Single-origin chocolate is very much the thing. These (mostly of the more healthful and deeper-flavored dark chocolate kind), come from a particular place and reveal what winemakers call the terroir of that area (the flavor characteristics produced by the land and growing conditions). Malie Kai (Calm Sea) Chocolates of Honolulu is producing a "Hawai'i-grown and Hawai'i-inspired" bar from cacao raised at Waialua Estate, a Dole alternative agriculture project out North Shore way (the chocolate is processed on the Mainland).

Malie Kai markets both a 55 percent cacao dark bar and a 38 percent cacao milk chocolate bar (both 1.5 ounces), sold at Executive Chef, R. Field and Pat's Island Delights for $4.75 each. I've been experimenting with baking with higher quality dark chocolate and it's worth the extra pennies. Malie Kai's packaging is pretty, too, suitable for gifting.

— Wanda A. Adams

FOR PROJECT GRAD

BUY A COOKBOOK, HELP CASTLE HIGH

A new community cookbook is out in time for the holidays: "Mea E Ai (Come and Eat)," published by the Castle High Project Grad '08 committee, will be on sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 2 at Windward Holiday Craft Fair at Castle High School. The proof is in the cooking; they will be serving samples of recipes from the book. The spiral-bound collection costs $12 and helps raise funds for a drug-, alcohol- and tobacco-free celebration for graduating seniors. Cover art, as in recent years, is contributed by artist Jocelyn Cheng. Committee chair Cathy Daimon says they're already collecting recipes for the '09 book.

— Wanda A. Adams