Dianne Vicheinrut

spent more than 20 years working in the restaurant business, with a focus on Hawaii Regional Cuisine. “I loved being able to work with local farmers and share their crops, like Hawaiian hearts of palm, sea asparagus and tropical fruits,” she says. Now a financial advisor, working with individuals, families and business owners to achieve their financial security, and “retired” from the restaurant business, food still remains a passion for her. She is a board member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, Hawai‘i Chapter, and loves cooking with her mother and sharing Thai culture with friends and family. The recipe she shares with Tūtū’s Kitchen is a classic Thai dessert: Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Cream.

How did you learn to cook?

My mother is the cook of the family. It’s how she provided for us. She came to the US as an exchange student from Thailand, met my father and they opened up restaurants after they graduated. Although we were far removed from Thailand, my mother made sure that she taught us about the food and culture of where we came from. She raised us to speak the language, follow the traditions and values and enjoy the food. She taught us to look at each grain of rice and appreciate that it was the work of someone who grew and harvested that food for us.

What is the background of this dish?

I was born in California, but we lived in Thailand until I was five. When we moved back to the US, my mother loved to tell stories about her childhood, and I could picture her climbing the trees to pick and enjoy fresh fruit. She always had a fruit bowl on the kitchen table, and I remember her excitement when she was able to find a tropical fruit that reminded her of her childhood. Mango season was particularly memorable because she would make this dish. My mother was not a baker, and we didn’t grow up learning to make cakes and cookies. Thai food is about many flavors that are combined to create the perfect balance, and my mother taught us to appreciate how the creamy, savory rice, sweet mango, a touch of salt and the crunch of toasted mung beans all come together in this dish.

Thai Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Cream is our June 2019 Tūtū’s Kitchen dish

TŪTŪ MO‘OLELO

Leimomi Lum

Leimomi Lum was born and raised on Kaua‘i, the oldest of three children. As the only daughter, she was especially close to her mother and spent a lot of time cooking and baking with her. After her mom passed away, Leimomi says, “I felt it was my turn to continue to pass down the legacy … Continued Read More

Clare Bobo

Clare Bobo is a self-described “Polish girl from the southside of Chicago.” Growing up, her family spent holidays and Sundays with her grandmother and great-aunts and -uncles, eating traditional foods. Her grandmother Ann’s pierogi, a dish traditional in Eastern and Central Europe, were always a family favorite, specially made for Christmas Eve. “We looked forward … Continued Read More

Jenn Marr

Jenn Marr is a veteran of the food and beverage industry, with nearly 30 years of professional experience and a lifetime spent in a family where “cooking is pretty much mandatory!”The dish she shares with Tutu’s Kitchen is her family’s interpretation of the classic Italian dish Chicken Cacciatore, roasted chicken thighs in tomato sauce. Jenn … Continued Read More

Kristin Jackson

Kristin Jackson opened her Southern food restaurant, Kiss My Grits, in Honolulu in 2011 to much acclaim. The establishment was awarded a People’s Choice for Best New Restaurant that year and served classic dishes such as fried chicken, biscuits and gravy and Eastern North Carolina-style pulled pork—the iconic foods of her beloved home state. Kristin … Continued Read More

Dianne Vicheinrut

Dianne Vicheinrut spent more than 20 years working in the restaurant business, with a focus on Hawaii Regional Cuisine. “I loved being able to work with local farmers and share their crops, like Hawaiian hearts of palm, sea asparagus and tropical fruits,” she says. Now a financial advisor, working with individuals, families and business owners … Continued Read More

Traci Rosado Fernandez

Traci Rosado Fernandez says she feels lucky to be surrounded by so many good cooks. “I don’t feel like I’m the one person that cooks for the family. We have so many excellent cooks—starting with my Grandpa Rosado, then my mom, my aunties, mother-in-law, sister and my sons!” Growing up, her grandfather Raymond Rosado, Sr.’s … Continued Read More

Ku‘uipo Lorenzo

Ku‘uipo Lorenzo has been a hostess at Highway Inn’s Kaka‘ako restaurant for four years and has worked in the hospitality and visitor industry for 47 years. She is a past Kamehameha Day Parade Pa‘u Queen (2014) and has spent time living abroad and dancing hula. She volunteers with several non-profit organizations and is currently a … Continued Read More

Kathi Saks

Kathi Saks was born outside New York City in a Jewish community. She is a private chef, culinary community educator and past president of Les Dames d’Escoffier, Hawai‘i. Food is a second career for her; she also holds a design degree and enjoys bringing her knowledge of pattern and design into the kitchen when it … Continued Read More

Lori Wong

Lori Wong grew up surrounded by food. Her family owned the popular local eateries Orson’s, The Chowder House and Byron’s Drive In, among others. She currently runs her own culinary consultancy, Moments LLC, and is a culinary instructor. She is a member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, Hawai‘i. Lori originally created her Tūtū’s Kitchen dish, Tempura … Continued Read More