Gingerbread village has Maui spot

Students of the Maui Culinary Academy have created a gingerbread village currently on display at the Westin Ka’anapali Ocean Resort Villas through Jan. 3.

Complete with a church, barns, elf houses, a country store and resort villa condos, the picturesque setting was crafted and designed by seven students under the tutelage of the academy’s pastry chef Teresa Shurilla.

Call 667-3200.

Curry competition

Calling all cooks: Put your best recipe to the test at the Great Kahuku Curry Cook-Off at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at Kahuku Public & School Library. Whip up a pot for judges to sample and share your recipe with others. The library is located on the Kahuku High and Intermediate School campus at 56-490 Kamehameha Highway. Call 293-8935 to register. (The library usually closes at 3 p.m. but will stay open for the cook-off.)

Big Isle to host Celebrity Chef Tour

The national Celebrity Chef Tour comes to Hawaii for a special food and wine weekend Jan. 21 and 22 at the Big Island’s Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows.

Guests Michael Symon and Jonathan Waxman will collaborate with the hotel’s executive chef, Sandy Tuason, visiting island farms to handpick the best seasonal ingredients for what is being called a "rustic" menu featuring thoughtful farm-to-table cuisine.

Symon and Waxman are well known for their participation on the Food Network and Bravo cable channels, specifically the "Iron Chef America" and "Top Chef Masters" programs, respectively. The tour is a nationwide series helping raise money for the James Beard Foundation.

Cost is $300 per person, all inclusive for both nights, and $250 for the Jan. 22 chef dinner only.

Call (800) 367-2323 or visit www.maunalani.com.