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By Request

By Betty Shimabukuro

Wednesday, February 7, 2001

By Craig T. Kojima Star-Bulletin
Crispy millet tofu croquettes are topped with tahini gravy
and served in a skillet with an array of vegetables,
including broccoli and carrots.

---

Tofu croquettes
a best seller

'Hello, my name is Jane Fonda. Where is my croquette?" It was 1981, at the East-West Restaurant, a healthy-eating spot in New York where Harris Brazina honed his skills in macrobiotic cooking. The encounter with the famous actress was related by his wife, Miyuki, who was a waitress at East-West when she met and married Brazina.

She said the restaurant's Millet Almond Tofu Croquette was a favorite of Fonda's and she had called for a take-out order.

Now the Brazinas are serving the croquette at Well Bento in Moiliili, where Karol Yamamoto came across the dish. She called it "the most ono-licious tofu croquette," and wrote for the recipe.

Well Bento is a tiny, humble take-out place on the second floor of a cluster of shops in Moilliili, across Beretania Street from Star Market. It has earned a reputation as the place to go for a quick, good-for-you meal since it opened three years ago.

"I have three to five people who come once every single day, order the same thing every day," Harris Brazina said. "I have two to three people who come once a week, same day, same time, same order."

His menu is divided into vegan dishes and "transitional plates" -- chicken, salmon and beef dishes that are still heavy on grains and devoid of chemical additives and preservatives.

The concept of transitional eating works both ways -- the Brazinas say they get customers trying to ease into a vegetarian diet, as well as vegetarians sampling meat for the first time.

Harris Brazina was a vegetarian himself for several adult years, but no more. "Now I eat meat, I eat anything."

His philosophy is wholesome cooking, but no extremes. "I think about the balance of food."

On to the recipe, but first a warning, and this is very important: If you want to sample this dish at Well Bento, call first (941-5261). Harris makes only enough to get through the day, and always sells out.

Millet Almond Tofu Croquette

2 cups millet, rinsed
4-3/4 cups vegetable stock or water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
12-ounce block firm, silken-style tofu (Mori-nu brand recommended)
1/2 onion, minced
1/2 cup ground almonds
Flour or panko for dusting
Canola or olive oil for pan-frying

Combine millet, stock and salt in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit for 15 minutes. Add pepper; cool.

Boil tofu to harden slightly. Drain; let sit.

Combine tofu with millet. Add onion and almonds, mixing by hand. Form into 15-18 patties; chill.

Dredge patties in flour or panko. Pan-fry in a small amount of oil until crispy.

Approximate nutritional information, per pattie: 180 calories, 8 g total fat, 1 g saturated, 0 mg cholesterol, 180 mg sodium, 5 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate. *

Dagmar Oato sent in the following recipe in response to a request published here for a local-style macaroni salad with cabbage.

Oato said the recipe comes from her mother-in-law, Alice Togashi Kaneshiro, formerly of Wahiawa, now living in California. "The spaghetti salad is one of our most requested dishes for pot lucks and family gatherings," Oato said.

The salad calls for spaghetti broken into small pieces, but there's no reason it couldn't be made with macaroni. It seems perfectly suited to the local mac-salad genre.

Spaghetti Salad with Cabbage

1 pound spaghetti noodles
1 bunch green onions
6 hard boiled eggs
1 small head white cabbage, shredded very fine
1 32-ounce jar mayonnaise (Best Foods preferred)
1/2 pound ham, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Break noodles into bite-sized pieces; cook according to package directions; drain and chill.

Slice onions; set aside a tablespoon for garnish. Chop 5 eggs, reserving 1 for garnish.

Combine ingredients, chill. Garnish with reserved onions, sliced reserved egg and a sprinkle of paprika. Makes 16 cups.

Approximate nutritional information, per cup: 600 calories, 50 g total fat, 8 g saturated, 125 mg cholesterol, 525 mg sodium, 11 g protein, 28 g carbohydrate. *

Food Stuffs: Morsels

Send queries along with name and phone number to:
By Request, Honolulu Star-Bulletin Food Section,
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu 96802.
Or send e-mail to bshimabukuro@starbulletin.com

Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.