Score one for the home team: Kristine Snyder of Maui will be heading to Napa, Calif., this weekend as one of the finalist in the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger cooking contest. Her recipe for Hawaii Da Kine Burgers with sweet chili glaze, ginger goat-cheese spread and hot watercress salad was selected from a pool of about 9,000 entries. The Saturday cookoff allows her to bring her favorite flavors of Hawai'i - garlic, ginger, papaya, sweet onion and cheese from a local goat dairy - to the national scene. Track her progress on the live blog at www.buildabetterburger.com.

VINO, VEGAS-STYLE

ARRAY OF STAR CHEFS TURNING OUT FOR 'CHOPSTICKS & WINE'

The Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce "Chopsticks & Wine" event will bring together 12 of Hawai'i's top chefs at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 15 at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall. More than 1,200 people are expected to attend the "Vino Las Vegas!" themed event. Among the chefs: Russell Siu, of 3660 on the Rise; Alan Takasaki, of Le Bistro; and Marc Anthony Freiberg, of Mariposa. Tickets: $90, includes sampling of wine, sake and beer - plus a dessert station featuring Ben & Jerry's ice cream. (After Sept. 30, tickets are $100.) Proceeds benefit the Honolulu Japanese chamber; 949-5531, info@honolulujapanesechamber.org or www.honolulujapanesechamber.org.

— Advertiser Staff

TRICKS WITH SALAD

CRISPING GREENS CORRECTLY

Some cooks already know the trick of crisping salad greens in lots of water, but there are tricks to doing it right. Use cool-to-room-temperature water instead of cold water, and never use ice, which can burn or wilt the leaves. And add 1 tablespoon of salt for every 11/2 quarts of water used. Let the greens sit for no more than 5 minutes, then spin- or towel-dry. (Bonus tip: When building a vinaigrette, dissolve the salt in the vinegar before adding the remaining ingredients. That will keep salt crystals from breaking down the salad greens and will make a well-blended dressing.)

— Washington Post