Beef tasting just an intro to Wong's aims

Nadine Kam photos
In advance of his next Farmer Series Dinner March 14, Alan Wong hosted a preview of some of the dishes on the menu, and when I requested to go into the kitchen, he was in the process of preparing glazed carrots and turnips.

Alan Wong started a media preview of his next Farmer Series Dinner, taking place March 14, 2012, with the presentation of two equal size beef patties, posing the question, "Which do you like better?"

The beef had been cooked sans salt, pepper or other enhancements for the side-by-side tasting.

Taste comes down to personal preferences, physiology and often, familiarity, so there is no right or wrong answer, but he must have been glad that most of the room preferred the patty on the right, which turned out to be Maui Cattle Co. beef that will be the centerpiece of his Farmer Series dinner, which will also start with side-by-side tastings, followed by appetizers, sous chef Shaun Gaines' "Shrimp and Grits," opakapaka, a tasting of Maui Cattle Co. beef and Hanaoka Farms Lilikoi "Creameux" for dessert, the latter two dishes pictured below.

The other tasting option at the March 7 preview was generic supermarket beef that tasted like fast-food beef. The Maui beef was much sweeter, with better texture, and more interesting grassy, herbal character. The cattle is raised on a vegetarian diet of grasses, and according to Wong, pineapple and molasses, and no antibiotics, growth stimulants or other chemicals.

Wong's simple question of which beef patty one prefers raises all kinds of sustainable and economic issues.

Beyond raising awareness of the flavor profile of different beef, Wong talked about some of his pet projects, such as Aina in Schools, which addresses childhood health issues, nutrition education, agricultural literacy and garden-based learning.

"Things are disappearing in Hawaii," he said. Where once island farms satisfied 70 percent of our dairy needs, that number is down to 30 percent. Bees are disappearing as well.

Maui Cattle Co. beef will be presented four ways at the dinner. In front, braised shortribs with pomme purée of Twin Bridge Farms Patina Potatoes, with red wine glaze made from Wong's merlot. Moving clockwise, there will also be London broil with glazed Maui onions and port wine sauce, ribeye with roasted Ho Farms tomato cluster, and New York strip with glazed turnips from Otsuji Farms and arugula tapenade. The latter was my favorite.

Oceans are also being depleted and he's pushing to encourage people to do aquaponics "to supplement what get from the ocean."

"It's much more than 'which hamburger you like?' he said. "It's getting down to schools, helping kids learn to eat more healthy."

In turn, the children get to taste and appreciate differences between fresh and processed foods, learn to choose healthful foods over sugary snacks, and with the increased food literacy are helping to drive their parents' decisions in the supermarket.

Proceeds from the Farmers Series dinner will benefit Taste of the Nation, the fundraising arm of the national organization Share Our Strength, whose campaign, "No Kid Hungry" aims to end childhood hunger in America by 2015. To date, one out of every four children in the country does not know where his/her next meal will come from, and studies have shown that undernourished children are unable to focus in school and grow up to suffer emotional and health problems.

Among the local beneficiaries are 'Aina in the Schools, a program of the Kokua Foundation, and Hawaii Foodbank.

Polly Kauahi, director of Hawaii Foodbank, Inc., was there to talk about the Food 4 Keiki Backpack Program which launched in 2008 at Kaiulani Elementary School. The program aims to fight childhood hunger, starting by distributing bags packed with nutritious foods once a month to students from low-income families. Since then, the program is delivering the meals every Friday.

The cost of the Farmers Series dinner is $80 per person/$110 with wine. For reservations, call 949-2526.

Also coming up, Wong and 15 local chefs will partner with local farmers in Share Our Strength's Taste of the Nation Hawaii, taking place April 29, 2012, at Bishop Museum, from 6 to 9 p.m., with a VIP hour from 5 p.m. Visit www.alanwongs.com for more details about these and other events.

Carrots need space in the pan to achieve an even, glossy sheen.

Chef de Partie Sonny Acosta Jr., will be the featured chef during Alan Wong's Next Generation Dinner taking place March 28, 2012. Among the highlights of this dinner will be his "Poulet au Vinaigre," which he prepared at the 2012 Bocuse d'Or USA Commis Competition at The Culinary Institute of America on Jan. 28. The chefs were invited to reinterpret Paul Bocuse's classic recipe in their style.

