Nadine Kam photos
Roy's Ko Olina executive chef Darryl Shinogi, right, and sous chef Randy Bangloy show their pipikaula-style Shinsato pork belly served in a cone over chirashi rice, with lomi Ho Farms tomatoes. Just one of the many dishes served up at The Hawaii Foodbank's "Great Chefs Fight Hunger" event.

The Hawaii Foodbank was host to "Great Chefs Fight Hunger," an event that brought together 33 restaurant and beverage companies, and hundreds of foodies to raise funds to feed the hungry.

The event took place March 23 at the Hawaii Foodbank Warehouse at 2611 Kilihau St., where guests got to see where the work of preventing more than 183,000 of Hawaii's population from going hungry continues throughout the year.

In addition to providing food for the event, 12 of the food and beverage purveyors, along with businesses and organizations including Bishop Museum, Hilo Hattie, Maui Divers Jewelry, Paul Brown Salon and Reyn Spooner, also donated culinary experiences during a silent auction that added to Hawaii Foodbank's coffers.

In addition volunteers were selling $15 keys (or 10 for $100) to unlock The Cellar Door, containing 60 fine wines contributed by Fujioka's Wine Times, JMD Beverages, Southern Wine and Spirits, and Young's Market Co.

Here's a look at some of the dishes presented during the event:

A closeup look at Darryl Shinogi's Shinsato pork belly.

We can usually expect a fish dish from Morimoto but a Korean-style pork belly lettuce wrap from Andy Reagan was a nice departure. With papaya and cabbage kim chee, apple mustard relish and fried gobo.

Gohan Da Hawaii Rice Guy greeted guests to the Hawaii Foodbank's Mapunapuna warehouse.

Hilton Hawaiian Village executive chef Jeffrey Vigilla always dresses up his booth.

With all the meat in evidence, Vigilla's offering was a refreshingly light furikake seared ahi taco with edamame hummus, pineapple Asian slaw and spicy chili pepper aioli. Very yum. And the lamp is an eco-friendly halved orange.

Guests swooned over Halekulani executive chef Vikram Garg's lobster bisque.

Independents like the Whole Ox and Pili Hawaii were right there with the big institutions. This is Whole Ox chef Robert McGee's bacon braunschweiger with whole grain aioli and house pickles.

Mark "Gooch" Noguchi of Pili Hawaii presented a soft egg with Ma'o greens, topped with pipikaula macadamia nut vinaigrette.

Pili Hawaii's display of whole mac nuts and the toasted ground nuts that went into the salad dressing.

Chef Rodney Uyehara of HASR Bistro with one of his fans, Kat Oshima.
Uyehara's contribution to the event, Harris Ranch Steak #11, over stroganoff egg noodles with brandy cream sauce. In this grab-and-go setting, he was trying to accommodate requests for doneness. Here, a perfect medium. (more...)

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
The holiday decorations are up at Kensei's home.

Christmas came early to guests of hairstylist, jewelry designer, stylist, and this particular evening, chef, Kensei.

The autumn-themed dinner, hosted by Kensei and Dale Young the day before Thanksgiving, was his way of saying thank you to Cathy Lee, Pam Campbell and Lesli Yano, who were involved with his recent "Art of Jewelry" fashion show.

For those shopping for holiday decorating ideas, this was the place to be. We were welcomed into his living room, already dressed in European Christmas garb, with a centerpiece of a tree filled with a handmade German glass ornaments. Even statues and cherubs were dressed with jewels for the occasion, and tabletop trees were dressed with brooches.

A while back, I had written about the intersection between art and the table, but Kensei brings the combination to the pinnacle of sophistication, with a mindful marriage of china, silverware and delectables being served. It's not every day you see a printed menu in which the food shares equal billing with the china!

In this milieu, you can't help but take the time to appreciate every visual and every scent, savoring every slow, luxurious bite, instead of simply gobbling food down.

Kensei said it's sad that many fine stores have reduced their china selections due to lack of interest. Few people have the time, inclination or talent to entertain this way anymore, but wouldn't it be wonderful if more would consider reinstating this practice, even if it means starting slowly with service for two?

Tabletops are dressed with angels, firs and other symbols of Christmas.

At Kensei's dining table, another holiday tree is set on an equally graphic, contrasting stone chessboard.

