Betty Hirozawa was well known as the longtime vice president at the Hawaii Employers Council and a tireless community volunteer. Less public was the fact that she cooked for her three children and four grandchildren every weekend.
After she died this year at age 90, her children, Joan Fujita, Gail and Robert Hirozawa, shared some of her favorite recipes in a memorial thank-you note.
“She didn’t make fancy food, but cooked for us with love,” said Fujita.
One recipe she cooked regularly was simmered kabocha. The dish is a popular selection at okazuya (Japanese delicatessens).
Kabocha is easily found in grocery stores. Its flesh is orange and rich in beta-carotene. Its hard green skin turns tender when cooked and is edible.
The hardest part of making this dish is cutting the dense squash into pieces. Place the flat side of a halved kabocha on a cutting board, and use a heavy knife. Or buy precut pieces sold in some supermarkets.
After that, the dish is quick to make. Some cooks include dried shrimp, but Hirozawa skipped the shellfish because of a family allergy.
Serve this for a weekday dinner. It keeps well in the refrigerator, so make a double batch and enjoy this Easy Kine side dish for more than one meal.
BETTY HIROZAWA’S KABOCHA
- 1/2 kabocha
- 2-1/2 cups dashi or chicken stock
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice cooking wine)
- 1 tablespoon shoyu
- 1 teaspoon salt
Do not peel kabocha, but wash skin and discard seeds (or roast them as you would pumpkin seeds). Cut into 1-1/2-inch squares.
Combine ingredients in large saucepan; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered until pumpkin is tender, but not mushy, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves about 6 as a side dish.
Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 80 calories, 700 mg sodium, 19 g carbohydrate, 15 g sugar, 2 g protein, no fat, cholesterol or fiber.
”Easy Kine” features simple dishes that start with commercially prepared ingredients. Lynette Lo Tom is excited to hear your tried-and-true suggestions. Contact her at 275-3004, email lynette@brightlightcookery.com or via Instagram at @brightlightcookery. Nutritional analysis by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.
