A Glutton for Butter Mochi
Butter mochi — my downfall.
Last week, I gorged myself.
And I blame Chef Jeffrey Stout for it.
You see, after a recent trip to Hawaii, I happened to post a photo on Facebook of a unique sweet treat that I enjoyed there that was quite new to me: butter mochi.
Stout, former chef of Alexander’s Steakhouse in Cupertino who’s now building his own restaurant, Orchard City Kitchen in Campbell, did what any self-respecting chef would do when he spied the photo and sensed my longing — he emailed me a recipe for it.
Curses!
It was far easier to make than I thought it would be. When I tried a piece, I immediately ate a second, then had to restrain myself from reaching for a third.
Chef, what have you done!
The recipe comes from Stout’s neighbor, Taryn Esperas, who has been known to make this for neighborhood block parties, where it’s always one of the first things to be gobbled up.
It’s cake. But not. It’s custard. But not really. It’s sort of its own delightful hybrid.