We could follow along the courses with a printed menu as guide, listing both food selections and dinnerware.

Amuse bouche of escargot-style stuffed mushroom served in a delicate English etched crystal bowl over Royal Copenhagen mini saucer.

Pumpkin mousse with caviar and pesto oil served in a Royal KPM bowl and cameo plate.

Kensei in his kitchen with his "Creation Sushi."

Plated on an etched crystal plate and Meissen dinner plate were sushi rice with ahi, hamachi and unagi over pumpkin bread.

Kensei-style "Furofuki Daikon" with miso and red ginger, presented in a Herend-covered compote and dinner plate. The compote was designed to be used as a butter dish.

A Czechoslovakian art glass compote and hand-painted Royal Worcester plate offered the royal blue backdrop for a crunchy salad of Japanese cucumber and roast beef.

There was texture and a gold-beaded quality to the paint on the beautiful Royal Worchester plate.

An intermezzo of homemade blackberry, blueberry and yuzu sorbe was served in a Baccarat crystal stemmed glass over a white- and strawberry-hued Meissen plate.

Japanese-style bouillabaisse of hamachi, delicate fishcake, shrimp and enoki, was served in 130-year-old Wajima covered lacquer compote and lacquer plate over a hand-painted Noritake plate.

The Noritake plate also had textured gold paint.

Dessert was Kensei's secret rum liqueur cake (available at Longs Drugs), served with mint ice cream and sliced kiwi in a Baccarat crystal compote over a Lamberton plate graced with circles of shamrocks.

Nadine Kam photos
Root fall vegetables (carrots, turnips, radish and winter squash) from Otsuji and MA'O Farms, prepared and plated by Prima, on earthenware by artist Steve Martin, was among the dishes served at the 3@the Table event at Fishcake.

How much more beautiful would your table and meal be if you were able to eat off works of art? That was the question proposed by architect Wendy Tsuji, the woman behind "3@the Table," which aims to bring together artist, farmer and chef. It's her hope that more restaurants, especially those in Waikiki, will pick up on the idea to enhance the visitor dining experience and promote more of Hawaii's talent.

We already know what can happen when farmers and chefs collaborate, and at an introductory event that took place Oct. 18 at Fishcake, an art and furnishings gallery, chef Peter Merriman said 3@the Table reminds him of the start of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement that began more than two decades ago, in which he was also involved.

Those who came of dining age after that time probably don't remember a time when chefs were held hostage to the handful of ingredients farmers knew how to grow. It took a group of about a dozen chefs to take their requests to farmers, suggesting produce they would like to introduce to their tables, which led to the explosion of flavors we have today.

He said that chefs believed people would pay more for locally sourced products, not just because they want to help support farmers, but also because the ingredients taste better, and people just may want to see art at the table because a beautiful visual aesthetic can also enhance a meal.

Artist Mary Mitsuda, left, with Wendy Tsuji, architect of 3@the Table.

This is something already seen at the Japanese table, most strongly at Nanzan Giro Giro on Piikoi St., a collaboration between a restaurant company and the artist Nanzan, who creates all the earthenware that provides the backdrop for the restaurant's seasonal and nature-inspired kaiseki. The artist  is rooted in the way of tea, rituals encompassing all of tea's history, philosophy and implements. The restaurant also houses a mini ceramic museum.

If diners are to become more mindful of what they are eating, this is one path. It is easy to get caught up in the flavors, intensity and beauty of a meal in a place like Nanzan Giro Giro, which encourages focus.

Honestly, at Fishcake, where the mood was celebratory, such focus was in short supply. It was hard to get people to stop socializing for a while and listen to what Tsuji was saying.

Toward that end,  3@the Table brought together three teams, each with a potter, a chef and a farmer, for a collaboration that mixes food with art. Daven Hee was paired with MA‘O Organic Farms and chef Ed Kenney of town, while ceramist Steve Martin teamed with Otsuji Farms and Prima. Big Island artist Clayton Amemiya teamed with Hirabara Farms and chef Peter Merriman. Also featured was work by artists Jered Nelson, Trent Burkett and Scott Parady.

Then the beauty of dishes prepared that night, and the scent of pork cooked up by Ed Kenney, encased in clay by Hee, was too irresistible to focus on the plates and platters beneath them. It's only when I got home and looked at the pictures I'd taken that I experienced that aha! moment.

