60 Years of Storytelling
A Taste of Hawaiʻi with Julia Child & Titus Chan
Special | 28m 57sVideo has Closed Captions
Iconic chefs Julia Child and Titus Chan cook up delicious food and conversation on Pau Hana Years.
Two culinary icons grace the set of Pau Hana Years with Bob Barker. From bitter melon to sweet mango, the legendary Julia Child and Titus Chan shares some tastes of Hawaiʻi, cuisine and conversation in this show from the mid 1970s.
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60 Years of Storytelling is a local public television program presented by PBS Hawai'i
60 Years of Storytelling
A Taste of Hawaiʻi with Julia Child & Titus Chan
Special | 28m 57sVideo has Closed Captions
Two culinary icons grace the set of Pau Hana Years with Bob Barker. From bitter melon to sweet mango, the legendary Julia Child and Titus Chan shares some tastes of Hawaiʻi, cuisine and conversation in this show from the mid 1970s.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Where to Watch 60 Years of Storytelling
60 Years of Storytelling is available to stream on pbs.org and the PBS app.
Bob Barker: Pau Hana years, a new day for older Americans, a time for living.
Your host Bob Barker.
Hi, and welcome to the program for and by the senior citizens of Hawaiʻi.
Well, today on Pau Hana Years, we have a rare treat for you in the same kitchen, the two top television culinary artists in the country, French chef Julia Child and Chinese Chef Titus Chan.
Aloha, Julia Child: aloha.
These two extraordinary Bob Barker: personalities in the same kitchen.
We don't know exactly what will happen.
Julia, what are you doing in Hawaii?
Julia Child: Well, we're here on a vacation.
We were here earlier doing some cooking demonstrations for the benefit of the Honolulu Symphony, and I hope they made a wad of cash.
Bob Barker: Have you been to Hawaii very often?
Julia Child: No, this is my first time.
My husband was here on the way back from World War Two, in whenever that was Bob Barker: about 45 or about 46 Julia Child: or 46 and he's found of quite a few changes.
There weren't any, any high-rise buildings, a lot Bob Barker: of changes.
Oh, Julia Child: but we just love it.
It's a marvelous.. did Bob Barker: your.. did your cooking show start on the public television network, Julia, or did they start on the local station?
Julia Child: No they started on our local station in Boston.
In Boston, we have what is known as the Eastern Educational Network that just went up to Maine and Schenectady and around there, and then I think the San Francisco station was the first station to take it on, and Pittsburgh, and those days that was before PBS, and it was, and the show was kind of bicycled around to the various stations, but what I think is very important now is that we do have a public broadcasting network, so that say when Titus is on, he can be on the same day all over the country, and you can build up a little bit of interest in it.
So it's very important, and we must all push for it.
Bob Barker: Well, you know, Titus did his first shows here on in Hawaii on Pau Hana Years on this program, and then went on to the public television network, because Julia Child: we get him in Boston, and he's all over San Francisco, because we were just there, and they'd all said on which they'd enjoy trip Titus.
Titus Chan: Thank you, Bob Barker: Titus.
How was your audience response across the mainland?
Titus Chan: I think the response has been a lot better than we expected.
Probably we are getting about anywhere 1500 to 2000 letters per week, the secretaries keep them so busy to send the recipes.
Bob Barker: Do those mainland Haoles have any trouble understanding your Chinese?
Titus Chan: That's why we call them Haoles.
That's right.
In fact, I think some of them do, that's why they write, and some of them wrote from Canada.
And Julia, I tell you, the letter they wrote, it's just like counting me as one of their members, the family.
Julia Child: Very nice, Titus Chan: Right?
They're very courteous, and on they send Christmas gifts, and then Valentine cards, and asking for my pictures, their autograph, and things like that.
What I should say is, you send your picture first, and they all call you Titus.
That's right.
When they come down here, they give me a call and just chat over the phone, and really heartwarming.
The audience response has been really good.
Julia Child: And then, do you at this station do you send out recipes?
