Flavors of Aloha: Cooking with Tommy Bahama

With winter in full force, even in the city, it’s always a welcome distraction when you get to kick off your boots, throw on a lei, and pretend that you’re enjoying some tropical weather. And that’s exactly what took place last week at Tommy Bahama in Midtown Manhattan. The celebrated brand threw a festive fête to celebrate the release of Rick Rodgers’ cookbook, “Flavors of Aloha: Cooking with Tommy Bahama.”  The cookbook boasts 100 recipes inspired by Hawaii — from poultry and seafood to desserts and cocktails — and is filled with gorgeous photographs of the native land, as well the dishes. Throughout the evening New Yorkers were forgetting that they were actually in the city, instead inspired by the food, drinks and atmosphere, making us practically feel the sunshine on our cheeks. Guests enjoyed both wine and cocktails, including Mai Tais, Painkiller 2, and Pomegranate Fizz. Additionally, the dishes served brought us straight to the beaches of Hawaii. Favorites included coconut shrimp with mango chutney, pulled pork sliders, chicken wings and salmon avocado poke. If this is just a sampling of what the cookbook offers, we want to reserve our copy now!

Twisted Talk: What’s your favorite cookbook? Will you try out some of these Hawaiian dishes? Discuss below!