman & Raphael LunettaFIRST WE SURF THEN WE EATRecipes from a Lifetime of Surf TravelRST WE SURFHEN WE EAT26 First We Surf, Then We EatGuam, Tahiti & the Pacific 27MOOREA, TAHITIDid Tahitians Surf Before Hawaiians?The Society Islands tend to slow the pace of life. Flat surf days in Tahiti are spent in leisurely pursuits: snorkeling among the schools of brightly tinted fish, strolling through gardens where Gauguin lived and painted, and sampling the Tahitian-style sashimi—raw fish marinated in lime juice and served chilled in coconut milk. Sunsets begin the evening’s entertainment, pinks and purples sliding into darkness. For me, evenings included reading the great masters of the South Seas: Robert Louis Stevenson, Herman Melville, James Michener. Nordhoff and Hall’s original Mutiny on the Bounty captivated me the most. While reading it, I found a passage of great intrigue: “The Indians of Tahiti rarely bathe in the sea except when a great surf is running. At such times the more daring among the men and women delight in a sport they call horue—swimming out among the great breakers with a light board about a fathom long, and choosing their moment to come speeding in, a quarter of a mile or more, on the crest of a high feathering sea.” Since at least one migration of Hawaii’s early settlers voyaged from Tahiti, more than a thousand years ago, the Bounty reference would indicate that the origins of surfing might go back further than Hawaii. Chevrettes à la Vanille et CocoTahitian Vanilla ShrimpMany consider Tahitian vanilla to be the finest in the world. Tahitian shrimp is also regarded as the best. Tahitian chefs are famed for their fabulous creamy coconut and vanilla sauces. This recipe combines all of the above. If this doesn’t blow your taste buds up, check your pulse—you may already be dead, but you’re not in heaven.SERVES 630 colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on (about 2 pounds)3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted3 tablespoons garlic, diced 2 medium white onions, 1 diced and 1 minced¼ cup Tahitian vanilla bean extract1 cup salted butter, cubed½ cup Tahitian vanilla bean rum (use regular rum if unavailable)¼ cup minced garlic1 cup heavy cream½ cup coconut milkSea salt and freshly ground pepper, to tasteCombine shrimp, coconut oil, diced garlic, diced onion, and vanilla extract in a bowl and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.Heat butter in a sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add marinated shrimp and sauté until cooked through and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add rum and minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer shrimp to a plate.Pour cream and coconut milk into skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer slowly until sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.When sauce is ready, return shrimp to pan. Simmer until heated through, just a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot as an appetizer or over rice as a main course.26 First We Surf, Then We EatGuam, Tahiti & the Pacific 27MOOREA, TAHITIDid Tahitians Surf Before Hawaiians?The Society Islands tend to slow the pace of life. Flat surf days in Tahiti are spent in leisurely pursuits: snorkeling among the schools of brightly tinted fish, strolling through gardens where Gauguin lived and painted, and sampling the Tahitian-style sashimi—raw fish marinated in lime juice and served chilled in coconut milk. Sunsets begin the evening’s entertainment, pinks and purples sliding into darkness. For me, evenings included reading the great masters of the South Seas: Robert Louis Stevenson, Herman Melville, James Michener. Nordhoff and Hall’s original Mutiny on the Bounty captivated me the most. While reading it, I found a passage of great intrigue: “The Indians of Tahiti rarely bathe in the sea except when a great surf is running. At such times the more daring among the men and women delight in a sport they call horue—swimming out among the great breakers with a light board about a fathom long, and choosing their moment to come speeding in, a quarter of a mile or more, on the crest of a high feathering sea.” Since at least one migration of Hawaii’s early settlers voyaged from Tahiti, more than a thousand years ago, the Bounty reference would indicate that the origins of surfing might go back further than Hawaii. Chevrettes à la Vanille et CocoTahitian Vanilla ShrimpMany consider Tahitian vanilla to be the finest in the world. Tahitian shrimp is also regarded as the best. Tahitian chefs are famed for their fabulous creamy coconut and vanilla sauces. This recipe combines