Drawing on his Filipino heritage, and growing up with the food of Thelma's in Waipahu, Acosta presented adobo style chicken three ways, including lumpia with ground chicken. It was delicious, could that be because I grew up in Waipahu, too?

After all the meat selections, pastry chef Michelle Karr-Ueoka's dessert was a light, refreshing delight. Her Hanaoka Farms Lilikoi "Creameux" comprised lilikoi curd, foam guava granite and foam coconut granite aerated in a canister to create a soft sponge effect, topped with white candied ginger meringue. That square toward far left comprises mango lassi, muddled mango, mango gelee and fresh mango. Amazing! The meal ended with amazake, a traditional unfiltered sake reinterpreted with Hanaoka Farms lilikoi juice, presented by wine director Mark Shishido.

Wong with new sous chef Shaun Gaines.

Celebrating 'Made in America' Hawaii-style

Nadine Kam photos
Among chefs participating in the "Made in America 2" chef's dinner March 3 were, from left, Nancy Silverton, Josiah Citrin, Ludo Lefebvre and The Four Seasons Resort chef de cuisine Nick Mastrascusa.

Some of Los Angeles' top chefs were in the house at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai for "Made in America 2," five days of cooking classes, a farm tour, a fishing trip and sumptuous meals that took place March 1 through 5.

I was able to fly over to the Big Island for the chef's dinner March 3 at the Beach Tree restaurant, bringing together the talents of Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza, Pizzeria Mozza, La Brea Bakery), Matt Molina (executive chef of Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza), Ludo and Krissy Lefebvre (LudoBites) and Josiah Citrin (Mélisse, Lemon Moon Café).

Each of the chefs is featured in Lucy Lean's cookbook, "Made in America: Our Best Chefs Reinvent Comfort Food," published last fall, which showcases America's classic comfort food dishes as reinvented by 100 of today's top chefs from across the nation. Recipes by the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai executive chef James Babian and pastry chef Linda Rodriguez appeared in the cookbook, so the resort invited Lean back for "Made in America" celebration once the book was published. "MIA2" revisited the work, this time with more of Lean's chef friends to keep her company.

Considering the star power, I thought the various dinners were very reasonably priced at $69 to $99 per person with wine pairings by Master Sommelier Chuck Furuya.

Josiah Citrin had another reason to be in Hawaii, checking in on his new burger shack, Sure Thing Burger, in Lahaina. He's trying to get me to go over and try it, which is tempting, given that it's getting mostly 5-star ratings on Yelp, mostly from out-of-towners who have no clue as to the star power behind it.

He says he'll be on Oahu in September, for Roy Yamaguchi and Alan Wong's Hawaii Food and Wine Festival, an event that is more than doubling its size in its second year, to 50 chefs! Can't wait for that!

Lucy Lean's "Made in America: Our Best Chefs Reinvent Comfort Food" cookbook inspired the culinary gathering.

Lean's book, rendered in white chocolate.

As nice as it would be to have such a gathering on Oahu, the setting was fabulous and the intimacy allowed for great exchange between chefs and foodie fans.

The resort strives to be a culinary destination, and one fan, Greg Hartman of San Francisco, shared his love of the resort, saying that just a few years ago, it was "hollow."

Things changed, he said, with the opening of the Beach Tree on manager Chuck Wilson's birthday in August of 2009. "It transformed the whole resort," Hartman said.

Chef de cuisine Nick Mastrascusa describes the Beach Tree as the piko of the property, the gathering place where people congregate to relax and enjoy the beautiful sunsets.

Formerly with the Four Seasons New York, Mastrascusa arrived at the same time as Wilson, and when he left New York, his peers teased, "What are you going to be doing there? Opening coconuts and serving food in them? Serving them with pineapple?

Far from it. The food certainly gives area farmers and ranchers their due, utilizing 75 percent local ingredients, but without a ticky-tacky tourist dish in sight.

Nick Mastrascusa grates cheese over the Garganelli with Ragu Bolognese cooked up on the spot by Nancy Silverton and Matt Molina.

Citrin offers Lefebvre a taste of one of his creations.

On the table: HIFF Oscar Night America 2012 at Halekulani

Nadine Kam photos
The finale of the HIFF Oscar Night America 2012 dinner was a mignardise platter complete with caramel popcorn and white chocolate event "tickets."

Inspired by the Best Picture nominees, Halekulani executive chef Vikram Garg created a menu as dazzling on the eye as the palate for HIFF's Oscar Night America 2012 viewing party Feb. 26.

Being in the Halekulani Ballroom and watching the ceremonies on a big screen with amplified sound, made it feel as if you were in the room with the nominees.

Food also figured in the silent auction to benefit HIFF programs. When I saw the logo for Bob Chinn's restaurant, I thought I had missed something and that he had somehow opened in Hawaii, but it was actually for a couple of gift certificates to have one of his seafood dinners for four— including gumbo and four kinds of crab—shipped to Hawaii from his Chicago restaurant.

Although "The Artist" took home the Academy Award that night, it was the gleaming "Moneyball" dessert creation had guests buzzing at the end of the evening, over the sugary orb that encased a square of espresso praline crisp topped with dehydrated chocolate mousse.

Halekulani red carpet: Best dressed and a wardrobe malfunction

"The Artist": A canvas of green pea gelee with lobster, citrus and bouquet of herbs and edible flowers.

"Tree of Life": A tableau of roasted cauliflower, dotted with raisins, pine nuts and onion seeds.

"The Descendants": Kauai shrimp sitting on a cake of smoked pork belly in a pool of tomato honey sauce.

"Midnight in Paris": Steak frites with Café de Paris butter.

The frites were passed around, and there wasn't much left by the time I got the basket.

"The Moneyball": The sugar orb was cracked open to reveal its content of espresso praline crisp topped with dehydrated chocolate mousse.

These days, an extra place at the table is necessary for cell phones.

Guests who weren't munching on candy popcorn in between courses could take home their bags for their next film viewing.

One Strong Ohana tweetup at P.F. Chang

Nadine Kam photos
Nate J. Richards, Vice President, Marketing & Communications for the Joyful Heart Foundation, and Joanna Colangelo, Manager of Foundation & Corporate Relations, stand behind One Strong Ohana.

The Hawai‘i Children’s Trust Fund has partnered with the Joyful Heart Foundation to launch a statewide public awareness campaign called “One Strong ‘Ohana,” to promote the idea that the prevention of child abuse and neglect is a community responsibility.

A tweetup launch that took place Jan. 19 at P.F. Chang's Hokua restaurant proved timely, two days after a Kamuela man was charged with manslaughter in the death of 3-year-old Marley Makanani.

Speaking to Joyful Heart CEO Maile Zambuto before the event began, she noted a "blame the family" stream of public response to the killing, but she said there needs to be more community responsibility because every time a child is killed or abused, she said, some of the warning signs are evident to all who see the child. A study commissioned by the foundation found, among other things, that in Hawaii, the perpetrators are more likely than those on the mainland to be related to the victims, and that there are cultural barriers to reporting such abuse, that must be overcome.

“The campaign theme of ‘One Strong ‘Ohana’ was born out of the deep-rooted belief we all share here in Hawai‘i—that we are all part of one ‘ohana,” said Aileen Deese, Chairperson of the Hawai‘i Children’s Trust Fund Advisory Committee and Program Director of Prevent Child Abuse Hawaii, in a press release. “Through this campaign, we hope to increase awareness that there are simple ways to reach out and be there for a family, such as bringing a meal or offering child care.”

The weighty tone of the informative event was tempered by selections from P.F. Chang's well-rounded pupu menu, including seared ahi sashimi with spicy mustard sauce.

"The results of this research clearly demonstrated a critical need for increased public education about the prevalence and signs of child abuse and neglect as well as how bystanders can intervene to help keep children safe,” Zambuto said.

