Growing Up Hapa in Hawaii: Recipes and Stories from Chef Ippy Aiona

NOW AVAILABLE!

Growing Up Hapa in Hawai‘i is not your typical cookbook—it’s a heartfelt journey told through the lens of food, family, and heri­tage. Chef Ippy Aiona invites you into his story shaped by two rich cultures—Hawaiian and Italian—blended together with love, grit, and a deep sense of place.

From the Big Island town of Waimea, where paniolo traditions and plate lunches rule, to the cozy, garlic-scented warmth of his moth­er’s Italian kitchen, Ippy’s culinary path weaves through generations, restaurants, and recipes. With roots in his father’s restaurant, the Kam­uela Deli, and his mother’s restau­rant, Solimene’s, and rising to the national stage through Food Net­work competitions and celebrated restaurants like The Three Fat Pigs, Ippy shares the lessons, flavors, and stories that built his identity.

This deeply personal cookbook pays tribute to the many chapters of Ippy’s life—a life built on fusion, resilience, and connection. Inside, you’ll find more than recipes; you’ll discover the soul of a chef shaped by his heritage, community, and family. Growing Up Hapa in Hawai‘i is for anyone who believes food is more than nourishment—it is memory, culture, and love served on a plate. Come hungry, and leave inspired.

 

RECIPES

• Aunty Vivian’s Cone Sushi
• Portuguese Bean Soup
• Mom’s Oxtail Soup
• Taro and ‘Ulu Corn Chowder
• Korean BBQ Chicken
• Chicken Lū‘au
• Mochiko Chicken with Spicy Aioli
• Chicken Nishime
• Nori Chicken
• Corned Beef Hash
• Masayo’s Beef Stew
• Dad’s Beef and Taro Lū‘au Stew
• Shoyu Pork
• Pork and Watercress
• Pork and Peas (Guisantes)
• Crab Rangoon
• Shrimp Egg Foo Young
• Salt and Pepper Shrimp
• Garlic-Chili Oil
• Banana and Cream Cookie Parfait

• Crispy Spiced Chickpeas
• Artichoke and Spinach Dip
• Roasted Tomato Gorgonzola Soup
• Roasted Red Pepper Soup
• Minestrone Soup
• Pasta e Fagioli Soup
• Pancetta and Caramelized Onion Soup
• Grilled Summer Vegetable and Goat Cheese Penne Pasta
• Spaghetti alla Puttanesca
• Spaghetti Carbonara
• Penne alla Vodka
• Bucatini alla Amatriciana
• Bacon and Blue Cheese Macaroni Gratin
• Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccolini
• Steak alla Rustica
• Lamb Ossobuco
• Garlic Shrimp Aglio Olio
• Linguine with White Clam Sauce
• Seafood Fra Diavolo
• Seared Scallops and Sundried Tomato Cream Sauce

• Smoked Gouda Cheese Sauce with Homemade Chips
• Spring Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette
• BLTA (Bacon, Lettuce, Pickled Tomato, and Avocado) Sandwich
• Miso Risotto
• Coconut Curry Chicken Pot Pie
• Steak Salad with Curry Peanut Vinaigrette
• Korean Braised Short Ribs
• Bavette with Tomato Five Spice Jam
• Pomegranate and Coriander Glazed Rack of Lamb
• Braised Lamb Leg in Tomato Ragu
• Oxtail Stew
• Kanpachi En Papillote
• Shichimi Blackened Salmon with Vietnamese-Style Pickles
• Blackened ‘Ahi with Pickled Fennel and Herbed Yogurt
• Crab Cakes with Wasabi Aioli
• Manila Clams with Lemongrass, Chili, and Sake Butter Sauce
• Shrimp and Grits
• Ice Cakes
• Coffee Crème Brûlée
• Mac Nut, Toffee, and Coconut Ice Cream Sandwich

• Shoyu Poke
• Spicy ‘Ahi Poke
• Asian Chicken Salad
• Chicken Papaya Soup
• Local-Style Kimchee Fried Rice
• Chicken Katsu
• Chicken Long Rice
• Lemon Chicken
• Beef and Eggplant Stir-Fry
• Beef Tomato
• Grilled Korean Kalbi Short Ribs
• Pork Adobo
• Pork Belly Tinono
• Pork and Pumpkin
• Mahi Mahi with Chinese Ginger Sauce
• Hibachi Salmon with Namasu Pickles
• Salt Baked Kanpachi with Bug Juice
• Misoyaki Butterfish
• Coconut Shrimp
• Furikake Battered Shrimp Tempura