Quick Bites
French Festival events begin Saturday

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Attendez-vous, mon ami: It's French Festival time again and that means French cuisine and French menu touches all over town, starting Saturday through Nov. 4. Among the food-related events being planned:

• Gourmet Culinary Workshops at the Halekulani Hotel, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday through Tuesday, Halekulani. Workshops limited to 12 participants per day and include personally instructed cooking classes under the direction of chef Bernard Le Prince of France's Hotel Les Roches and chef Garnier of the Halekulani's La Mer. Also special dinner menus at La Mer prepared by chef Yves Garnier and visiting guest chef Bernard Le Prince. 923-2311.
• Neiman Marcus will host special tastings of French food and wines in its Epicure department and Mariposa restaurant executive chef Douglas Lum is designing a special fixed-price French menu.
• Brother chefs Philippe and Pierre Padovani of Padovani's Restaurant are preparing 700 chocolate favors for the French Festival Ball Nov. 3 and are preparing a special menu for the restaurant during the festival as well. 946-3456.
• Chef Eric Laterc of the Pacific Beach Hotel demonstrates variations on the French toast theme, 9 a.m.-noon Saturday in the hotel lobby. He plans to wander deliciously far from the basic theme. 923-8338.
• Tea and a tour, 2-4 p.m. Nov. 2, Academy of Arts. 532-8701.
• "Fete du Village," 5:30-8:30 p.m. Nov. 2, Tapa Bar, Hilton Hawaiian Village Hotel — street fair atmosphere, food, music, wines. Also: "Champagne festival" nightly Oct. 29-Nov. 3 at Bali-by-the-Sea and Paradise Lounge at the Hilton Hawaiian Village; special selection of champagnes offered. 949-4321.

General questions: hotline, 1-877-THEFEST

New approaches to Hawai'i produce

"Island Flavors," a fund-raiser 6-8 p.m. Saturday for the University of Hawai'i Department of Tropical Agriculture and the Kapi'iolani Community College Food Service program, will focus on unusual preparations of locally-raised meats, aquaculture items and produce — lesser-known cuts as well as different treatments for more familiar foods. Guest chefs will include Glen Chu of Indigo, representing Kaua'i Shrimp; Cyrus Goo, Cafe Laufer, doing a Chinese chicken salad; Colin Nishida of Side Street Inn preparing Big Island beef and desserts from Waioli Tea Room. The event was so popular last year that it outgrew the dining room, and activities are moving this year to the 'Ohia Cafeteria. "Island Flavors" is organized by local farmers and food producers in partnership with the KCC culinary staff. And, as KCC's Kelvin Ro points out, the price is right: $30 per person includes tastings from 12 chefs' stations, ending with a gargantuan dessert buffet organized by KCC pastry chefs Ernst Hiltbrand and Dan Wetter. There'll be a silent auction, produce displays and a beer and wine bar, as well. Tickets: KCC dining reservations, 734-9499.

Taste at Kapolei draws larger crowd

The Taste at Kapolei at the Ko Olina Resort & Marina Saturday night attracted more than 2,000 people (up from 1,200 last year) as chefs from restaurants such as Indigo, Dixie Grill, Mariposa and Outback Steakhouse served tastes if their menus. The event was organized by the Rotary Club of Kapolei and member Keola Lloyd said they raised close to $20,000 for Leeward O'ahu Schools. Planning is beginning for next year.

Kona festival seeks new coffee recipes

Got a great recipe involving coffee? The annual cooking competition of the Kona Coffee Cultural Festival is looking for you.

Entries are now being accepted for the KTA Super Stores Kona Coffee Recipe Contest, which will take place 3-6 p.m. Nov. 4 at the Keauhou Shopping Center. Awards will be given in entree, desserts and beverages categories.

Only the entree category is open to professionals, the others are for home cooks only. Recipes must contain 100 percent Kona coffee and will be judged on presentation, workmanship, overall taste and originality. All recipes must be originals, or substantially altered from original source. Entry forms are available at a number of Kona-area stores or by writing the festival at P.O. Box 1112, Kailua-Kona, HI 96745. Or call Trish Benson, (808) 322-3928.

The festival, Hawai'i's oldest cultural celebration, will feature cooking demonstrations by chef Buster Faifai of the Ohana Keauhou Beach Resort. Recipes entered in the contest will be available for tasting after the competition.

C&C Pasta Co. becoming famous

Carla Magziar of C & C Pasta Co., the eat-in or take-out spot for Italian cuisine in Kaimuki, called to say her little spot was featured in a Hawai'i spread in the New York Times Travel section Oct. 14 by O'ahu writer Jocelyn Fujii. The focus of the story, "What's Doing in Honolulu," was how things have been affected by the downturn in travel — with the slowdown providing an opportunity to enjoy a less-crowded, quieter Hawai'i. Fujii praised the great value at this bring-your-own-bottle bistro.