Titus Chan: We do, and provided they have a self-addressed envelope and put in a stamp.
Julia Child: I think some people don't realize that the more money you can save in a public television station the better, so everyone should send in a stamped self-dressed long envelope.
Exactly.
Bob Barker: Julia, we didn't want to bring you in here and put you to work, so we're going to ask Titus to do some cooking.
Titus Chan: I knew it.
Julia Child: Well I love Chinese food, because we were in China during the war, and I don't know much about it.
I'm here to learn Titus.
Titus Chan: We'll show you that dish.
Bob Barker: What are you going to cook for us today?
Titus Chan: I'm going to cook the so-called Kumu fish in sweet and sour sauce for two purposes, one to under Julia coming to here because I saw her to do the poached salmon with wine, and then I think this fish poaching it that way is very tender and is very good for our power in our years viewer.
So I think it's a very good thing.
Julia Child: And you're going to poach it in that?
Titus Chan: Right?
We're going to poach in that.
Julia Child: Such a marvelous thing, that wok.
Titus Chan: So, Julia, I'm going to show you right from the beginning.
We are going to study this, what we call Kumu.
That's a beautiful fish.
It's the fish in the Chinese community, and it's very expensive.
Of course fish like this don't get a hot like that, now it's about $10 Wow, is it really?
It really is very expensive, 4.75 a pound, but it's very good because the quality is good.
White meat don't have a lot of bone, so it's really terrific thing.
Julia Child: Is there a cheaper fish to produce?
It wasn't this pretty.
Titus Chan: I'm glad you asked that.
I think so.
Once you learn this, folks, you can substitute with small salmon.
It would do right, and mullet it would do.
Julia Child: Is mullet sort of reasonable price Titus Chan: over here?
Yes, we do have some local one and some mainland one, a lot of them from New Zealand, about dollar 30 a pound.
Julia Child: Oh, good.
Titus Chan: nowadays the food is so hot.
Julia Child: This is a basic recipe, basic recipe.
Titus Chan: That's right.
We call it poached fish with sweet and sour sauce, that would do the job.
So now we are going to cut it, score it a little bit, so that it would be easier to cook.
So you cut it up a little bit, so that the heat can get in very fast.
After we do that, so you simply put it in the wok.
This is the wok with about 10 or eight cups of water, so long you put it in, and then the water watch out for the fish.
And then this is fresh ginger, of course.
We take about roughly two square inches of fresh ginger, and then you shut it a little bit right in there.
Then we cut the a bunch of green onion, a bunch of green onion.
We shot it a little bit.
Nowadays everybody says every time I cut onion, I cry, but nowadays you don't cry anymore.
You cry when you buy, right?
You just put it right in there, then that's all.
Let's do it.
That's all.
Let's do it.
You simply bring the water to a boiling, and then for every pound and a half fish, you gently boil it for about 15 minutes.
Then the fish would be done.
Then you use a fork.
You use a fork to prick where the heavy meat is, and you move a little bit, if the fish flaking out easily, then the fish is done, and then again you look at the eye of the fish, you know, right over here, if the fish eye is turning out to be white and tend to pop out, then the fish is done, and Julia, I tell you one thing, you know, a lot of students come down to my university cooking class, they refuse to eat the fish because it's got the head in there.
I watch you do your fish and you do it the whole thing, so I just always Julia Child: use it because if you don't have the head on, who knows what kind of fish it was, and who knows how fresh it was.
Titus Chan: That's right.
We check whether the eye is black or not.
So, if it's black, and then you know it's a very fresh fish.
And when the eyes are white, that means it's done.
He may be blue eye or brown eye, whatever.
Now in the Chinese way, we think if we cook a fish in whole, you, you are wishing the honoree having a everything is whole is perfect, and that's the oriental thinking, right?
So now once we put everything in over here and we simply let it cook, then we begin working on the sauce, so these are the ingredients about the sauce.
We would take about half of a green pepper, you die, you cut it into a bite size.
