Samoan cuisine hits spot in NKY

[oldschooler]

[b][size="5"]Samoan cuisine hits spot in NKY[/size][/b]
By John Erardi • Up in the Bit • September 16, 2009


The Bengals' Domata Peko likes some of the restaurants at Crestview Hills Town Center near his home, but he hasn't found any that make Palusami, which are stuffed taro leaves.

He doesn't have to go far to find them, however. The wife of teammate and fellow Samoan Jonathan Fanene is also Samoan and is an excellent cook, Peko said.

"And her mom's in town, so we're having a Samoan-type dinner (Wednesday) night," Peko said.

I talked to the fourth-year pro before practice Wednesday afternoon, and he pointed to Fanene's empty locker.

"He's around somewhere, but not for long," Peko said. "His wife's having a baby; it's their first baby, so everybody's really excited. She's at the hospital right now, and he's getting ready (for the call)."

I stopped by Peko's locker to talk about the Green Bay Packers this Sunday ... and a cooking class broke out. Well, not totally, but after the other reporters left, I asked Peko how he was finding life in Greater Cincinnati, and we wound up discussing food.

Peko, 24, who was born and raised in Pago Pago, American Samoa, says life in this area has a "big difference" to life back home, "where no one's in a rush - everyone's laid-back. But I've found that I really do love Cincinnati."

He especially enjoys living in Northern Kentucky.

"There are more folks from the country over there," that is, more people who grew up in rural areas or whose parents grew up in rural places, similar to the lifestyle in Samoa, Peko said.

I, too, like the pace in Northern Kentucky. I never felt I had to get accustomed to it here. I arrived in town at the proper RPMs in 1974, a blend between the half-click faster pace in central New York where I grew up, and the full-click slower place in Murray where I went to college.

"I'm getting used it to it here, even the food, and I'm even starting to like a little bit of the chili," Peko said.

Props to Peko.

I never warmed up to former Reds infielder Rich Aurilia after I heard him dis' Cincinnati chili. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate his honesty, but rather that I simply could not fathom that somebody wouldn't like that scrumptious combination of spices in Cincinnati chili, especially when it's poured atop a plate of pasta or onto a hot dog and bun.

Peko followed his older brother Tupe to Michigan State University, which helped younger brother acclimate. (Tupe later played for the Indianapolis Colts.)

"That was the biggest adjustment (to coming to the U.S. mainland), the weather," Peko said. Once he had overcome winter in Michigan, Greater Cincinnati was that much easier.

That's what makes it so great having another Samoan on the Bengals, Peko said. Fanene is his lifelong friend.

"It's somebody you can relate to when you're missing home," Peko said. "It's somebody who's been there, knows how you feel."

Peko has developed into a real mainstay of the Bengals interior line. He was drafted in the fourth round in 2006. Last year, he started every game at left defensive tackle for the second straight year, and led the line in tackles (108), which ranked third on the team.

The 6-foot-3, 318-pounder was one of only five Bengals to start all 16 games last year, and he has played in every game over his last three seasons. Also last year, he led the teams with six tackles for losses.

He said there's a real brotherhood in the NFL among Polynesians.

"It's not just Samoans; it includes Hawaiians, anybody from that part of the world," Peko said. "We see our (brothers) after the game and we say, 'What's up? How are you doing? How's your health?' We take care of each other."

Speaking of health, Domata, tell me a little more about those stuffed taro leaves. I've always said, either you've got the coconut gene or you don't. And I confess, I love the stuff. Anybody who's "got the gene" knows what I'm talking about.

"You stuff the leaves with meat, such as lamb or chicken or pork (or even fish) and you add coconut shavings, coconut milk (onion and even tomatoes and spinach, if you like) and bake it," Peko said. "It's real nice, delicious."

"It's called" - and I spelled it out phonetically in my notebook as Peko pronounced it - "pol-u-SAM-i," and I found I was almost dead-on when Peko spelled it out for me: "p-a-l-u-s-a-m-i."

(Don't hate me, Bengals fans, but I was thinking Troy "Polamalu" as I spelled it out. That was my secret.)

It seems that Samoan family names are spelled exactly as they're pronounced, or pretty close to it.

What you see is what you get.

Just like palusami.