all of the above. If this doesn’t blow your taste buds up, check your pulse—you may already be dead, but you’re not in heaven.SERVES 630 colossal shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on (about 2 pounds)3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted3 tablespoons garlic, diced 2 medium white onions, 1 diced and 1 minced¼ cup Tahitian vanilla bean extract1 cup salted butter, cubed½ cup Tahitian vanilla bean rum (use regular rum if unavailable)¼ cup minced garlic1 cup heavy cream½ cup coconut milkSea salt and freshly ground pepper, to tasteCombine shrimp, coconut oil, diced garlic, diced onion, and vanilla extract in a bowl and marinate in refrigerator for 2 hours.Heat butter in a sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced onion and cook for 3 minutes. Add marinated shrimp and sauté until cooked through and lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add rum and minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Transfer shrimp to a plate.Pour cream and coconut milk into skillet. Reduce heat to low and simmer slowly until sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.When sauce is ready, return shrimp to pan. Simmer until heated through, just a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot as an appetizer or over rice as a main course.148 First We Surf, Then We EatHawaii 149MAKAWAO, MAUI Surfing Cowboy Volleyball I learned about the world’s best steak from Maui firefighters and cowboys when I attended Mauna’olu College. If you wanted beef, there was only one place to go on that side of the island: Makawao. A few miles up the road past the former Mauna’olu campus, it’s still an old upcountry paniolo (cowboy) town, but now rental cars tie up to the hitching posts instead of horses. I got to know some of the good folks in Makawao because I played on the college volleyball team. There were no other schools nearby, so we competed against the fire department and cowboy teams. After games, we’d all go to the Makawao Steak House and drink beer, listen to Hawaiian slide guitar, eat slabs of ribeye, and laugh like hyenas. Substitute a drawl for the pidgin English, and you could just as well be in Fort Worth.Porterhouse Steak with Herbed Butter & Portuguese ChimichurriMy friend Rodney “Handsome Bugga” Kilborn is a retired fireman who lives in Kula, Maui, runs most of the island’s surf contests, and has a mean way with a grill. I suspect firefighters understand hot coals the way cowboys understand beef. He told me once the only problem with this dish is that five or six days later you’ll be hungry again. One thing the local cowboys confirmed was my dad’s sage opinion of beef cuts: filet mignon (or tenderloin) is the most tender; ribeye (or spencer) is the most flavorful; and strip steak (or New York) is right in between. The cowboys introduced me to the porterhouse—a tenderloin and a piece of strip steak separated by a T-shaped bone—and it was a beefeater’s revelation. Hawaiians like to eat, cowboys know their cuts—and porterhouse is a serious hunk of meat. Okay, this isn’t low calorie. But as Julia Child once said, “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”SERVES 62 tablespoons finely ground coriander 2 tablespoons roasted, mashed fresh garlic2 tablespoons sweet red paprika1 tablespoon Alaea red Hawaiian sea salt1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled6 porterhouse steaks (about 1¾ pounds each)Portuguese Chimichurri (recipe follows)Herb Butter (recipe follows)Combine coriander, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano in a small bowl and mix well. Rub on both sides of steaks. Set aside until meat comes to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Light a charcoal grill and bring to medium heat or preheat a gas grill to 350°F. When grill is hot, place steaks on grill, making sure tenderloin sides are farthest from direct heat. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side for rare, or until done to taste. Transfer to a platter or individual plates. Drizzle a little Portuguese Chimichurri sauce on fillets and spread a little Herb Butter on strip steaks. Serve extra sauce in bowls for guests to add as they want. PORTUGUESE CHIMICHURRI½ small onion, minced3 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon lemon juice½ teaspoon paprika½ cup minced fresh basil, preferably opal variety½ cup minced fresh cilantro2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano1⁄3 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil2 tablespoons red wine vinegarIn a medium bowl, stir together onion, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, basil, cilantro, and oregano. Whisk in oil and vinegar until mixture has a thick, sauce-like texture. HERB BUTTER This is a kitchen staple that’s also great with chicken, seafood, and vegetables.¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened until very soft¼ cup snipped fresh chives (¼ inch long)½ cup minced fresh parsley1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauceSea salt and freshly ground pepper, to tasteIn a small bowl with a lid, stir together all ingredients until well combined. Cover and keep refrigerated until needed.148 First We Surf, Then We EatHawaii 149MAKAWAO, MAUI Surfing Cowboy Volleyball I learned about the world’s best steak from Maui firefighters and cowboys when I attended Mauna’olu College. If you wanted beef, there was only one place to go on that side of the island: Makawao. A few miles up the road past the former Mauna’olu campus, it’s still an old upcountry paniolo (cowboy) town, but now rental cars tie up to the hitching posts instead of horses. I got to know some of the good folks in Makawao because I played on the college volleyball team. There were no other schools nearby, so we competed against the fire department and cowboy teams. After games, we’d all go to the Makawao Steak House and drink beer, listen to Hawaiian slide guitar, eat slabs of ribeye, and laugh like hyenas. Substitute a drawl for the pidgin English, and you could just as well be in Fort Worth.Porterhouse Steak with Herbed Butter & Portuguese ChimichurriMy friend Rodney “Handsome Bugga” Kilborn is a retired fireman who lives in Kula, Maui, runs most of the island’s surf contests, and has a mean way with a grill. I suspect firefighters understand hot coals the way cowboys understand beef. He told me once the only problem with this dish is that five or six days later you’ll be hungry again. One thing the local cowboys confirmed was my dad’s sage opinion of beef cuts: filet mignon (or tenderloin) is the most tender; ribeye (or spencer) is the most flavorful; and strip steak (or New York) is right in between. The cowboys introduced me to the porterhouse—a tenderloin and a piece of strip steak separated by a T-shaped bone—and it was a beefeater’s revelation. Hawaiians like to eat, cowboys know their cuts—and porterhouse is a serious hunk of meat. Okay, this isn’t low calorie. But as Julia Child once said, “The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook.”SERVES 62 tablespoons finely ground coriander 2 tablespoons roasted, mashed fresh garlic2 tablespoons sweet red paprika1 tablespoon Alaea red Hawaiian sea salt1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper1 teaspoon onion powder1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled6 porterhouse steaks (about 1¾ pounds each)Portuguese Chimichurri (recipe follows)Herb Butter (recipe follows)Combine coriander, garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano in a small bowl and mix well. Rub on both sides of steaks. Set aside until meat comes to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Light a charcoal grill and bring to medium heat or preheat a gas grill to 350°F. When grill is hot, place steaks on grill, making sure tenderloin sides are farthest from direct heat. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side for rare, or until done to taste. Transfer to a platter or individual plates. Drizzle a little Portuguese Chimichurri sauce on fillets and spread a little Herb Butter on strip steaks. Serve extra sauce in bowls for guests to add as they want. PORTUGUESE CHIMICHURRI½ small onion, minced3 cloves garlic, minced1 teaspoon lemon juice½ teaspoon paprika½ cup minced fresh basil, preferably opal variety½ cup minced fresh cilantro2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano1⁄3 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil2 tablespoons red wine vinegarIn a medium bowl, stir together onion, garlic, lemon juice, paprika, basil, cilantro, and oregano. Whisk in oil and vinegar until mixture has a thick, sauce-like texture. HERB BUTTER This is a kitchen staple that’s also great with chicken, seafood, and vegetables.¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened until very soft¼ cup snipped fresh chives (¼ inch long)½ cup minced fresh parsley1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauceSea salt and freshly ground pepper, to tasteIn a small bowl with a lid, stir together all ingredients until well combined. Cover and keep refrigerated until needed.174 First We Surf, Then We EatMexico 175PUNTA MITA, NAYARITDoña Victoria’s Kahlúa Coconut FlanNo dessert is quite as Mexican as flan. Flan is to Mexico what croissants are to France, what apple pie is to the United States. My head chef at Margarita’s Village, Victoria Hernandez, came to us from Guadalajara, but she was born near Punta Mita. This lady, whose regal bearing, immense culinary knowledge, and amazing creations were a joy to experience, gave me a master’s class in Mexican cooking. She had a signature dish that we named Filet Doña Victoria—a prime cut of filet mignon topped with a dark chocolate Oaxacan mole negro. I thought of including it in this book, but the recipe has more than thirty ingredients and takes several hours to make. The next best thing is her flan. It too is a little complicated, but the coconut and Kahlúa makes it so delicious that no other dessert compares. My wife still makes it for special occasions. SERVES 62 cups sugar½ cup water5 large eggs10 ounces whole milk3 cups condensed milk (preferably Eagle Brand)1 to 2 ounces Kahlúa, to taste¾ cup grated fresh coconut1 cup raspberriesLeaves from 6 sprigs fresh mint In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let mixture bubble until it is a deep golden color. Pour into 6 ceramic ramekins, approximately 4 x 2 inches, filling to a depth of about ½ inch, and set aside. Be careful—caramel is very hot! Preheat oven to 300°F. In a blender, blend eggs, milk, condensed milk, and Kahlúa until smooth. Stir in coconut flakes and carefully pour mixture into ramekins to within ½ inch from top. Place ramekins in large roasting pan in oven. Carefully add hot water to pan, approximately halfway up sides of ramekins. Reduce heat to 250°F. Bake until flan is set but still wiggly in center, a knife comes out clean, and coconut is golden, 1 to 1½ hours. Remove ramekins from pan; let cool, then cover and transfer to refrigerator to cool completely. When ready to serve, run a knife around custard edges and tap ramekins at their base to loosen. Invert onto serving plates. If custard does not come out easily, place ramekins briefly in a shallow pan of hot water for 30 seconds to a minute at most. Garnish with raspberries and mint leaves. Bet your friends they can’t take just one bite!174 First We Surf, Then We EatMexico 175PUNTA MITA, NAYARITDoña Victoria’s Kahlúa Coconut FlanNo dessert is quite as Mexican as flan. Flan is to Mexico what croissants are to France, what apple pie is to the United States. My head chef at Margarita’s Village, Victoria Hernandez, came to us from Guadalajara, but she was born near Punta Mita. This lady, whose regal bearing, immense culinary knowledge, and amazing creations were a joy to experience, gave me a master’s class in Mexican cooking. She had a signature dish that we named Filet Doña Victoria—a prime cut of filet mignon topped with a dark chocolate Oaxacan mole negro. I thought of including it in this book, but the recipe has more than thirty ingredients and takes several hours to make. The next best thing is her flan. It too is a little complicated, but the coconut and Kahlúa makes it so delicious that no other dessert compares. My wife still makes it for special occasions. SERVES 62 cups sugar½ cup water5 large eggs10 ounces whole milk3 cups condensed milk (preferably Eagle Brand)1 to 2 ounces Kahlúa, to taste¾ cup grated fresh coconut1 cup raspberriesLeaves from 6 sprigs fresh mint In a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar and water to a boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let mixture bubble until it is a deep golden color. Pour into 6 ceramic ramekins, approximately 4 x 2 inches, filling to a depth of about ½ inch, and set aside. Be careful—caramel is very hot! Preheat oven to 300°F. In a blender, blend eggs, milk, condensed milk, and Kahlúa until smooth. Stir in coconut flakes and carefully pour mixture into ramekins to within ½ inch from top. Place ramekins in large roasting pan in oven. Carefully add hot water to pan, approximately halfway up sides of ramekins. Reduce heat to 250°F. Bake until flan is set but still wiggly in center, a knife comes out clean, and coconut is golden, 1 to 1½ hours. Remove ramekins from pan; let cool, then cover and transfer to refrigerator to cool completely. When ready to serve, run a knife around custard edges and tap ramekins at their base to loosen. Invert onto serving plates. If custard does not come out easily, place ramekins briefly in a shallow pan of hot water for 30 seconds to a minute at most. Garnish with raspberries and mint leaves. Bet your friends they can’t take just one bite!We hope youenjoyed this EYB Book PreviewThe complete book is available from all major booksellers. Or use the "Buy Book" button and help support EYB.Next >