Dinner at Trader Vic's

From the Google News archives comes this article with some recipes from Trader Vic’s...

The Pittsburgh Press November 21, 1954 (page 49)

-Tom

[ Edited by: TikiTomD 2012-01-07 05:30 ]

I rarely come to this section but I looked just now. It's fun that I found one by my newest friend TikiTomD. Thanks for sharing, Wendy

[ Edited by: danlovestikis 2012-01-06 20:50 ]

Aloha, Wendy. Mahalo for the visit. I’m honored to be your friend.

The Trader offers some general advice to the home cook in this article from the Google News archive...

Lewiston Morning Tribune July 29, 1976 (page 31)

And here’s another recipe published more than 60 years ago...

St. Petersburg Times June 6, 1949 (page 6)

-Tom

This ad from the Google News archives nicely illustrates the Trader's use of intriguing names to elevate a more ordinary dish to an exotic delicacy by engaging the imagination of the diner...

St. Petersburg Evening Independent June 20, 1973 (page 19)

Here are a few more recipes from the Trader, using their more ordinary names (no doubt they were called something quite different on his restaurant menus) ...

St. Joseph Gazette September 23, 1981 (page 43)

Lawrence Journal-World January 21, 1984 (page 4)

-Tom

The following article from the Google News archives includes the Trader Vic recipe for Crab Rangoon, a legendary pupu (appetizer) of mid-century Polynesian restaurant menus originated by the Trader. Some adjustments in ingredient proportions and cooking technique were introduced by the author for the homemaker (note that A1 Steak Sauce is typically specified as the steak sauce for this recipe)...

Star-News May 30, 2003 (page 16)

A second article below this one provided some Tiki party resources and references, notably including the Book of Tiki, Tiki Central and Tiki News. Conspicuously missing were the Beachbum Berry books, not surprising based on an inspection of the drink recipes in the article.

Here’s another recipe that is, to my recollection, truer to the Trader’s original...

The Seattle Times February 22, 2006

The Trader’s story is that Crab Rangoon was based on an old Burmese recipe, another imaginative evocation. A more recent online article notes that this was a purely American invention that, in its success, became a standard fare of Chinese restaurants.

This Crab Rangoon recipe variation from Epicurus.com replaces deep frying with oven baking...

Other variations include substitution of Smoked Salmon for Crab meat in the recipe, using the same ingredient proportions.

I’ll leave it to those two intrepid gastronomes of exotic cuisine, MadDogMike and Professor G, to prepare and report on an extreme variation, Spam Rangoon, truly a venture into epicurean terra incognita...

-Tom

Further research reveals that Spam Rangoon has, in fact, been prepared before. It was actually a winning recipe in the Great American SPAM Championship, according to this online article from MyFoX8.com dated October 14, 2011.

-Tom

Here is a sampling of recipes from Trader Vic's Helluva Man's Cookbook, reprinted in an article in the Google News archives...

St. Petersburg Evening Independent June 13, 1984 (page 17)

-Tom

From the Google News archives, Trader Vic brunch recipes...

Tri-City Herald June 13, 1982 (page 93)

-Tom

I’ll leave it to those two intrepid gastronomes of exotic cuisine, MadDogMike and Professor G, to prepare and report on an extreme variation, Spam Rangoon, truly a venture into epicurean terra incognita...

-Tom

Dang it all, Tiki Tom,

I don't know how I missed this. I saw and enjoyed the post on the Spam Rangoon on the Spam thread, but I missed this. I feel I failed to rise to the challenge, but now that another has conquered the Spam Rangoon, I'll take my variation (aberration) another direction. Rest assured (or possibly slightly unsettled), my riff on Rangoon is in its final stages of development.

[ Edited by: Professor G 2012-01-16 13:28 ]

Funny the things that were considered so exotic then are commonplace now; Chinese Five Spice, peanut sauce, panko bread crumbs, etc.

Professor G, I have no doubt that you will come up with something bold and unique, pushing the boundaries yet again of extreme cuisine...

Mike, so true regarding what were once hard-to-find exotic ingredients; a trip to my neighborhood Publix supermarket will yield almost anything required in these recipes.

Here's a recipe for Trader Vic's Chili Salsa...

The News and Courier – Charleston Evening Post January 19, 1975 (page 42)

-Tom

Here are Trader Vic recipes for Bongo Bongo Soup and Hominy Grits...

Lodi News-Sentinel April 5, 1966 (page 60)

The Leader-Post September 16, 1965 (page 7)

-Tom

Thanks for posting these, Tom. One of the things that makes me very grateful to Messrs. Bergeron and Beach is that by introducing a large segment of the population to foods of Asian background, they rescued us from the French. I am trained in Continental cooking and I love it, but it's a big old world and there's a lot of great stuff to eat in it. Those two and, more to the point for me, their highly skilled chefs opened doors for American cooks.

I also appreciate the creative re-packaging jobs they did. I've read Trader Vic's story of the Bongo-Bongo Soup and, while I'd never, ever, ever want to question his dedication to authenticity, the ingredients in that soup are almost identical in flavor profile to the Oyster Stew of the Gulf Coast, which is not pureed. It's a great dish, regardless of technique or nomenclature.

Professor G, I’ll join you in that toast to diversity!

In this article, the Trader preaches the virtues of convenience and making innovative use of ingredients on hand...

The News and Courier October 22, 1977 (page 17)

-Tom