1

Joy
The
HA‘IKŪ, MAUI

COCONUT
INFORMATION
In 2010, Ryan Burden embarked on a culinary journey to use
more locally grown food. In 2014, he began cultivating 2 dozen
varieties of produce, including coconuts, on his 2-acre property.
Today, 32 coconut palms rise up to 25 feet above the garden,
but that’s not the only reason coconuts stand out to Burden
(pictured in white T-shirt on opposite page).
“They have protein, fiber, healthy fat, and essential minerals,”

of
he says. “The trees produce fruit year-round. Few other plants
are as useful, hardy, sustainable, and nutrient-rich. The more I
learned about coconut, the deeper I fell in love with it.”
Burden scaled back his tree-trimming business and began

Cooking
hosting 90-minute coconut cooking classes at his farm. Students
use recipes that he created with his wife, Kathryn Dahm, to
prepare cream, noodles, and “oysters,” all made using coconuts.
The couple’s first recipe, coconut noodles, was featured in a
2021 episode of Guy Fieri’s Food Network show Guy! Hawaiian
Style. Many of Burden’s students have never tasted, let alone
made, such noodles before.

5 culinary classes peppered “Eating should be joyful and exciting, so don’t be afraid to
step out of your comfort zone and try new things,” Burden says.
with local Hawaiian flavor “This is my dream job—connecting people with coconut, the
greatest plant on Earth.”
BY CHERYL CHEE TSUTSUMI
Classes start at $400 for 2 people (50% off for kama‘āina),

C
including a guided tour of the garden and picking and snacking
ooking is truly an art form, and—as with music, painting, or any on seasonal fruit. Per-person price is lower for larger groups.
other creative endeavor—some people have a gift for it.
But anyone can learn the basics. For a fun outing with family
or friends, why not enroll in a cooking class and learn how to
make ‘ono dishes together? Learn to make coconut noodles at Ryan Burden’s
These 5 hands-on classes around the Islands include recipes, instruction, Coconut Information farm and cooking school. BURDEN’S TIPS
use of tools and equipment, and the food that you’ll prepare. No cooking Use locally grown ingredients whenever possible.
MALIA AKINAKA

experience is required. Cost is per person unless otherwise noted. Bon appétit! Balance flavors. Every dish should have an element of
sweetness, saltiness, and fat. A sprinkle of salt can elevate
a dish from so-so to lick-the-bowl delicious.

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Monkeypod Jam founder and owner Aletha
Thomas (center) leads 3-hour classes in
MOUNTAIN VIEW, HAWAI‘I ISLAND
her backyard cottage. Inset: Ingredients
for somen salad from the Kaua‘i Local
Favorites class.
CHEF RACHEL ERKAN’S
HOMESTEAD
Chef Rachel Erkan’s cooking classes often begin with a tour of the rural
homestead she shares with her life partner, Daniel. Participants sample
whatever produce is in season and help the Culinary Institute of America–
trained chef harvest some of the bounty for their class.
Next, the group gathers in an open-air kitchen overlooking native ‘ōhi‘a
trees and hāpu‘u ferns. The kitchen is furnished with a 1949 O’Keefe and

4
Merritt range that Erkan restored and uses for all her cooking.
Classes run from 2 to 4 hours. Past sessions have focused on pickling,
pasta making, vegan and vegetarian dishes, chicken and beef stocks, and
chicken butchery and husbandry. She also has taught classes on the 5
mother sauces: béchamel, tomato, velouté, espagnole, and hollandaise.
“My goal is to help guests feel comfortable in the kitchen,” Erkan says. HONOLULU, O‘AHU
“I encourage them not to be afraid of making mistakes when they cook.”
Classes are booked on demand and start at $50; maximum is 5 people
KCC COOKING
ages 10 or older. Touring the property might be difficult for those with
CLASSES

2
mobility issues. A minimum of 72 hours advance notice is required.
Stop by a continuing education
cooking class at Kapi‘olani Community
College, and you’ll see students making
dishes like Thai red curry with pork
ERKAN’S TIPS: (above), busily working with everything
After learning a recipe, trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to substitute they’d need if they were professionals.
ingredients. For example, Erkan, pictured below at left, replaces granulated But the point isn’t to go pro, it’s to
sugar with honey, maple syrup, or brown or cane sugar in pastry recipes. experience the joy of cooking.
The college launched the classes
LĀWA‘I, KAUA‘I in the mid-1990s in response to high