Don't ask me how big the bite size is, depending how big your mouth is.
So once you cut it up all in the bite size, then that would be a part of the ingredients, and also very good color contrast.
So we are saying half of tomato, half of onion, green onion, and then one stone of celery, cutting all up, that would be ingredients, and then now for the sauce, now sweet and sour sauce, so all we need to do, you need about one cup, one cup of water, and then one cup of brown sugar, which we have it up over here, and then one cup of brown looking vinegar, here in Hawaii, we call it dakine, you know.
Then you use a shot or so hot sauce, hot sauce, and then you use about a fourth of a cup, affordable cup of ketchup to make it very pink, so it looks nice.
And then you would need about two tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water as your thickening base, then you simply bring to a boil, bring this to a boil, and then you gradually stir this in to make the sauce.
Now, before you stir this in, you cook.
Your vegetable, a little bit, then the sauce will be made.
Now, right now, we are cooking it, cooking it like this.
By the time we are cooking this, as Julia would tell everybody, you watch out, so it won't overflow.
Otherwise, you become a professional kitchen washer.
So that's the problem.
Right now, we covered it up a little bit, just to make it a little faster, we move all this aside, making it work easily.
We put all this right in here.
By the time the sauce is coming to a boil, you cook all this vegetable in there about a minute or so.
Then you stir in the thickening base.
Then we'll be in business now, while we're waiting for this, the fish is gradually cooking.
You got to cook it slowly, that's why we call it poaching.
Bob Barker: Julia, have you done much Chinese cooking?
Julia Child: No, I love, I love eating Chinese food, because we were in China during World War Two, and I just love it.
Titus Chan: You were in Kuanming, weren't you?
And Chongqing, now that's about the northern food, Julia Child: Northern.
Titus Chan: Chongqing, at that time, must be the capital of China, Julia Child: And there were all kinds of refugee refugee Chinese, and they came from all over, so we had Fujin and Sichuan and Peking, and all kinds of cooking.
Bob Barker: Is there a difference between northern and southern China?
Chinese cooking, oh Titus Chan: yeah, definitely, Bob.
Roughly, we would say this way, for the Cantonese cooking, you got more blended flavor, the cooking time is faster, the temperature isn't that hot, I mean, for the temperature, but for the northern food, generally, it's hotter, because there's no so-called house heat at home, so you have to depend on the heart in favor.
After you eat it at noon, then you drink a few cup of hot tea will last you until the evening, then you eat it again.
You just crawl in the sap, keep you warm, so that's why we do it that way.
Julia Child: Titus, what part of China are you from?
Titus Chan: I came from mainland China.
We call it Canton, Canton, Canton.
That's actually where I come from, right?
Julia Child: So it's Cantonese cooking, Titus Chan: Cantonese cooking.
Yes.
How Julia Child: does that differ from Shanghai cooking?
Titus Chan: Shanghai cooking is you use a lot of spices.
Cantonese cooking is very good with fish and things like that, because sweet and sour thing, right?
You know, in Canton we are right at the mouth of Pearl River.
That's why we got the shark swing soup and things like that.
Right now we are having this boiling, and then we simply stir this up.
One thing you got to do is really stir this up, so that it would be mixing up.
Otherwise, you simply pour in the water and say, "Hey, let's go thicken it.
It would do Julia Child: so lumpy, it Titus Chan: would be very lumpy.
That's right.
Now, this is something about a Chinese cooking.
If the sauce coming to a boil, and then you put this in the sauce, would look very shiny, otherwise it looked dull, right?
So now this is hard boiling.
Now, and then we stir it in here.
I got to tell you one thing, Julia.
Sometimes I wait for this, and I run short of jokes, nothing to say, Julia Child: but that's to keep it shiny, you keep it at the boil.
Yeah, Titus Chan: you come to a boil, and then you put it in.
A little Julia Child: And this is cornstarch?
at a time.