Funds raised from ticket sales and ceramic sales will benefit Hawaii Potters' Guild's youth ceramics program at Palama Settlement, to help bring the concept to a new generation and the community.

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Fishcake is at 307c Kamani St. Call 808.593.1231.

Ed Kenney's kiln-fired Shinsato Farms pork, prepared with the help of ceramist Daven Hee, below, with the pork encased in clayware. The process wasn't easy, and also included a scary, stinky moment as you can read in a story by Joleen Oshiro that appeared in the paper.

More of Daven Hee's work for the table.

Grilled local octopus with lima beans and citrus, in ceramic-plated version above, and self-serve portion on aqua platter, below.

The same octopus dish served for mass consuption on an aqua platter evoking the ocean. (more...)

Nadine Kam photos
The Kahala executive chef Wayne Hirabayashi, left, with one of his interns from the Kapi 'olani Culinary Arts Program, general manager Roseann Grippo and Hoku's manager and event coordinator Dante Camara

Julia Child's 100th birthday is being marked by celebrations around the country in honor of the woman who awakened the first foodie stirrings in many an American housewife in the 1960s, by sharing her passion for French cooking in her debut cookbook, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking," written with Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle, and television programs including "The French Chef," which premiered in 1963. She opened the door to what was then the unfamiliar, paving the way for every generation of chefs to come.

The Kahala Hotel has devoted a month of menus in honor of Child and the glories of French cooking, highlighted by "A Tribute to Julia Child" James Beard Foundation benefit dinner Aug. 12; and the Aug. 18 "Kahala Food and Wine Festival: A Celebration of France"; and participation in the national Julia Child Restaurant Week ending Aug. 15, but that here will continue through the end of the month. During the Aug. 12 dinner, special guest Mitchell Davis, executive vice president of the James Beard Foundation in New York will share his personal anecdotes and reminisces about Julia Child.

The hotel hosted a media preview Aug. 7, with executive chef Wayne Hirabayashi cooking up Julia's boeuf bourguignon in the hotel's lobby, dressed to replicate Child's mid-20th century kitchen, from blue pegboard for her pots and pans, to hand-painted cabinetry and vintage appliances.

As nice as it would be to taste food as Julia cooked it, Hirabayashi said the recipes had to be adapted because, frankly, our tastes have evolved over 50 to 60 years and most of us would be unable to stomach the amounts of butter and cream she used in her recipes, not over several courses anyway. He marveled that she died two days shy of her 92nd birthday in 2004, living to old age in spite of those ingredients we've come to consider bad for us. We surmised it had a little to do with a combination of enjoying life and great meals accompanied by red wine.

Chef Hirabayashi's boeuf bourguignon.

An area of The Kahala's lobby has been redone to replicate the ambience of Julia's kitchen. General manager Roseann Grippo said many of the utensils and equipment came from her home, though her kitchen does not look like Julia's at all.

One of the countertops was set with a vintage Hamilton Beach milkshake mixer, circa 1940s and other mixers and kitchenware from the era.

The Kahala's pastry chef Michael Moorhouse's cake celebrating Julia will be done up in three rectangular tiers during the James Beard dinner Aug. 12.

Moorhouse had two close encounters with Julia Child. One was at the James Beard House where he was representing the Drake Hotel's Restaurant Lafeyette. He remembers she attended the dinner with her husband Paul and wore a Chanel suit. The second time, he was lucky enough to get her autograph.

In talking up the five-course dinner benefiting the James Beard Foundation from 5:30 to 10 p.m. Aug. 12 in the Maile Ballroom, general manager Roseann Grippo tempted us with promise of a "three-story" cake created by pastry chef Michael Moorhouse, but he clarified later that it will be a three-tier cake and he's experimenting with Julia's recipe for a Chocolate Marquise cake with orange buttercream between the layers, and fondant finished with a fleur-de-lis flourish.

