By Request Betty Shimabukuro

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Kulolo Mochi combines isle cultures

KULOLO is a sticky brick of taro and coconut -- in the luau repertoire, it's a dessert alternative to haupia, but not nearly as popular.

A more delicate merging of the two ingredients is this mochi, a fusion of Hawaiian kulolo and Japanese baked mochi. Florence Mays called in search of a recipe for Kulolo Mochi, and a few weeks later, a new cookbook arrived, "Hawai'i Cooks with Taro."

Kalo kismet.

The book, by Marcia Zina Mager and Muriel Miura (Mutual Publishing, $15.95) begins with a substantial section covering the history, cultivation and cultural importance of taro -- not to mention why it's sometimes called kalo (in the 19th century, a change in formal spoken Hawaiian turned the letters T and R into K and L).

The book's second section is filled with recipes, from Poi Dogs (taro pancake wrapped around a hot dog) to taro stuffing for turkey to Luau Souffle (strained taro leaves baked with milk and flour) to Taro-Sausage Soup.

The dessert chapter yields a recipe for Custard Poi Mochi, easily adapted into Kulolo Mochi by adding coconut milk in place of evaporated milk. It bakes up much lighter in color, taste and texture than kulolo, which is traditionally made with mashed taro and grated coconut.

"Hawai'i Cooks with Taro" is due in bookstores Monday.

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Kulolo Mochi

1 cup melted butter or margarine
1-3/4 cups sugar
4 eggs, slightly beaten
1 (13.5-ounce) can coconut milk
1 pound fresh poi, undiluted
4 cups mochiko (sweet rice flour)
1 tablespoon baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking pan.

Combine butter, sugar and eggs in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add coconut milk, then poi, stirring until incorporated.

Combine mochiko and baking powder, then add gradually to wet ingredients. Stir until smooth. Mixture will be very stiff, but keep at it.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 1 hour.

Cool, then cut, using a plastic knife to prevent sticking. Makes about 4 dozen squares.