Titus Chan: cornstarch with water, right, cornstarch water, and then you wait until you come back to a boy, so you know all the cornstarch is being cooked, so that then you simply turn it off, and after 15 minutes, as we talk, then we got the fish.
People say we're chilling, that's how the fish would be, would be done now.
Once the fish is done, you're decorating them with all kind of fancy type of things, such as this, of course.
This one is what we call the fresh water chestnut.
It adds to the dark look for your decoration, right?
And this is a piece of orchid, as you know, over here you can use it for decoration or for anything else.
I think that there's something that everybody already knows in Hawaii.
Maybe you don't quite know about the way the girl is wearing the flower, so I like to tell you, when you are walking in Hawaii, you see a girl wearing flower on her left hand side, she is single looking.
When she wears it on her right hand side, then she is married.
When she put it right on her top, right at the center, then she is married and looking.
But now this thing everybody knows in Hawaii, you might be in.
Is in knowing all right, then we get about a cup of Chinese pickle, putting right in there, that would make a little taste different.
That thing you can buy in Chinatown, anyway.
Or, if you don't, you don't want to, you don't have to do that.
Now we got a nice sauce, so all what we need to do right before you serve.
Now that's something very important.
If you pour it in and you don't eat it, it makes the fish very soggy.
And then you should serve it very last at the whole course of the evening, because the sweet and sour sauce would overpower the taste bud.
So now we pour it right on, Julia Child: Smells right Titus Chan: Right on here, and all you need to do, you use a tablespoon and a fork, you scrape up everything.
Then we got a nice fish over here.
Now, Julia, I have something very special for you.
Since you are coming, we know you are so graciously wanted to come in here and do the show with us.
I have something saved up now.
This is what we call the Moutai, Moutai, that's the wine that President Nixon drank when he was up over there.
And I did a research in the Orange last May.
I run through about four or five different countries and run up something interesting.
I saved this, and would you like to taste a little bit?
Okay.
Now I must warn you.
Now, yeah, this is very strong.
You know, Julia Child: Is this what they used to call tiger bone?
Titus Chan: Tiger bone is another one.
Tiger bones, more or less, for medicine.
Yeah, you use the tiger bone, you soak the tiger bone in in wine, and they call Sam Ching.
I have it over here as well.
Now, this is Julia Child: this is more liquor than a wine.
Titus Chan: Yeah this is more like a spirit.
Julia Child: A spirit.
Yeah, Titus Chan: right, right.
So, now you get done.
You think we should give Bob a little bit?
Okay, we give Bob a little bit.
Now, let us have a toast.
Julia Child: It smells like a French.
It's right, a little bit like Ma, Titus Chan: yeah, it's a little bit that way.
Let's toast to our Julia's happiness and our viewership for Pau Hana Years and the success of Pau Hana Years program.
Bob Barker: Thank you.
Titus Chan: Cheers.
Wow, it's very strong, isn't it?
Bob Barker: That is strong.
Julia Child: It's a little bit like tequila to it.
Bob Barker: Yes Julia Child: What's it made out of?
Is it still rice or what?
Titus Chan: Well, I think they now the name called Moutai is this way.
When they first came out, you know, everybody gave a different story.
I couldn't have to laugh, you know.
Actually, what that is, it's come from that village, it's called Moutai, and they got the kind of water, very pure, so they hired the best kind of brewer, those very skilled wine maker, to come to that county to do the wine, and they, they made out of some kind of wheat type of thing, it's not, it's not wheat, nor rice, so that's how it comes.
Julia Child: It tastes like a combination of tequila and mau, you know, do you know of the mau, which is made after they've pressed the grapes and they have just the residue of the seeds and the skin, then they then let that re ferment and then they distill it, and it has a kind of taste of old leather rather than taste Bob Barker: In other words, it tastes like an old shoe, is that it?
Yeah.
Titus Chan: That's an insult Bob.
You know how it did cost me when I was in Hong Kong is $16 and I told them, I told them, look, I speak Chinese, you know, how come you increase so high, and they say ever since President and drank it, four times that much.
