Many of Hawai‘i’s favorite local dishes are really simplified basic recipes that can be prepared using only regularly stocked ingredients in the typical pantry or refrigerator. With today’s busy schedules, traffic jams, and growing costs, here is the answer for simple meals that can be put together without another stop at the supermarket.

These over forty recipes deliver. They can be made quickly and easily using ingredients readily at hand—tasty ones packed with flavor like Egg Drop Soup, Curry Chicken Fingers, and Fresh Mango Pudding.

Some recipes showcase a single local ingredient always available either at farmers markets, home gardens, Chinatown markets, or corner neighborhood stands. Although the ingredient lists are short and the recipes vary in flavor and course, they all share a common ingredient: technique. The kinds of cooking techniques our grandmas passed on from generation to generation that make a recipe successful.

So after a long day of working and commuting open your pantry and get ready to enjoy an easy cooking experience savoring our favorite tastes and food preferences.