The 1,000 pounds of Maui onions that went into Hula Grill’s onion rings were just the start for Maui Onion Festival 2012, which took place over the weekend at Whalers Village.

Many more pounds of the sweet Kula onions went into soups, appetizers, entrees and desserts during the event that opened with a Maui onion and Maui Brewing Co. beer-pairing dinner May 4 at Hula Grill. That event kicked off with a pretzel and Maui onion mustard and ended with Maui onion cheesecake.

Due to the versatility of the onion, chef David Paul Johnson, a three-time winner of the Maui Onion Recipe Contest who vied with six other chefs for the trophy this year, said there’s no limit to what can be done.

"The competition gets better and better each year and chefs are always competitive — in a good way. I’m always looking at what they’re doing," said the chef, whose mantra for the day was "onion, onion, onion."

Most of the events took place Saturday, where the hungry lined up for crisp onion rings from Hula Grill, watched cooking demonstrations and took in dining competitions that included a Cinco de Mayo mixed cocktail and margarita contest and the 23rd Maui Onion Recipe Contest, open to Maui and Oahu chefs.

When it was over, chef Jojo Vasquez of The Banyan Tree at the Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua was the winner of the recipe contest for his sublime take on liver and onions, with an onion chawanmushi-style dish topped with foie gras and served in an eggshell.

And chef Wesley Holder of Pulehu, an Italian grill at The Westin Ka‘anapali Ocean Resort Villas, was the winner of the Maui Onion Challenge for his Maui Onion Tortellini En Brodo, a broth rich with onion flavor, and housemade ricotta.

Other winners were:

» Mixed Cocktail Contest: Sean King, bar manager, Cane and Taro

» Keiki Maui Onion Eating Contest: Dante Gramuglia

» Adult Maui Onion Eating Contest: Darrell Ghormley Jr.

For Vasquez’s recipe and chef Joey Macadangdang’s (Roy’s Kaanapali) dish of lemongrass chicken bao, visit takeabite.staradvertiserblogs.com.