Bob Barker: It's gone up four times since President Nixon drank it.
Julia Child: Well, Bob Barker: you brought that from Hong Kong.
Titus Chan: Yes, I brought it direct from Hong Kong, saving for special occasions, such as when Julia come to visit us.
Very delighted.
Thank you.
Now this is what we call that kind of wine, we call it Sam Ching.
That means you brew it three times when you're using this wine to soak the tiger bone.
That's supposed to help your leg, you know, circulate the blood or something like that.
It would be a good thing.
And then this is the wine we call it Nga Pi, is more or less for the ladies, this kind of wine, sweet, sweet, right.
And then this is called Mui Kuei Lu, that means the dew from the roses, that's the Chinese cooking wine.
Would you like to melt it?
Julia Child: Is that rice wine?
Titus Chan: It's rice wine, it's rice wine.
Julia Child: I love, and you serve this heated in little tiny cup, very, very Titus Chan: tiny cup.
Yes, I Julia Child: love that, and it goes very well with Chinese food, you know.
Yes, I love that.
Titus Chan: By the time I was doing the show for my duck race, you know, during the time that we said everybody wants to smell, and I told them both, smell only because we want them to drive home safely, and this is the best wine as far as for cooking is concerned.
So, right before you serve, if you want to cheat a little bit, one teaspoon, one teaspoon, one teaspoon, almost 50 cents already.
Julia Child: Is it that expensive?
Titus Chan: Oh yeah, $6 for 10 ounces, right?
So, by the time you poured it in, you say 50 cents not going to have, then you lose money, you stop.
Okay, that's all we need for over here now.
Julia, I like to show you a little bit about some of the special Chinese vegetable I think that you would like to see, you know.
Now this is so called what do we call Julia Child: sugar cane Titus Chan: We use it to discipline people over here, that's so called Chinese ochre.
Now, what Julia Child: is that?
How does it look when you cut it open?
Titus Chan: Okay, the Chinese squash, it would be.. it would be like that.
Julia Child: Is it bitter?
Titus Chan: No, bitter melon.
They said another kind.
Julia Child: It's not a bitter melon?
Titus Chan: good taste in it.
Julia Child: Now it tastes a little bit like a cucumber, right?
Right.
Titus Chan: Normally, you peel it first, and then.. and then you do that.
Now, bitter melon.
This is the bitter melon?
I don't think you would like to taste it very bitter.
No, this is a little different type.
Bob Barker: Easy.
Julia Child: So how do you use this?
Titus Chan: You simply cut, cut it into half, cut it into half first, and then you take, you take the seed out, and then you cut it into bite-size, and then you saute it.
Yeah, you now, French French cooking, you call it saute, we call it stir fry, we call it chow.
Julia Child: Does it have a slightly better taste?
Yes.
that contrast of flavors that's so good in Chinese food.
Yes, right.
Titus Chan: And then we use a little black beans, you know, black beans.
Julia Child: I have not seen that before.
The song tastes now a little bit of bitterness in my mouth.
Titus Chan: Now this is winter melon, I think the Chinese have a very, very clever way of cooking this.
You take this out and put soup in it, a little ham, a little jingle nut, things like that.
You steam it for an hour, so that the soup will blend all this in and base a very fancy kind of Chinese.
Julia Child: It's the French pumpkin soup that's done very much the same way.
Oh, they must have gotten it from the Chinese, don't you think?
Titus Chan: I think the Chinese did it from the French.
Then another thing would be fresh ginger, you know.
We got the Julia Child: Does that grow here in Hawaiʻi?
Titus Chan: Some of them, of them.
Julia Child: Beautiful, isn't it?
A little bit goes a long way, Titus Chan: it really does, and it makes the sauce or any kind of liquid look very good.
And this is a so-called choice arm, it's a little wet.
Julia Child: Is that like, is that a member?
What looks like, is that a member of the cabbage family?