MONKEYPOD JAM demand. Chef Grant Sato has been

an instructor since 1998. “My maternal
Food is the love language for Aletha Thomas and her family. The founder and owner of grandparents raised me, and I was in
Monkeypod Jam enjoys hosting parties with her husband, Robert Newton, and their the kitchen with Grandma a lot,” he
daughter, Annika. They also make comforting soups for friends who are sick. And on leisurely says. “She inspired my passion for
THOMAS’
mornings, they read cookbooks and point out interesting recipes over breakfast. cooking. The classes are fun and easy.
TIPS
Thomas credits her parents with igniting her passion for food. “They exposed my three Students work in pairs; I demonstrate,
Cook entrées in large
sisters and me to global cuisine by taking us to ethnic restaurants and cultural festivals,” says and they replicate.”
batches. For example,
the Portland, Oregon, native. Classes start at $75. Most classes
roast 2 chickens at
Today, she welcomes visitors to 3-hour cooking classes in her backyard cottage, which is are 4–6 hours. Participants must be
a time. Serve 1 for
FROM LEFT: COURTESY RACHEL ERKAN; COURTESY KCC OCET
equipped with a large kitchen. In the Kaua‘i Local Favorites class, participants learn how to 18 or older (classes for kids 6–18 are
dinner; pick, bag,
make coconut mochi, Spam musubi, somen salad, and ‘ahi poke bowls. In her new Farmers available in the summer).
and freeze meat from
Market Cooking class, Thomas leads students through a popular alfresco market, where
the second for later.
she chooses the best in-season produce. Menus change, depending on what's freshest;
Save the bones to
there might be vegetable galette, charred tomatoes with yogurt sauce, or panna cotta with
use for stock.
pineapple coulis. SATO’S TIPS
“Food brings people together,” Thomas says. “We learn a lot about other cultures Basic Knife Skills is the first class every
SWELL KAUAI PHOTOGRAPHY

through their food—what grows in different regions, how traditions have developed, the fledgling cook should take, Sato says.
stories behind the dishes. By sharing an authentic meal made with heart, we discover we It explains how to select, hold, use,
have much more in common than we thought.” and care for different knives. Students
Classes start at $125. Participants must be at least 10 years old; a registered adult must also learn culinary vocabulary, including
accompany those 17 and younger. Themed classes and guest chefs are occasionally in the exact measurements for the slices and
lineup, and Thomas plans to launch a Farm Tour and Cooking class soon. dices used most often in recipes.

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HONOLULU, O‘AHU

WELLNESS
KITCHEN
Registered dietitian Lisa Matsunaga began
teaching cooking classes in her Honolulu home in
2019. She wanted to show—not only tell—guests
how to shop, cook, and eat healthily. Going on
food tours, taking cooking classes, and browsing
at local markets on her global travels provided her
with valuable insights into various countries and
shaped her philosophy about food.
“What frustrated me as a nutrition student
were the Western-focused dietary menus that
didn’t reflect the diverse cultures and eating habits
of many Americans, especially in cosmopolitan
Hawai‘i,” Matsunaga says. “In fact, all regional
cuisines can be healthy.”
For her private 3-hour classes, she offers a
dozen ever-changing menus. The most popular is
Japanese themed with broiled miso butterfish or
salmon as the entrée. Dishes can be adapted to
suit vegan, vegetarian, low-cholesterol, and other
dietary preferences.
The camaraderie among her students reminds
Matsunaga of her visit to the Golden Temple
in Amritsar, India, Sikhism’s most important
monument. She joined hundreds of volunteers who 3½ ounces bittersweet or dark chocolate chips
prepare and serve 100,000 free meals there daily. 12 ounces soft silken tofu, drained, at room
temperature (try Mori-Nu shelf-stable tofu)
“The ladies taught me to use a roll-and-rotate
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
motion to get perfectly round roti flatbread,”
(preferably Dutch processed)
Matsunaga says. “Even as a foreigner, I felt a

Chocolate
¼ teaspoon instant coffee or espresso powder
kindred spirit. That’s why I love cooking with
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
people. It’s so much more than just the act of
2½ tablespoons pure maple syrup
making food; it fosters connection and hospitality.”

Tofu Mousse
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Classes start at $385 for 2 people; add $115 per
8 ounces fresh raspberries
person thereafter, up to 5.

Place the chocolate chips in a small bowl and

SERVES 4–6 microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in
between, until melted. In a blender, break up
For a rich but healthy chocolate dessert that you can make with minimal the tofu and blend until pureed. Add the melted
MATSUNAGA’S TIPS effort, try this recipe courtesy of Lisa Matsunaga of Wellness Kitchen. chocolate, cocoa powder, instant coffee, salt,
Soft tofu lends a silky texture and a boost of protein while being nearly maple syrup, and vanilla, and blend again until
If spices have been sitting in your pantry for a long
smooth and uniform. Transfer the mousse to
time, give them the sniff test. Little or no smell undetectable in taste. Raspberries, which provide fiber and antioxidants,
a wide container and chill in the freezer for 20
top the flavorful mousse. You can also dress it up with other toppings,
COURTESY WELLNESS KITCHEN

Wellness Kitchen students display their first course, usually means their flavor is also gone and it’s time minutes or in the refrigerator for about 1 hour, until
a seasonal winter salad made with persimmons, mint, to replace them. At Down to Earth Organic such as strawberries, banana slices, cacao nibs, roasted macadamia nuts, it thickens. Divide among individual bowls and top
Marcona almonds, and shallot vinaigrette.
& Natural stores (locations on O‘ahu and Maui), or a dollop of whipped cream. with raspberries.
you can buy a few tablespoons of a spice if that’s
MORGAN BAKER

all you need for a recipe. For premium spices,

check out Diaspora Co. and Burlap & Barrel. CHERYL CHEE TSUTSUMI is no Rachael Ray, but she picked up
many helpful cooking tips while researching this story.

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