The stories we tell give context to the foods we cook, settling them into a time and place.

“A Taste of Waipahu Plantation Life” proves this with its mix of recipes and the memories of those who call Waipahu home.

The Friends of Waipahu Public Library compiled the cookbook, a sequel to the 2011 “Flavors From a Plantation Town,” with proceeds to benefit library programs and services, according to Lynn Nishihara, who spearheaded the project.

It includes many old photos of the town contributed by Goro Arakawa, whose father, Zempan, founded the Waipahu landmark Arakawa’s Store in 1909. Arakawa wrote the story that opens the book, telling of the founding of the store and his memories of the Pearl Harbor attack and its aftermath.

Others tell of early food connections:

>> “Going to Kawano Store after school and drinking a Coke float, or to Tawata’s Saimin stand and eating fried noodles or saimin and BBQ stick, that was the good life. The simple life.” — Connie Pagente Herolaga

>> Trains carrying stalks of cane passed through Waipahu daily, providing an opportunity for the brave and agile: “Stronger boys would pull the good stalks off the train. We placed the stalks across the tracks so they would be crushed and split open by the next train that went by. That was creative, don’t you think?” — Judy Takano Parker

>> “I remember the Filipinos used to catch opai (shrimp) from the streams. They never cooked it. They just washed it, threw lemon on it, and just ate it. The shrimp were still jumping up and down.” — Esperanza Gabriel Garcia

As for the recipes, you’ll find a few complex contemporary dishes, but most are no-nonsense homestyle dishes. Examples: nori tofu loaf, salmon with lup cheong, Spam curry, a ground beef “cobbler” made with Bisquick, eggplant and pork in miso, Korean sweet pumpkin porridge.

Of all the bounty in the book, I chose this recipe to take for a test drive because it seems to embody the spirit of plantation cooking: simple, easy and using ingredients found in most pantries. It is credited to Nishihara’s friend Pat Terauchi.

I made it in a slow cooker; those instructions follow Terauchi’s recipe. It turned out hearty and satisfying, with a nice amount of spiciness and tang.

KETCHUP CHICKEN

• 5 pounds skinless bone-in chicken thighs
• 2/3 cup EACH shoyu, vinegar and ketchup (Heinz brand preferred)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, grated
• 1/2-inch piece ginger, grated
• 4 chili peppers
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons water

In pot, combine all ingredients except cornstarch mixture and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook 60-90 minutes until cooked through.

Add cornstarch mixture in last 5 minutes to thicken sauce. Serves 6.

P.S. Cook lots of rice.

Slow-cooker instructions: Cook on low 4-6 hours, until tender and cooked through. Sauce is best thickened in a skillet on the stovetop by simmering with cornstarch mixture.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 350 calories, 8 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 185 mg cholesterol, 2,000 mg sodium, 27 g carbohydrate, no fiber, 23 g sugar, 41 g protein.

Write By Request, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or email requests to bshimabukuro@staradvertiser.com.