But before dessert, guests will enjoy:

Hors d’Oeuvres:
>> Escargots and Shrimps a la Bourguignonne in Puff Pastry by chef Warren Uchida, Kapiolani Community College Culinary Program instructor.
>> Kona Crab Beignet, Local Mango Mustard and Sumida Farms Baby Watercress from chef Colin Hazama of the Sheraton Waikiki.
>> Smoked duck rillette, li hing cherries, gingered apricot gel, peppered almonds from chef Ryan Loo, returning home from the W Hotel Seattle for the event. He's also offering Five Mother Sauces served with appropriate sides.
>> Wines: Vine Cliff Vineyards Napa Valley

Amuse bouche:
Big Island Abalone Confit Poke, uni, morels, Waialua asparagus, Meyer lemon from chef Loo; paired with Armand de Brignac, Ace of Spades, Gold Brut NV.

Appetizer:
Homard Aux Aromates with Beurre d’Estragon and Citron (Butter poached Kona Maine Lobster with Beurre Blanc with Tarragon) Waipoli island greens and Champagne Vanilla Bean vinaigrette from chef Uchida; paired with Hartford Court, Russian River, Chardonnay, 2010

Demi main:
>> Slow-cooked Hawaii kampachi with lapsang souchong, lime pickle puree, kiawe white honey lavender buttermilk Ka’u orange and Ho Farms tomato marmalade from chef Hazama; paired with
Domaine Laroche, Petite Chablis, 2010.

Intermezzo:
Peach carpaccio with lemon-basil sorbet from Hirabayashi; paired with Foley, Steel, Chardonnay, 2009.

Main course:
Tournedos Rossini (beef filets) with foie gras, truffles and Madeira sauce, Molokai sweet potato balls sauteed in Plugra butter, buttered peas, Wailua asparagus, and braised Manoa lettuce by Hirabayashi; paired with Guigal, Crozes Hermitage, Syrah, 2007

Cheese:
Point Reyes blue cheese soufflé with date chutney and hazelnuts from Moorhouse; paired with Edmeades, Late Harvest Zinfandel, 2006.

Dessert:
Classic strawberry bioche birthday cake and strawberry sorbet by Moorhouse; paired with Schramsberg, Cremant Demi-Sec 2007

The cost is $325 per person. Call 739-8760.

The tribute will continues with the "Kahala Food and Wine Festival: A Celebration of France," open to the general public from 7 to 10 p.m. Aug. 18, at a cost of $100 general and $150 VIP entry an hour earlier, with advance reservations. General admission at the door will be $125.

During the event, 10 chefs will offer up their Paris-meets-Hawaii take on classic French dishes, such as chef Hardy Kintscher's (Michel's) escargot Hamakua mushroom papilotte and chef Kanani Lincoln's (Hale Aina Catering) honey-soy duck beast with celeriac puree, li-hing cherry demi glace and Shinsato pork papardelle with turned vegetables and fine herbs.

Other participants: Chai Chaowasaree (Chai's Island Bistro), Russell Siu (3660 on the Rise), Colin Nishida (Side Street Inn), Goran Streng (Tangö Contemporary Cafe), Kevin Hanney (12th Ave Grill and SALT), Ronnie Nasuti (Tiki's Bar & Grill), William Chen Beachhouse at the Moana Surfrider), and Jon Matsubara Azure).

For those who prefer being in the kitchen, Kahala's "Université Pattiserie–Better with Butter" will offer the ins and outs of French cooking, from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturdays at Hoku's. Classes coming up are:
Aug. 11: French desserts
Aug. 25: Braising and basting techniques.
Sessions will be followed by Tea in The Veranda lounge from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
The cost is $85 for adults (includes graduation certificate, apron and The Veranda Classic Tea experience). Call (739-8760 or e-mail restaurants@kahalaresort.com for reservations.

Check the www.kahalaresort.com for details on nightly "Parisian Pleasures" dinners at The Veranda, "Better With Butter" teas Aug. 25 and 26, the Hoku's Chef's Table: A Grand Experience offered Thursdays andSundays, "Bounty of the Seven Seas: The Regions of France buffets Friday and Saturday evenings at Plumeria Beach House, and more.

From Young’s Market Company of Hawaii, general manager Philana Bouvier and master sommelier Patrick Okubo were there to share wines, including the Chateau Lassegue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2006 accompanying the boeuf bourguignon.

Seared ahi niçoise with pumpkin and tomato.

A selection of macarons from Moorhouse had fillings of pistachio and apricot, lilikoi and chocolate yuzu.

Sitting atop the stove were Le Creuset French ovens.

Here's a link to all the events: