Quick Bites
By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor
Lahaina restaurant to use own farm
Pacific'O in Lahaina has established a farm in Upcountry Kula to provide the restaurant with greens, citrus, apple and stone fruit and other produce.
Co-owners Louis Coulombe and Stephan Bel-Robert, along with chef James McDonald, have joined farmer Robbie Vorfeld to create the farm on nine acres on Kula's Waipoli Road.
Vorfeld is a former manager of Pioneer Mill and holds a degree in crop science. He's experimenting with some interesting items, such as cinnamon and curry trees and exotic hybrids, including "pluots" (a plum/apricot cross).
Other restaurants have planted herb gardens on their property and contracted with farms to plant specific items, but it's unusual for a restaurant to invest in a farm of their own. Pacific'O won't see production from some of the items planted for five or six years, though herbs and greens already are being used in the restaurant.
Vegetarian society serving faux turkey
The Vegetarian Society of Hawai'i is celebrating Thanksgiving, without the turkey, thank you, at a dinner tonight at Govinda's Restaurant, 51 Coelho Way, off Wylie Street on Pali Highway.
Seating is limited and the event may already be booked, but you can call to check at 595-7369 (leave name and number if message machine answers). On the menu: faux turkey made from gluten (seitan, or wheat protein) nutloaf and the usual celebratory trimmings. For information on The Vegetarian Society, call 944-VEGI or check its Web site.
Wisteria, charities to help homeless
Roy and Jane Asato of the longtime local favorite Wisteria restaurant have partnered with the Angel Network Charities, Inc., to benefit O'ahu homeless and hungry people, selling $5 "Angel Gift" certificates valid for food and beverages at the restaurant; all proceeds go to Angel Network. Sales are from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m. today. The restaurant is at 1206 S. King Street.
And speaking of food and charity: Lanakila Meals on Wheels, which will feed 1,100 Island-wide homebound seniors tomorrow, is accepting donations in its "Adopt a Senior" program; $5 provides a holiday meal tomorrow or at Christmas. Information: 531-0555.
Gingerbread event to aid Easter Seals
Mark Okumura, pastry chef for Alan Wong's, is hard at work setting up the second annual Gingerbread Festival 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dec. 2 at NBC Exhibition Hall. This multifaceted benefit for Easter Seals Hawai'i involves a great deal of volunteer effort.
Okumura and Wong developed the gingerbread recipe. Students of Kapi'iolani and Leeward Community College's Culinary Institute of the Pacific will bake the pieces for two sizes of gingerbread house. Members of the public — families, office groups, neighbors — can sign up to purchase a kit including pre-baked gingerbread pieces, icing and pastry bags, candies and a reserved space for two hours during which to erect their gingerbread palaces ($29 for a 7-by-8-inch house; $49 for a 9-by-10-by-10-inch house).
Alan Wong and students from the colleges will be on hand to offer assistance and decorating tips. The festival helps raise money for Easter Seals projects such as the Home Economics Enrichment Program, which assists teens with disabilities and special needs.
Santa breakfast set for Dec. 15
The 15th annual "Breakfast with Santa," a popular and perennially sold-out benefit for Prevent Child Abuse Hawai'i, will take place at the Japanese Cultural Center Manoa Grand Ballroom, 2454 S. Beretania St., on Dec. 15. There will be two seatings: breakfast from 8:30-10:30 a.m. and lunch from noon-2 p.m.
Donations of $18 for adults and $15 for children cover the meal, a photo with Santa, clown fun, magicians, face-painting, games, entertainment, appearances by costumed characters and a Christmas gift for each child. A $10 discount is available for those who purchase an entire table for 10.
The breakfast serves the dual purpose of supporting Prevent Child Abuse Hawai'i programs designed to reduce abuse and neglect of children and of providing a family-centered, family-strengthening activity for Islanders. Information and tickets: 591-3588.
Orders accepted for Passover foods
No matzos for Passover? It happened to some Islanders last year, who found that the customary foods for the Jewish holiday were scarce when it came time to shop for the traditional meal.
This year, Temple Emanu-El has partnered with Streits Kosher Foods on the Mainland to make a group order of Passover goods, including matzos, but also 70 other Passover items as well as kosher wines.
The first orders in the "Got Matzah" program (Transliteration of Hebrew words varies widely) have been sent in, but orders are being accepted until Dec. 15 with an additional 10 percent charge in the hopes that a second batch of goods can reach here in time for the March 17, 2002, pickup date at the synagogue. Neighbor Islanders can order delivery directly to their homes for an additional fee as well. Passover begins March 27.
Information: 595-7521 or e-mail gotmatzah@hawaii.rr.com.
The Quick Bites column appears in the Taste section weekly. Send items of culinary interest to Taste, The Advertiser, attn: Wanda Adams, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802, or e-mail wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com. She also can be reached at 535-2421.
