Sumatran Gado Gado (Blanched Vegetables in Peanut Sauce)
This Sumatran salad recipe was inspired by the one eaten at a surf competition. Read the full story in the cookbook, “First We Surf, Then We Eat”.
Edible Bookshelf: "First We Surf, Then We Eat" Presents Global Flavors with Surfer Sensibility
As a Southern California surfer, I’ve spent my life traveling and surfing the world, along the way learning to cook the world’s best beach-loving dishes. "First We Surf, Then We Eat" (Consortium Sept. 2018) will share these vividly colorful, richly flavorful, and vibrantly healthful collection of recipes that have been gathered along the way.
You’ll enjoy the recipes and images of surf and food as well as stories of the best waves, markets, restaurants, adventures, and misadventures—from Tahiti to Hawaii, the Basque Country to Indonesia, California to Mexico, Peru to Morocco, and beyond.
Here, I wanted to offer you a little preview of these surf-inspired recipes and stories, like the one for Donald Takayama's teriyaki sauce.
Surf legend Donald Takayama, who passed away in 2012, was one of the premier board builders of the last half-century. He probably gave away more surfboards to his cadre of proteges, team riders, and friends than anyone in the business. A born entrepreneur, he was a top contest winner from the age of six, ran a retail shop, and even produced Surfer’s Choice, a line of his own teriyaki sauce.
Donald’s talent as a chef was also legendary. In his big backyard in Oceanside, he’d hold barbecues for hundreds. Included in my book is the secret recipe for his award-winning teriyaki sauce that was once sold in major supermarkets. It’s an old family recipe that can’t be beat.
Joel Tudor is perhaps the most elegant and influential longboard stylist of the last two decades. A protege of Donald Takayama, Joel has carried on Donald’s generosity, graciousness, and love of life.
The recipe for barbecued foil packets has always been a favorite of his and was a staple at Donald’s barbecues on Tremont Street in Oceanside. The genius of wrapping the ingredients in foil makes cooking for 200 so much less work—and works just as well for a more intimate dinner.
Other recipes are inspired by more far-flung surfing adventures, like Gado Gado from Sumatra.
Try these recipes out during the last weeks of summer, and find more recipes and stories in my book "First We Surf, Then We Eat", available for pre-order on amazon.com leading up to the official publication on September 4th.
Jim Kempton is a lifelong surfer, cook, and writer. He’s been the editor and publisher of Surfer magazine and currently serves as the president of the California Surf Museum.
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