Among the study's findings, released last summer:
* Nearly 40 percent of residents know a victim of child abuse.
*64 percent of residents say it is difficult to identify the signs of abuse.
*27 percent of residents said they were reluctant to report suspected abuse or neglect
because it was “none of their business.” And the majority of residents would rather talk to a colleague, friend or family member about suspected abuse than appropriate authorities.

In addition to physical and mental abuse, The Federal Child Abuse Preveention and Treatment Act defines child abuse as "an act or failure to act that presents an imminent risk of serious harm," which means all those who fail to report are participating in abuse.

Among the One Strong 'Ohana business partners are Whole Foods Market, Fun Factory and Jamba Juice Hawaii. From now until March 12, 2012, Jamba Juice Hawaii will donate 25 cents, up to $10,000, from the purchase of each Fit ‘n Fruitful smoothie to the Hawai‘i Children’s Trust Fund’s One Strong ‘Ohana campaign.

Spring rolls. They are $2 each on the pau hana menu, offered from 3 to 6 p.m. daily and during new late-night pau hana hours from 9:30 p.m. to closing Fridays and Saturdays.

In an emotional moment WFM's Natalie Aczon, in speaking about Whole Foods willingness to get involved, volunteered the information that she was a victim of domestic violence that began shortly after her seven-year marriage. It took her that long to extricate herself from the situation, and I see her as a very strong woman.

Until that moment, she told me later, she had never spoken about it, and had never intended to say anything out of shame that all victims of abuse feel. But she said she believes the time is right, and that more people speaking up will diminish the power of would-be abusers.

She made it a point to speak to her sons about what they had seen while they were growing up so that they would not grow up to be abusers, but she said, "They didn't remember it, they had blocked it from their minds."

I believe that they willed themselves to forget, because children's memories can be uncanny. I can still remember my infancy and what the plastic liner of my crib felt like, as well as the feeling of being behind bars and seeing the three big heads of my teen cousins peering at me. I had no vocabulary then, but my thought was, "Why are they looking at me?" with a conflicted mixture of happiness and annoyance.

"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" actress Mariska Hargitay founded Joyful Heart Foundation on the Big Island in 2004 with the intention of helping survivors heal and reclaim their lives. Today, the organization's mission is to heal, educate and empower survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. For more information, visit www.joyfulheartfoundation.org.

My interview with Hargitay from 2010: http://www.staradvertiser.com/features/20100905_hargitay_comes_to_the_rescue.html

Hargitay may be in town later this year for a benefit event like this one from 2010: http://blogs.starbulletin.com/fashiontribe/joyful-hearts-abound/

More from P.F. Chang's pupu menu:

Chang's ahi poke.

Dynamite shrimp with spicy sauce.

Sony Open, mmm-mmm good!

Nadine Kam photos
Ahi poke with taro chips and Maui potato chips served in the Halekulani/Waikiki Parc skybox at the Sony Open.

I'm not a golfer, I don't like the sun, so I could never fathom why people kept trying to get me to stop by the Sony Open.

It took a while for them to convince me that for some, it's as much about the food and drink as the links. It's golf's version of football's tailgate parties, except at the Sony Open, vendors do all the cooking.

If you're lucky enough to be invited into one of the skyboxes, you can nosh the afternoon the way, and at the Kahala Hotel & Resort's skybox, one guest kept his wife plied with full plates of nigiri sushi and handrolls courtesy Superb Sushi.

"I know what you're trying to do," she scolded. "You're trying not to buy me dinner."

It was about 2:30 p.m.

Over at the Halekulani/Waikiki Parc skybox, there was a full menu ranging from Caesar salad and kung pao chicken lettuce cups, to kalua pork and carved huli chicken sandwiches, plus assorted desserts. Along with the food, there was sake from Nobu, Halekulani designer wines, Parc Chic zinfandel and viognier, and specialty teas.

Outside the skyboxes, there was plenty more to keep spectators happy, with stations manned by Blue Water Shrimp, Korean Fresh Grill, Hula Shrimp, Hawaiian Roasted Corn, SOUL Patrol, Cooking Fresh for You and Shiga'licious for those who needed to cool off with shave ice.

The Sony Open is one of the few occasions where I can be content to sit in the sun all afternoon!