Make mine a double, heavy on the coconut.





[url="http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090916/COL19/909170364/"]http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090916/COL19/909170364/[/url]

[Jeb]

[quote name='oldschooler' date='17 September 2009 - 09:40 AM' timestamp='1253191233' post='803593']
[b][size="5"]Samoan cuisine hits spot in NKY[/size][/b]
By John Erardi • Up in the Bit • September 16, 2009


The Bengals' Domata Peko likes some of the restaurants at Crestview Hills Town Center near his home, but he hasn't found any that make Palusami, which are stuffed taro leaves.

He doesn't have to go far to find them, however. The wife of teammate and fellow Samoan Jonathan Fanene is also Samoan and is an excellent cook, Peko said.

"And her mom's in town, so we're having a Samoan-type dinner (Wednesday) night," Peko said.

I talked to the fourth-year pro before practice Wednesday afternoon, and he pointed to Fanene's empty locker.

"He's around somewhere, but not for long," Peko said. "His wife's having a baby; it's their first baby, so everybody's really excited. She's at the hospital right now, and he's getting ready (for the call)."

I stopped by Peko's locker to talk about the Green Bay Packers this Sunday ... and a cooking class broke out. Well, not totally, but after the other reporters left, I asked Peko how he was finding life in Greater Cincinnati, and we wound up discussing food.

Peko, 24, who was born and raised in Pago Pago, American Samoa, says life in this area has a "big difference" to life back home, "where no one's in a rush - everyone's laid-back. But I've found that I really do love Cincinnati."

He especially enjoys living in Northern Kentucky.

"There are more folks from the country over there," that is, more people who grew up in rural areas or whose parents grew up in rural places, similar to the lifestyle in Samoa, Peko said.

I, too, like the pace in Northern Kentucky. I never felt I had to get accustomed to it here. I arrived in town at the proper RPMs in 1974, a blend between the half-click faster pace in central New York where I grew up, and the full-click slower place in Murray where I went to college.

"I'm getting used it to it here, even the food, and I'm even starting to like a little bit of the chili," Peko said.

Props to Peko.

I never warmed up to former Reds infielder Rich Aurilia after I heard him dis' Cincinnati chili. It wasn't that I didn't appreciate his honesty, but rather that I simply could not fathom that somebody wouldn't like that scrumptious combination of spices in Cincinnati chili, especially when it's poured atop a plate of pasta or onto a hot dog and bun.

Peko followed his older brother Tupe to Michigan State University, which helped younger brother acclimate. (Tupe later played for the Indianapolis Colts.)

"That was the biggest adjustment (to coming to the U.S. mainland), the weather," Peko said. Once he had overcome winter in Michigan, Greater Cincinnati was that much easier.

That's what makes it so great having another Samoan on the Bengals, Peko said. Fanene is his lifelong friend.

"It's somebody you can relate to when you're missing home," Peko said. "It's somebody who's been there, knows how you feel."

Peko has developed into a real mainstay of the Bengals interior line. He was drafted in the fourth round in 2006. Last year, he started every game at left defensive tackle for the second straight year, and led the line in tackles (108), which ranked third on the team.

The 6-foot-3, 318-pounder was one of only five Bengals to start all 16 games last year, and he has played in every game over his last three seasons. Also last year, he led the teams with six tackles for losses.

He said there's a real brotherhood in the NFL among Polynesians.

"It's not just Samoans; it includes Hawaiians, anybody from that part of the world," Peko said. "We see our (brothers) after the game and we say, 'What's up? How are you doing? How's your health?' We take care of each other."

Speaking of health, Domata, tell me a little more about those stuffed taro leaves. I've always said, either you've got the coconut gene or you don't. And I confess, I love the stuff. Anybody who's "got the gene" knows what I'm talking about.

"You stuff the leaves with meat, such as lamb or chicken or pork (or even fish) and you add coconut shavings, coconut milk (onion and even tomatoes and spinach, if you like) and bake it," Peko said. "It's real nice, delicious."

"It's called" - and I spelled it out phonetically in my notebook as Peko pronounced it - "pol-u-SAM-i," and I found I was almost dead-on when Peko spelled it out for me: "p-a-l-u-s-a-m-i."

