A few weeks ago I volunteered at a New Orleans benefit event. My job was to sell $1 raffle tickets for a chance to win numerous Memphis-themed prizes. The prizes included many gift certificates to well-known Memphis restaurants, handmade pieces of art provided by Memphis College of Art students, etc. But there was one item that really caught my eye. A cookbook. But his was not an ordinary cookbook. This was a cookbook that made my body tremble when I laid my eyes on its cover. A cookbook that was so unexpected, yet so overdue. This was Memphis’ own Tsunami Restaurant Cookbook. From the moment I saw it, I started to wonder how badly karma would kick my ass if the raffle girl were to rig the contest. Much too worried that I would be caught and forever known as the girl who fixed a raffle to benefit victims of Katrina for her own guilty pleasures, not to mention the complete guilt that would consume me of committing such an offense, I began to simply wish those who gave to charity the best of luck in winning such a wonderful gift.
So instead, I waited — an entire two weeks — each day anticipating whether or not my favorite recipe would be included in chef Ben Smith’s first cookbook. October 23rd came, and after many visits to the Tsunami’s website I ran to the local bookstore, praying that the cookbook had finally made it to Memphis. Funny that I found the book at a Katrina benefit event, because the publisher, Pelican Publishing Company, is located in Gretna, Louisiana, minutes from New Orleans. Though the Tsunami Restaurant Cookbook bears a destructive name, it fortunately didn’t meet with either natural disasters Katrina or Rita. Luckily, the book was stowed away safely in Houston at a distribution center.
Chef Smith is famous for his Pacific Rim inspired recipes that create simple, delicate dishes that don’t overpower the main ingredient. The Tsunami Restaurant Cookbook: A Wave of Flavors Inspired by the Pacific Rim doesn’t stray from this technique. The recipes can be recreated by even the most novice cooks; yet at the same time will keep expert foodies coming back for more. It’s heavily seafood-based, which you won’t find me complaining about, yet will arouse the taste buds of meat and potato lovers worldwide.
Chapters include Tools of the Trade, Starters, Soups, Salads, Fish, Shellfish, Meats, Basic Recipes and Side Dishes, and Desserts. Besides the delectable recipes, the cookbook includes informative and interesting tips and stories written by chef Smith about many of the recipes included, over 150 in all. Black and white photographs of the Tsunami staff hard at work, as well as photos of various items found in the restaurant are scattered throughout. In addition to these “slice of restaurant life” photos, are beautifully displayed finished dishes, taken in the actual restaurant without a food stylist, so the food you see in this book is the food you will find on your plate at Tsunami, thus be able to recreate in your own home.
Chef Smith opened Tsunami in 1998, which has since then been consistently voted as top three restaurants in Memphis. Not bad for a man who forced his Asian-fusion style on a bunch of BBQ loving Southerners. He has, without difficulty, opened Memphians up to new and exotic flavors of countries surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.
From soup and salads to main courses and sweets, the Tsunami Restaurant Cookbook is elegant, mouth-watering, and best of all, not scary. In fact, practically all of the ingredients can be found in your local grocery store and don’t require a fully stocked kitchen to produce.
Some of the recipes I’m dying to try are the Spice-Crusted Tuna with Wasabi Aioli, Cinnamon Honey Ice Cream, Thai Beef Salad, Cornmeal-Crusted Grouper with Gazpacho Vinaigrette, Spicy Seafood Tostada with Smoked Chile Cream, Tsunami-Style Oysters Rockefeller, Grilled Filet of Beef with Smoked Chile Butter, Spice-Rubbed Grilled Flank Steak on Black Beans, basically if I had more time I’d end up listing everything, so I’ll stop here.
And yes, since you were wondering, my favorite recipe was included — Macadamia Nut Encrusted Mahi-Mahi with Shiitake-Mushroom Vinaigrette. Bravo Chef Smith, you’ve created a monster in this food lover.
