Cravings: Holiday icons take shape in pasta; Kolten Wong’s plate lunch makes its debut

Dried pasta from Pastabilities takes the shape of such popular Christmas icons as reindeer, snowmen and gingerbread houses to bring some holiday whimsy to even a simple bowl of soup or salad. Tagged “pasta with personality,” it’s not something most cooks would buy for everyday meals, so this would make a practical stocking stuffer.

What could be cuter than little gingerbread men and houses bathing in some chicken or Portuguese bean soup? Or how about a festive pasta salad of snowmen and snowflakes gently tossed with red cherry tomatoes, green peas or onions, and accented with a snowfall of feta cheese crumbles?

The trick is to use the pasta in dishes that don’t require heavy sauces that would smother their shapes, or that require a lot of mixing, which would break the pasta. Cooking instructions and recipes come on the package.

Or you could use the pieces in a necklace, or some other macaroni art project. The possibilities— or Pastabilities— are endless, and the pasta is available in myriad playful shapes to celebrate different occasions all year.

The pasta sells for $7 for a 14-ounce bag at Compleat Kitchen, Kahala Mall; call 737-5827.

———

Pat Gee, Star-Advertiser

A golden opportunity to grind

Kolten Wong’s Gold Glove Plate makes its debut Saturday, and the St. Louis Cardinals second baseman from Hilo and the University of Hawaii will be on hand at Young’s Fish Market locations in Kalihi (2 to 4 p.m.) and Kapolei (6 to 8 p.m.)

Fans can meet Wong — winner of the 2019 Gold Glove Award as best defensive player at his position in the National League — and pick up the plate lunch of his local favorites, including pork laulau, char siu, chicken long rice, brown rice and spicy poke.

With each $15.50 plate sold through 2020, $1 will be donated to Make-A-Wish Hawaii.

“We’re excited to do this with Kolten and Make-A-Wish, which does a lot for kids in Hawaii,” restaurant owner Daniel Young said.

———

Dave Reardon, Star-Advertiser