(Don't hate me, Bengals fans, but I was thinking Troy "Polamalu" as I spelled it out. That was my secret.)

It seems that Samoan family names are spelled exactly as they're pronounced, or pretty close to it.

What you see is what you get.

Just like palusami.

Make mine a double, heavy on the coconut.





[url="http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090916/COL19/909170364/"]http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20090916/COL19/909170364/[/url]
[/quote]

I've got the coconut gene, ...and that sounds really good!

[Rumble In the Jungle]

[quote name='Jeb' date='17 September 2009 - 12:52 PM' timestamp='1253202738' post='803647']
I've got the coconut gene, ...and that sounds really good!
[/quote]

us middle easterners do something similar but with grape leaves. and greeks do it too. we take the grape leaves and stuff it with rice and meet, like lamb or beef and spices. then bake it. delicious.

[Jeb]

[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' date='17 September 2009 - 12:54 PM' timestamp='1253202878' post='803649']
us middle easterners do something similar but with grape leaves. and greeks do it too. we take the grape leaves and stuff it with rice and meet, like lamb or beef and spices. then bake it. delicious.
[/quote]

I know. I was thinking about that while it was being described but with coconut it gets better!

[|Lucid|]

[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' date='17 September 2009 - 12:54 PM' timestamp='1253202878' post='803649']
us middle easterners do something similar but with grape leaves. and greeks do it too. we take the grape leaves and stuff it with rice and meet, like lamb or beef and spices. then bake it. delicious.
[/quote]

Love me some Dolmas... Is that what you call them as well? Or is that Greek?

[Actium]

[quote name='Lucid' date='17 September 2009 - 12:12 PM' timestamp='1253203935' post='803656']
Love me some Dolmas... Is that what you call them as well? Or is that Greek?
[/quote]

Those wacky Greeks and those zany Middle Easterners have conquered each other so many times they're pretty much identical.

[brian55662]

I grew up in Samoa until I was 6 and have been back 5 times since. I love the food palusami is so good. Get some of that with some taro and hit the beach and call it good. I love having 3 Samoans on this team. Who Dey!

[Rumble In the Jungle]

[quote name='Lucid' date='17 September 2009 - 01:12 PM' timestamp='1253203935' post='803656']
Love me some Dolmas... Is that what you call them as well? Or is that Greek?
[/quote]

yes, thats what its called. love em. my mom does stuffed tomatos, onions, zuccinis, eggplant, Mmmmmmmm yummy.

[Rumble In the Jungle]

[quote name='Actium' date='17 September 2009 - 01:30 PM' timestamp='1253205022' post='803663']
Those wacky Greeks and those zany Middle Easterners have conquered each other so many times they're pretty much identical.


[/quote]

to clear the air, Hummus is Middl Eastern and the Greeks stole it lol. and so is the Gyro, but we call it Shawarma

[Actium]

[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' date='17 September 2009 - 01:43 PM' timestamp='1253209385' post='803685']
to clear the air, Hummus is Middl Eastern and the Greeks stole it lol. and so is the Gyro, but we call it Shawarma
[/quote]

I don't know who came up with what first; all I know is it's tasty. There are some really good Middle Eastern restaurants in town.

[Nukem41]

I live by Fanene... I'll have to get him a gift.

[T-Dub]

[quote name='Rumble In the Jungle' date='17 September 2009 - 02:43 PM' timestamp='1253209385' post='803685']
to clear the air, Hummus is Middl Eastern and the Greeks stole it lol. and so is the Gyro, but we call it Shawarma
[/quote]

While we're on the subject, what's the dish that's baked lamb and rice covered with yogurt with a layer of pitas in the bottom? I think it's Arabic for "upside-down" ? Man is that ever good!

[Rumble In the Jungle]

[quote name='T-Dub' date='17 September 2009 - 10:50 PM' timestamp='1253238649' post='803778']
While we're on the subject, what's the dish that's baked lamb and rice covered with yogurt with a layer of pitas in the bottom? I think it's Arabic for "upside-down" ? Man is that ever good!
[/quote]

some use chicken and some use lamb. but it is called upside down lol, cause after it's cooked. they flip the pot upside down on a big pan to put the food on it. and you are right, so good makes you wanna eat your fingers when your done lol.