Let Them Eat Cupcakes is giving out free passes to see the film "Beautiful Creatures," for anyone who stops in and says "Beautiful Creatures" when they purchase a cupcake today for their sweetheart, or BFF, or whatever.

The offer is good while tickets or supplies last. You might want to check out @LTEatCupcakes to see if there are any left.

Nadine Kam photos
In the front row, from left, Kapiolani Community College Culinary Arts associate professor Alan Tsuchiyama, Culinary Institute of the Pacific director Conrad Nonaka, University of Hawaii Vice President of Community Colleges John Morton, and chef Roy Yamaguchi, show the $80,000 check presented by the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival to the Culinary Institute of the Pacific.

Now that we've cleared all of winter's major holidays, the founders and directors of the Hawaii Food & Wine Festival took time out to host a Mahalo Reception for festival partners and participants, and a check presentation of more than $200,000 at Kapiolani Community College's Ka Ikena restaurant on Feb. 4.

During the September 2012 festival, 4,000 visitors and residents from around the world enjoyed 50,000 portions of food served up at 15 events at six venues on Oahu featuring 61 chefs, four master sommeliers, 25 winemakers and 31 local farmers, artisan food producers and innovators. More than 200 culinary students from Kapiolani Community College, Leeward Community College, Maui College, and Kauai Community College put in 23,000 hours working side-by-side with some of the most respected names in the industry.

As promised during the fall event, funds raised from a week of HFWF events will benefit culinary education in the islands, as well as organizations working toward long-term sustainability and agricultural integrity. The 2012 beneficiaries were: Hawai'i Agricultural Foundation ($80,000), Culinary Institute of the Pacific ($80,000), Leeward Community College Culinary ($30,000), Paepae o He'eia ($10,000), and Papahana Kuaola ($10,000).

Hawaii Food & Wine Festival co-founders and co-chairs Alan Wong, left, and Roy Yamaguchi, with executive director Denise Hayashi.

With all but $1 million left to be raised for the construction of the new Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Diamond Head, University of Hawaii Vice President of Community Colleges John Morton announced that the school system will put Phase I of construction of classes and labs out for bid in the next two to three week.

The great thing about the association with the culinary program is that students were tasked with coming up with pupu for the event, so guests could gauge the return on those dollars. The food was amazing, certainly equal to the best restaurants in the state and I could see and taste the improvement from just a few years ago, when a chop suey, throw everything in the pan mentality reigned. Our food may not "suck," as Scott Caan so eloquently put it, but could at times be viewed as muddled. I can see where students' direction is now more thoughtful and considered.

After speaking about HFWF, co-founder chef Roy Yamaguchi humbly introduced his co-conspirator and co-chair chef Alan Wong as, "The man who made it all happen," while Wong refused the honor, assuring that it was Roy who did all the work.

Wong reiterated the aim of the festival, which they saw as a way of putting the spotlight on Hawaii, bringing in international media to focus on farmers and "get people thinking and talking about Hawaii," and most importantly, to make the kind of sustainable decisions today so our grandchildren's children can also enjoy the pleasures we enjoy today.

Considering Hawaii's geography and relationship to the ocean and limited land, it would be crazy to ignore the specters of global warming and development. We can see the effects on fish stocks and easily predict a future in which fish is no longer edible and the consequences going up the food chain.

HFWF is continually working to ensure people keep thinking and talking about ways to preserve this culinary paradise. This year, the festival will add a stop on Maui to its calendar, timed to the tail end of Ka'anapali Fresh.

One of the problems of putting out such a beautiful display of greens is that no one wanted to disturb the arrangement.

Cheese and fruit spread.

Braised baby abalone on daikon with miso mustard sauce and micro greens. Loved it!

Spicy kim chee snapper springroll with edamame and wasabi puree, saute of Ho Farm tomato, Ewa sweet corn, sea asparagus and kochujang aioli.

Seared nori ahi on shiso noodles with Hamakua mushroom, crispy taro threads, kabayaki, hot mustard aioli and ginger scallion oil.

Someone took a humorous approach to dessert, serving up cheesecake over green tea cake, to the delight of a marzipan mouse. (more...)

Nadine Kam photos
Tea service at the Kahal Hotel & Resort Dec. 19 included assorted sweets and savories served with dragon pearl jasmine tea.

The Kahala Hotel & Resort hosted a holiday tea event Dec. 19 to introduce the newly remodeled Veranda lounge and adjoining grand terrace lanai.

It was a great reminder that the open-air lounge is a perfect setting for entertaining out-of-town family and friends who tend to arrive in search of warm weather (and your company, of course) this time of year.

