Tower to help launch Hawai‘i Food & Wine Fest

“We should know who changed the world. We should know their names” — Anthony Bourdain says this in his documentary about chef Jeremiah Tower, “The Last Magnificent.”

It’s difficult to find enough superlatives to talk about Tower, considered one of the pioneers of modern American cuisine for his groundbreaking years at Chez Panisse in Berekely, Calif., and Stars in San Francisco.

Tower will be in Honolulu in May for the kickoff event of the Hawaii Hawai‘i Food & Wine Festival, headlining a six-course dinner that will also feature top Hawaii chefs Alan Wong, Roy Yamaguchi, George Mavrothalassitis, Chris Kajioka and Michelle Karr-Ueoka.

The “California Dreamin’” dinner May 9 at the Kahala Hotel & Resort will include a live interview with Tower moderated by promoter Shep Gordon.

Tickets are $500, available at HFWF.me.

On May 11 launch events continue with “Heart & Soul,” also at the Kahala, a dinner featuring 10 Hawaii chefs. Tickets are $175.

The two-night launch marks the announcement of the lineup for the festival, which takes place Oct. 6-28 at venues on three islands.

MAKE THE MOST OF LEFTOVER MOCHI

For fans of the chewy and the gooey, one of the best holiday leftovers is mochi, the freshly pounded type that’s easy to get at New Year’s but scarce at other times of year.

Throw it in the freezer and you can enjoy it piece by piece through the year, or until you run out.

If you have a stash, here’s the easiest fix: Put a thawed piece on a plate, top with a dab of butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar. Microwave on high 30 seconds, or until the mochi melts into a pool of yum and the butter and sugar form a sauce.

Some people substitute kinako (roasted soybean flour) and sugar or shoyu and butter for the butter-sugar combination. Some do this in a frying pan, but that just creates a sticky pan to clean.

Easy fix No. 2: Cut the mochi into 1/2-inch slices, brush with melted butter and a half-half mixture of shoyu and sugar. Broil about 10 minutes (the toaster oven is good for this) until brown and crisp on top but still gooey inside. Yaki mochi, just like at the izakaya.

No mochi in your freezer? You can pull off both of these methods using kiri mochi, the hard, dry type sold vacuum-packed and shelf-stable. Many supermarkets carry these in the Asian-food aisle. Or go to a Korean grocery, where fresh rice cakes are available all the time. Palama Supermarket has them right up front.

Just don’t try this with filled mochi or chichi dango. It won’t work (I speak from experience).

— Betty Shimabukuro, Star-Advertiser

LET’S DO BRUNCH!

Help fund a scholarship for a culinary student and fill yourself up with brunch specialties at Leeward Community College’s annual Scholarship Brunch, Feb. 18 on campus.

From 7:30 to 11:30 a.m., food-service students from Campbell, Kapolei, Leilehua, Mililani, Moanalua, Pearl City, Waianae and Waipahu high schools will keep the warming trays stocked.

Just a sampling from the menu: fried chicken, corned beef hash, meatloaf, blueberry pancakes and made-to-order omelets.

Cost is $18 presale, $22 at the door. Call 455-0298.

The event has funded more than $75,000 in scholarships.