Some of Hawaii’s top chefs gathered at Chef Zone on Monday for the launch of the 2016 “Localicious Hawaii” campaign.
Chefs Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong and Vikram Garg cooked up dishes highlighting locally sourced ingredients that are the stars of the Localicious agriculture and restaurant partnership.
For a month beginning March 1, participating restaurants will donate $1 for every Localicious dish ordered from their menus to the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation’s Veggie U program supporting agricultural education. This year, 148 restaurants statewide are participating, and 113 public schools have received garden kits.
Find a roster of participating restaurants at localicioushawaii.com. For photos and details, visit takeabite.staradvertiserblogs.com.
Obama challenge seeks kids’ recipes
First lady Michelle Obama’s fifth annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ State Dinner returns in a continued effort to raise awareness about healthy cooking and eating. The program invites children ages 8-12 to submit recipes for healthy, affordable and tasty dishes.
One winner from each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands will be invited to attend the Kids’ State Dinner at the White House, where a selection of winning recipes will be served.
To enter, go to pbs.org/lunchtimechallenge. Deadline is April 4.
Teens, chefs team up in fundraiser
High-school culinary students will share the spotlight with professional chefs at Malama Learning Center’s Calabash & Cooks, an annual fundraiser set for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 12.
About 36 students from Campbell, Kapolei, Moanalua, Radford, Waianae and Waipahu high schools will prepare dishes at the event, to be served alongside fare from Roy’s Ko Olina and Firehouse.
Advance tickets are $40, $25 students, $20 children ages 10 and under, and $75 VIP; visit malamalearningcenter.org. Tickets at the door are $50.
Golf charity tournament returns
The annual Hawaii Culinary Education Foundation Charity Golf Tournament returns with a buffet lunch, noon shotgun start and awards ceremony April 11 at the Kapolei Golf Course.
Participants will enjoy cuisine from Alan Wong’s, BLT, Roy’s Ko Olina, Side Street Inn on da Strip, Murphy’s Bar & Grill and Tiki’s Grill & Bar.
Cost for a team is $1,400. For those interested in just the food, $50 gets you into the banquet. Call 941-9088 or visit hawaiiculinaryfoundation.org.
Check out the Star-Advertiser food blogs
>> ‘Take a Bite’
A larb sticky rice burger was the main attraction at a pop-up hosted by Wang Chung’s owner Danny Chang, who invited Ashley Thaira to serve a Lao-themed family dinner at his Waikiki bar. The gluten-free burger is a feature of Thaira’s Homestyle Meals booth at the Mahiku Farmers Market Wednesdays at Iroquis Point. —takeabite.staradvertiserblogs.com
>> ‘Chew on This’
Petersons’ Upland Farm’s Egg Room is well worth the trip to Wahiawa, where the longtime egg-farming Peterson family sells flats of brown and white eggs in various sizes. Prices change depending on supply, but they’re always astoundingly affordable. On Saturday, one flat of size large (30 eggs) was $10! The farm is at 141 Dole Road; 621-6619. —chewonthis.staradvertiserblogs.com
