Quick Bites
Mochi traditional for Girls' Day

Saturday is Hina Matsuri, or Girls’ Day, a day for celebrating the sweetness and femininity of young girls. Hishi mochi, a diamond-shaped rice cake of three colors, is the special food of the day: Pink represents red for the flowers of spring, or energy; green is for the freshness of summer, or fertility; and white represents the snow of winter, or purity. Its shape represents a medicinal leaf thought to give long life to the eater.

While hishi mochi is traditional, many Island families will also serve chi chi dango, the sweeter, soft rectangular-shaped mochi that is similarly colored for the day.

Condiment company closing

For the past three years, Kelly Heldt has been pursuing his dream of creating specialty food products with the bounty of the islands under the Ko‘olau Condiments label. Lychee pepper jelly, guava hibiscus jam, papaya pineapple conserve and blackened fish spice were among the seven products Heldt made in small batches and distributed to specialty food retailers. "It was an excursion from the restaurant business," said Heldt, who is also a private chef and caterer.

Heldt has announced that he is suspending production, citing distribution challenges. While Heldt had the support of many stores on O‘ahu and interest from Mainland buyers, "the cost of shipping to the Mainland is a big issue." Ko‘olau Condiments are still available in some stores but, once current stock of his products is depleted, the line will be gone.

Renaissance gets new executive chef

Chip Hawkins has been appointed executive chef of the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel. Hawkins, a native of Seattle, was most recently executive chef at the Founders Inn in Virginia Beach and has been with a number of Marriott properties in the United States. He will oversee the refurbishing of Canoe’s Restaurant as the hotels embark on a major renovation.

Sukiyaki festival begins Monday

Starting Monday, a Sukiyaki Festival will be held at the Ala Moana Hotel’s Plantation Cafe. Kenichi Mizutani, known for his Osaka style of cooking, and Nozomu Iwasaki, known for his Tokyo-style of cooking, will be the guest chefs from Japan who will demonstrate their cooking styles. Cast-iron pots will be used to serve the chicken or beef sukiyaki that includes fresh ingredients.

Lunch sukiyaki, served from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Saturday, is priced at $11.99 for chicken and $13.99 for beef; dinner is served from 5-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and is $13.99 and $15.99. Sukiyaki items will be included in the Plantation Cafe’s 6-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday dinner buffets at $22.50 per person. 955-4811.

Food notes

Claims of healthful properties in food are constantly coming across my desk; here are a few from this week’s mail:

ÊBuckwheat soba or grain soup contains rutin, a naturally occurring substance extracted from the leaves of the buckwheat plant. In Chinese herbal prescriptions, buckwheat stems and leaves are utilized to strengthen blood vessels; it is also believed to be an anti-aging oxidant and a dietary stabilizer to reduce stroke, high blood pressure or cerebral hemorrhages.

Furusato Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Waikiki supplied this information and the fact that it will offer a shot of powdered rutin in a fruit smoothie. Or you can dine on buckwheat grain gruel for breakfast and soba noodles can be consumed for lunch, making it a rutin buckwheat day. Furusato’s is open for breakfast from 6:30 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m. and dinner from 5:30 p.m. 922-4991.

ÊApples and apple juice can help protect you from heart disease, according to researchers at the University of California, Davis Medical Center. This is the first study conducted in humans to demonstrate the protective power of apples and apple juice in the build-up of plaque that leads to heart disease. However, this study was financed by apple interests.

Purple grape juice has greater antioxidant effects than orange juice, according to research published in the winter issue of the Journal of Medicinal Food and supported by researchers at the University of Scranton. Increased antioxidant consumption can improve cardiovascular function, according to a study financed by the university with juice provided by Welch Foods Inc.

Quick appears runs every Wednesday in The Advertiser food section. Food Editor Joan Namkoong welcomes tidbits of food news .Write to her c/o The Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Call: 525-8069. Fax: 525-8055. E-mail: islandlife@honoluluadvertiser.com

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