Titus Chan: It grows about four feet tall, and this is the top of it.
Julia Child: It's like coloreds are colored or mustard greens.
Bob Barker: Mustard green Julia Child: This is all part of the cabbage family, one of the most ancient plants on this earth, isn't it?
This kind of writing, it's been a long time.
Chinese people using it, the French use it a lot, sort of.
We in the southern part of USA, Titus Chan: I see.
Julia Child: So the Chinese didn't invent everything.
Titus Chan: I hate to disagree with that.
This is mango, as you see.
Yeah, mountain apple Julia Child: Looks like a delicious apple.
Titus Chan: This you eat it raw.
you eat it raw.
Julia Child: is it the same, but is it an apple?
Is it an actual.. no, it isn't an apple.
What is it?
Titus Chan: They call it mountain apple, Julia Child: and what's it.. a cactus or what?
Titus Chan: Bob, do you know anything about it?
Bob Barker: I don't know, you're the cook.
Julia Child: What does it look like when you cut it open?
Titus Chan: oh, okay.
You simply eat it, you know?
You simply eat it.
Not much people using it for cooking, it would be nice taste too.
You got a seat over here, Julia Child: that's lovely.
Titus Chan: You want a little piece of mango too?
Julia Child: Okay, I'll eat everything.
Isn't that delicious?
Is this ripe or not quite ripe?
Titus Chan: This is about right, about right.
Julia Child: It's lovely.
Bob Barker: very good.
Julia Child: It has a lovely soft taste.
And better knock your hand out a little bit.
Titus Chan: Listen, Julia, I want to give you a knife.
I was so impressed the time you take out the knife, you say this is what.
This is a very good direct from China.
For about 22 years, first time it came out.
So this symbolized the happy beginning of a good relationship between the Chinese people in America, and this also symbolized the happy relation between you and the people in Hawaiʻi and public television here, K H E T, Bob Barker: very nice, Julia Child: very tough.
That's fascinating.
I'd love to know how to do that.
Thank you.
It's so good.
Titus Chan: Next time you come around, we will show you.
Bob Barker: Julia.
Have you ever done any cooking shows in France?
Julia Child: Well, we did some filming in France.
We took our camera crew from Boston over to France, and we filmed the Fish Wives in Marseilles, and we filmed the markets in Nice, and we went to Paris, and we filmed an old pastry chef and several French bread shows, and then we went to Normandy and filmed a pressed duck, which was very interesting way of taking the duck and roasting it very rare, cutting off the breast and the legs, and then putting the carcass in a press and squeezing out all the juices.
It's lovely.
Bob Barker: Have you done any cooking shows in China, Titus?
Titus Chan: No, I haven't yet.
While we're on this, I hate to say, you know, in China, people, we got cooking is a little low trade, unfortunately.
Julia Child: Oh, the thing is, Titus, I think troves like yours and like mine upgrade the profession, because it's a very good profession.
Now, look what you're doing, you're teaching, and you're teaching mathematics, and you're teaching cooking, you're doing television, and if you weren't a good cook, you wouldn't be doing it, would you?
None.
The same with me.
Titus Chan: That's right.
Julia Child: So, I think it's something for any young people who are interested in any of the senior citizens who have grandchildren, should urge their grandchildren to go into cooking.
It's a marvelous career.
You can write your own ticket.
You're a free man, you can do whatever you want.
It's a marvelous career, and I think young people should be urged into it.
Bob Barker: I should think so.
Julia and Titus, thank you very much enjoyed having you both in the same kitchen, and that's Pau Hana Years for today.
Until our next program, this is Bob Barker, leaving you with this thought.
We may live without poetry, music, and art.
We may live without conscience and live without heart.
We may live without friends.
We may live without books, but civilized man cannot live without cooks, he may live without books.
What is knowledge but grieving?
He may live without hope.
What is hope, but deceiving?
He may live without love.
What is passion?
But pining, but where is the man that can live without dining.
Unknown: [music]
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