You can spend a relaxing morning or afternoon strolling the property and visiting the dolphins, before settling in for afternoon tea, which runs from 2 to 5:30 p.m. daily.

A single pot of loose leaf Harney & Sons tea is $8 per person. Simple tea service of a Harney & Sons tea and four sweets and fresh-baked scones, or a plate of four sandwiches, is $17 per person.

Classic tea service, at $28 per person, features a plate of four sweet treats, four savory sandwiches, scones, clotted cream and preserves, and a choice of a Harney & Sons tea.

The Royal tea service is $42 per person, includes all of the classic menu, plus a glass of champagne with a strawberry.

If you want to extend your stay, The Veranda is open for pupu from 5:30 to 10 p.m., and cocktails from 2 p.m. to midnight.

The new menu includes such dishes as fall roasted vegetable tart ($8); roasted Bussels sprouts with shredded duck, caper anchovy vinaigrette ($10); grilled South Pacific shrimp  ($10/$14); red wine-braised lamb shank ($24); grilled prime flatiron steak ($22); harissa roast chicken  ($18); and more. Or, order off the Hoku's menu.

You can view all the menus online at www.kahalaresort.com/dining

Find out how your photo memories of The Kahala can win you a two-night stay at the resort at my other blog, Fashion Tribe.

There's still time to view the Kahala's 25-foot tall Noble fir.

A selection of traditional sandwiches at The Veranda's tea service. Clockwise from top left: smoked salmon on rye toast with parsley cream cheese; chicken salad with tarragon and grapes on toast; Hamakua Springs Farm mushroom turnover; ham and manchego cheese on multi-gram bread; and chicken tarragon and grape salad on endive.

Afternoon tea treats clockwise from 10 p.m. spot: lilikoi Madeline; chocolate-raspberry tart; brown sugar shortbread; Kona coffee ganache pave; profiterole with pistachio cream; yuzu macaron.

Nadine Kam photos
Treats from Kulu Kulu Cake include green tea tiramisu. custard brulee-filled "Diamond Head," cream roll cake and a chocolate brownie. The Diamond Head is also available with rum caramel filling.

Kulu Kulu Cake opens today, Oct. 25 at Shirokiya, with light Japanese pastries that are "not too sweet" and dainty, as described by baker Eiji Kondo in his remarks to media previewing the confection selection a day ahead.

The lightness of a green tea tiramisu ($4.65) might be compared to a Panya dessert.

Kondo appeared teary as he recalled how he used to be a programmer who loved to bake, and eventually quit his office job to follow his passion. It's now been 17 years since he made that decision and he's never regretted it, enjoying his role of making people happy.

As he described the concept behind the bakeshop, he said that in Japan, each town has its own beloved bake shop, and Kulu Kulu aims to reproduce the confections that Japanese living in Hawaii miss from home. It's the same as if we moved away and suddenly found a bakery in L.A. or Seattle, or Paris reproducing Liliha Bakery Coco Puffs or Leonard's malassadas!

It was noted that "kulu kulu" in Hawaiian translates as "to multiply," so their goal is to multiply the number of people happy with their cakes.

Kahu Keale blesses the staff and guests of Kulu Kulu Cake.

Baker Eiji Kondo and company president Yoji Ikeda.

Operations manager Shige Higashi welcomes guests.

Custard brulee is $3.15. A green tea version is $3.25.

More delights.

Multiple flavors of Aloha Busse, spongecake sandwiching creamy centers. I liked the blueberry cheesecake.

Sanrio photos
Free frozen yogurt will be served up courtesy of Yogurtland and Sanrio Aug. 21 at the Waikiki Yogurtland location.

Fans of Hello Kitty may want to drop by Yogurtland at the Pacific Beach Hotel, 2490 Kalakaua Ave. on Aug. 21.

Hello Kitty and Sanrio are wrapping up their cross-country “Summer Vacation” celebration launch with a party hosted by Hello Kitty and Badtz Maru from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Yogurtland Waikiki.

Guests dropping in that day will be treated to free frozen yogurt served in a specially designed Honolulu Yougurtland cup accompanied by a Badtz-Maru spoon.

Additional co-branded items will be available for purchase, including a Hello Kitty plush toy ($13.50) dressed in a Yogurtland uniform, along with key chains ($3.99 each), buttons, tote bags and coin purses showing Hello Kitty, Badtz-Maru, Little Twin Stars and TuxedoSam.

Spoons based on the Sanrio characters.

Rubber keychains available while supplies last.