Prioritize the environment without sacrificing taste
Imagine cooking and living day to day with only the power of the sun.
That’s the goal of Sol-Up, a solar energy company based in Paradise, Nev., and with four showrooms in the state, including one in Midtown Reno.
When most people think solar, they think about the giant panels outfitted to your roof and used to reduce your energy bill. And that is the starting point at Sol-Up. But it also goes beyond that.
Sustainability in the Kitchen
Steve Hamile, the company’s chief operating officer, is dedicated to championing sustainability and green practices in every aspect of home life, including cooking. That’s why Sol-Up not only sells the solar panels and installation, but also other products that support low-cost energy solutions and a healthier future.
Home chefs will be especially excited to learn that Sol-Up sells Blue Star Induction ranges — used by more Michelin chefs than any other appliances in the world—in its lifestyle electrification showrooms.
“Induction works off electricity and induction magnetism,” Hamile says, explaining that this makes it a good fit for anyone who prioritizes both quality food and sustainable practices.
“You can really get high-end appliances now for home cooking,” Hamile says.
Other products created with the home chef in mind include electric outdoor grills; atmospheric water recapture than can extract 2.5 gallons of water from the atmosphere per day at 9.2 pH down to 2 percent humidity levels; and a bio-enzymatic cleansing product that naturally neutralizes grease.
“We are constantly adding new products each month,” Hamile says. “Solar is the lifeline which allows all of these products to be incorporated into the home without the worry of extreme utility costs.”
A Lifelong Hunger
The passion for combining solar power with farm-to-table cooking (a connection Hamile says is almost unbreakable) comes from Hamile’s upbringing in Hawaii.
“[In Hawaii], we are schooled on the importance of preserving our ecosystem. I carried this through all aspects of my life.”
And much of that life is intrinsically linked with the restaurant business. A talented cook at a young age, Hamile took on a two-year apprenticeship at Escoffier in Beverly Hills before becoming the executive chef of The Gingerhouse in Los Angeles at age 16.
“My background was Pan Asian from Hawaii, with an Escoffier French twist,” Hamile explains.
After that, he developed the fine dining concepts Bleeker Street in Los Angeles, Vine in Hilton Head, and Bella Napoli in Savannah, as well as a group of fast-casual concepts, including Pablos Cantina in Hawaii and California, Cantina Tulum in Georgia, and the Auld Dubliner Irish Pub group.
He always applied sustainable cooking and related concepts in his restaurants by using recycled materials, prioritizing solar and electrification with induction cooktops, reducing water usage, and overall limiting his properties’ carbon footprints by purchasing ingredients from local farms.
Selling His Dream
With Sol-Up’s showroom at 902 S. Virginia St. in Reno, local chefs can benefit from Hamile’s passions and create their own sustainable kitchens at home, without sacrificing taste. A happy side effect — aside from the delicious fare created — is the positive impact on both the environment and your wallet. It all goes hand in hand.
“Farm to table and sustainability are almost inseparable, and solar energy is the beginning of any transition to sustainable practices,” Hamile says.
Spiralized Zucchini Salad with Shrimp and Goat Cheese Fritters
(created by Steve Hamile, owner of Sol-Up in Reno, based on a 2012 recipe from Vine in Hilton Head, SC. Serves 2-4)
“This was born from a visit to Key West, where I had a spiralized zucchini tossed in an Italian oil and vinegar,” Hamile says. “It was quite good but one dimensional, so I added a twist and created a vegan Asian dressing and topped [it] with a panko-crusted shrimp and panko-fried goat cheese.”
For dressing
⅓ cup rice wine vinegar
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced
½ shallot
½ green apple, unpeeled
8 raw cashews
½ to 1 teaspoon agave
½ carrot, peeled and diced
Handful fresh cilantro
⅛ cup grapeseed or other flavorless oil
½ teaspoon white miso paste
Dash salt
For salad
2 to 3 zucchinis, spiralized in long threads
½ green apple, unpeeled and julienned
Slivered almonds, roasted (quantity to preference)
For honey-panko shrimp & goat cheese fritter
4 deveined U10 shrimp, tails off
4 ounces goat cheese, rolled into 1-inch balls
1 cup flour
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup honey panko
½ cup breadcrumbs
Cooking oil, as needed
Honey, to drizzle
First, make dressing. In a blender, add rice wine vinegar, ginger, shallot, green apple, cashews, agave, carrot, and cilantro, and blend until smooth. Next, add grapeseed or other flavorless oil, sesame oil, white miso paste, and a dash of salt to thicken. Blend again until smooth.
Combine spiralized zucchini with dressing and serve in a martini glass. Top with julienned apples and almonds.
Next, heat oil in pan to 350 degrees F and prepare the shrimp. Beat eggs to create an egg wash. Wash shrimp, dredge through flour, then dip in egg wash, and coat with honey panko. Place breaded shrimp into oil and cook until golden amber in color. Next, roll soft goat cheese into balls, dredge in flour and then egg wash, and coat with breadcrumbs. Deep fry in oil until golden amber in color. Top salad with fried goat cheese fritter and honey-panko fried shrimp. Drizzle with honey and serve with chopsticks.
