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DENNIS ODA / doda@staradvertiser.com
Taylor Cambra-Tarr, left, met her culinary idols Chris Cosentino and Sang Yoon during a cooking demonstration Friday at the Hawai'i Convention Center. Taylor attended the event with classmates from Pearl City High School. Culinary students from seven public high schools attended the festival's four demos.
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Heating up a wok will nevermore be an ordinary experience for Pearl City High School Culinary II student Taylor Cambra-Tarr.
The 17-year-old senior was rapt as "Top Chef Masters" contender Sang Yoon explained how wok-cooking enhances fried rice at the "Rice Plus" demonstration Friday at the Hawai‘i Convention Center.
Taylor was among six Pearl City students of teacher Shawn Kimball in attendance; the school was among seven public high schools invited to the four instructive demos presented at this year’s Hawaii Food & Wine Festival.
Kimball said she received an invitation from festival organizers and selected students "who definitely want to become chefs." Each of the six is planning to attend culinary school after graduation.
Yoon shared the stage with friend and fellow chef Chris Cosentino of Incanto in San Francisco, who competed in "Next Iron Chef America." The duo cooked Black Fried Rice and Squid Ink Risotto as they discussed their culinary journeys and shared advice with their young audience.
"I watch it all, ‘Iron Chef’ and ‘Top Chef,’" Taylor said. "Seeing them in person is overwhelming."
Taylor, who cooks and bakes "all kinds of stuff," says she’s inspired to work with some of the techniques and ingredients she saw on stage, including squid ink.
"It had a different taste — I will try it," she said.
Not to mention the wok.
"I got one at home. I’m going to use it."
