Okinawan sake is focus of event

Partake of all things awamori at the Tamagusuku Ryu Senjukai Hawaii fundraiser on Dec. 16 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Bishop Museum’s Atherton Hall.

The event on behalf of the Okinawan dance school will feature various types of the Okinawan sake and food made with awamori.

Tickets are $50 pre-sale and $60 at the door. Call Randy Kuba at 780-3440.

Sample wine and champagne

A couple of venues are offering wine tastings:

» Brasserie Du Vin presents a celebration of champagnes and sparkling wines on Dec. 16.

The lineup features nine champagnes and six sparkling wines.

Tasting starts at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $50; reservations required. Call 545-1115.

» Vino’s in Restaurant Row will feature two tastings. Both start at 6 p.m. and cost $42. Call 533-4476.

Dec. 16: Revisit 2004 Napa Valley Cabernet wines Barnett "Spring Mountain," Piedra Hill "Purple Label," Behrens & Hitchcock "July 14th" and Cloud View Proprietary Red.

Dec. 29: Sample artisan, handcrafted champagnes made by growers who own their vineyards, grow their own grapes and make their own wine. They include Aubry Brut, Chartogne-Taillet Brut "Sainte Anne," Coquillette Blanc de Noirs and Camilles Seves Brut Rose.

Chefs hosting free workshops

Award-winning chefs from the American Culinary Federation will host free demonstrations tomorrow and Friday at Kapiolani Community College:

» 11 a.m. to noon tomorrow: Rene Marquis, Stafford DeCambra and John Hui will show what it takes to plan and prepare winning culinary competition dishes at the Ohia building.

» 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday: A public culinary salon and exposition in the Ka Ikena Dining Room includes a student competition focused on cold food platters, patisserie and confiserie showpieces.

Call 734-9484. 

Kailua team offers imu space

The Kailua High School boys baseball program will spend a weekend tending an imu and is offering space inside for trays of food.

Food goes into the underground oven on Dec. 29, emerging the next morning steamed full of luau flavor. Cost is $15 per large aluminum tray.

Food — such as whole turkeys, roasts or pork butt (meat chunks should have three deep cuts in them), sweet potatoes, taro or luau leaves — must well wrapped in foil. Place in pan and wrap again in foil. Weight limit per tray is 25 pounds.

Deadline is Dec. 22; space is limited to the first 350 orders. Make checks payable to Kailua High School and send to the school, 451 Ulumanu Drive, Kailua 96734. Write "Attention: Baseball IMU" in lower left corner of the envelope. Include your name, telephone number and a self-addressed, stamped envelope so a confirmation ticket can be sent to you. To be included in an e-mail list for future imu, provide an e-mail address as well.

Call 306-3186 or 728-7389.