Huli chicken that went into the carved huli chicken sandwich in the Halekulani/Waikiki Parc skybox.

Teriyaki beef sticks were a popular offering.

Shrimp served with cocktail sauce below.

Instead of serving ourselves, we were handed the day's menu at the Halekulani/Waikiki Parc skybox to check off the morsels we wanted, here, the carved huli sandwich, kalua pork sandwich with hoisin sauce, beef sticks and shrimp cocktail. It resulted in more attractive plating than if guests were left to their own devices

At the Kahala Hotel & Resort skybox, Cindi Rosete of Makena Resort and the Hotels & Resorts of Halekulani collects a handroll from Manny Nakasenh of Superb Sushi.

In the Kahala Hotel & Resort's skybox, these were the markers for disappeared tea sanwiches. I got to try the chicken salad with tarragon on endive.

Fried chicken in the Kahala Hotel skybox.

First meals

Nadine Kam photos
First meal of the New Year, Navitas Naturals chewy raw cashews.

When making up lists of symbolic meals, I've often seen people struggle to come up with the perfect last meal.

Not much is made of the first meals of the new year because they are typically preordained by tradition, whether one's culture calls for ozoni, mochi, ahi, jai or candied fruit, whether to bind families together or bring sweetness, longevity and fortune into one's life.

New Year tradition in my family is tied to the Lunar New Year, which begins Jan. 23, so Jan. 1 tends to be more of a culinary free-for-all that's not weighted in any kind of tradition or superstition.

So, what was on the menu? After waking up too late to head to Mariposa as planned, my afternoon started with a fistful of Navitas Naturals raw, kosher, gluten-free, vegan and 100 percent organic cashews.

To balance the healthy goodness, lunch/dinner was a decadent one-third pound Kua 'Aina ortega burger with avocado.

It was totally random, and I'm not saying a colossal burger is a good thing, but I like the word "balance" for 2012 and hope to make more healthier choices in the new year. My personal choices are not something that's necessarily reflected in my restaurant columns, which, as a mirror of our times, relays what is happening in local dining rooms at this particular point. But wouldn't it be nice if more restaurateurs thought like personal trainers, creating meals to optimize the functions of the human body?

Second meal of 2012: Kua 'Aina ortega burger with avocado.

'Chef Hunter' focuses on Merriman's tonight

Food Network photos
Carrie McCully brings restaurateurs and executive chef candidates together on The Food Network's "Chef Hunter."

Attaining executive chef status is a grueling process in itself, made even tougher when cameras are involved. That's the challenge of Food Network's new series "Chef Hunter," which shows what happens when out-of-work chefs head to Kauai, intent on landing an executive chef job with Peter Merriman.

The episode will air at 11 p.m. today, with chefs put to the ultimate test of culinary skill, business acumen and tenacity required to be an executive chef. Beyond the basics of creating a couple of dishes for Merriman to sample, the chefs are given full run of the restaurant for one night and tasked with creating their own menu and serving a packed house of the restaurant’s best customers.

It's not just made-for-television stuff because of the show's real-life implications, according to Carrie McCully, a New York- and L.A.-based professional culinary recruiter, who takes her work very seriously.

In a phone interview earlier today, she said, job seeking on the show "is absolutely harder because they have cameras all around and they're under a tremendous amount of stress. They're literally going in and creating a menu, sourcing all the products, working with a team they never met before, and serving local patrons of the restaurant. It's much harder than the average interview.

"I've never had one chef who didn't say that it was the toughest interview they'd had in their life, and it's been a career changer. Once they experience it, everything else always seems like a piece of cake."

It marks a big commitment to the hosting restaurant as well, who entrusts the chefs with the premises, all its equipment, and its clientele. Though throughout the process, McCully said she and Merriman, one of the architects of the Hawaii Regional Cuisine movement, were right there to observe the chefs' working methods.

"It's important for him to create the right team because he's often on the road, and has to know this person is capable, so he's watching every movement the chefs are making," McCully said, while adding, "Peter is such a professional. He's had so much experience and has a terrific sense of humor, so it's really hard to ruffle his feathers. There were a lot of laughs (over the chef's blunders), like that's happened before."