Candes Gentry learned to make empanadas from her grandmother, Chichi, and great grandmother Lelela, during yearly trips to Argentina visiting her maternal family, and recalls long dinners around the family table that would extend to the early morning hours. Now, she’s passing down these traditions to her 9-year-old son, Poet, while creating new memories, which they share in their cookbook, Eat Pono.

Inside are a variety of recipes ranging from smoothies and snacks to wholesome meals and sweets. Among her favorites is Pastel de Fuente (Shepherd’s Pie) Hawaiian/Argentine Style.

“It’s a complete meal in one dish,” notes Gentry, who was born and raised in Hawai‘i. “It’s a savory dish with a mix of local and Argentine flavors because the filling is an Argentine recipe but then the topping that we use, whether it be the yams or sweet potato, is a local influence.

“This and the empanadas (also featured in Eat Pono) are two dishes we were able to adopt here. I’d say we eat them probably once a month as a family. It not only connects us to our family in Argentina and reminds us of those times we were all together cooking in the kitchen, but it also allows us the opportunity to pass down those values to our children.”

In fact, it was Poet’s growing passion for cooking, with an emphasis on nutritious food sourced locally and sustainably, that inspired the cookbook. The result is not just a collection of delectable recipes, but also a story of how a child’s curiosity about food — where it comes from, how it’s processed and what it does to our bodies — has influenced his family and those around them to make healthier choices.

“I’m not a cook — before Poet I had ice cream, coffee, milk and cereal in my refrigerator,” admits Candes.

However, outside of the kitchen, Gentry was already leading a very active lifestyle — she’s competed in the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, four XTERRA World Championships, more than 60 triathlons and more than 20 marathons. Last year, she accomplished her goal of running from Paia to the Haleakala summit, and swimming the ‘Au‘au Channel between Lana‘i and Maui, Pailolo Channel between Maui and Molokai, and Kalohi Channel between Lana‘i and Moloka‘i. Between the countless hours of training, she’s also constantly on the go with the many hats she wears — as mom, community leader, businesswoman, model/actress, vocalist and former Miss Hawai‘i.

“I feel like there’s a season for everything,” she says. “Now, my hope is to be able to work on promoting the values and principles of Eat Pono with the goal of being able to create more nutritious food opportunities for our keiki throughout the state.”

Pastel de Fuente (Shepherd’s Pie)
Hawaiian/Argentine Style 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 Maui sweet onion, chopped

• 1 pound ground beef 

• 2 tablespoons olive oil 

• 10-12 green olives with red pepper inside, sliced 

• 1/4 cup plump red raisins, soak in warm water for 5 minutes 

• 1 hard-boiled egg, diced 

• Salt, pepper and oregano to taste 

• 2 large yams or Okinawan sweet potato

• 1/2 cup coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon white sugar

• 1 egg, beaten 

Sweat onion in olive oil in a large sauté pan. Add ground beef and spices. Cook thoroughly. Remove from heat, drain excess oil.

Fold in olives, raisins and eggs. Place in an oven-proof ceramic or glass baking dish and spread out evenly. While meat is cooking, slice yams or Okinawan sweet potato into 1-inch pieces and boil in water until fork tender. Remove from water and skin.

Add coconut milk to the boiled yams or Okinawan sweet potato and mash with fork or place in stand mixer and mix on medium until smooth like mashed potatoes. Spread yams or Okinawan sweet potatoes over meat in pan and coat with one beaten egg (you will not need the entire egg), then sprinkle sugar on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, then broil for 5 minutes or until egg topping is golden and crisp. Serve warm as a complete meal.