If it’s true that you can taste the love a cook invests in a dish, it’s no wonder Randolf Florendo receives raves for his cooking. The Waianae special-education teacher has had a passion for cooking since he was a child, and he’s known for his tasty local dishes — "everyone loves my fried noodles," he said.
Now he can add Sandwich Architect to his reputation as a top-notch cook.
Florendo, 44, created a delectable crab sandwich recipe that made the finals in the first-ever America’s Better Sandwich Contest, a healthy-sandwich competition. The recipe was one of 12 picked from more than a thousand recipes submitted from across the country.
Sandwich lovers nationwide can vote for their favorite version through Oct. 17 at americasbettersandwich.com. Votes will count for 10 percent of each contestant’s score. On Nov. 3, National Sandwich Day, winners in each of four categories will take home $5,000; a grand-prize winner will be awarded $25,000.
The contest is put on by Arnold, Brownberry and Oroweat Breads.
Florendo entered the Stealthily Simple category, meaning recipes couldn’t exceed five ingredients (that includes the bread).
Florendo says he knew he wanted to feature "something from the Pacific Ocean." He had his eye on crab, and a bit of Internet research confirmed the seafood’s healthfulness.
"It’s the add-ins that make it unhealthy," he said.
Florendo used Oroweat’s 100 percent whole-wheat, thin bread rounds as a base from which to build. In considering a condiment to spread on the bread, he had to come up with a replacement to mayonnaise and turned to a favorite snack, garlic hummus. Next, he mixed the crab with diced roasted red peppers and, finally, topped the creation with avocado slices.
"Avocado always goes with crab," he explained.
Amazingly, Florendo came up with the recipe on the first pass. If it had required tinkering, he likely wouldn’t have entered the contest at all.
"I was surfing the Internet — I like to look up food things — when I just happened to find this contest, and the recipe was due the next day," he said.
Florendo says his interest in cooking began when he was in the fifth grade because "I was on my own — everybody worked." He learned by watching his grandmother cook. While he was away at college in Oregon, he put his learning to use.
Today he holds a high standard for himself when working on a dish: "I always tell myself I can cook something better than what I see out there," he said.
"Everything is trial and error. I never went to a cooking class. I watch cooking TV shows and go on YouTube. I love cooking anything."
Vote through Oct. 17 in the America’s Better Sandwich Contest at americasbettersandwich.com.
