38 - Sunday, September 23, 1990 - North Shore News TRAVEL Food fest makes Hawaii even more appetizing | American chefs wow Big Island participants KOHALA COAST — Go- ing to Hawaii at any time is not a bad notion, but an event billed as the Cuisines of the Sun food and wine celebration at Mauna Lani Bay and Bungalows on the Big Island has an_ir- resistable ring to it. A sell-out group of 130 partici- pants attended the inaugural four-day event, which featured leading chefs Bradley Ogden of Lark Creek Inn, Larkspur, Marin County, CA; Robert Del Grande of Houston’s Cafe Annie and Cafe Express; Florida-based Norman Van Aken, author of Feast of Sunlight; and Alan Wong, of Mauna Lani’s Canoehouse_ restaurant, which specializes in Pacific Rim cuisine. The aim was to explore the four American regional cuisines of sunny climates — Ogden on California cuisine; Del Grande demonstrating Southwest cooking; Van Aken on Southeast/ Caribbean cooking; and Wong giving a taste of the Orient. Participants checked in on Fri- day afternoon and left the follow- ing Monday. They got room rates of U.S. $150 a night, compared with the usual $250 to 3360, depending on view. The package of nine events was $295 per per- son. Delta Airlines, which has new fares from Vancouver to Hawaii allowing stop-offs in the Los Angeles area, and Aloha Airlines, were the official carriers. The opening reception was a buffet between the pool and the ocean with a splendid sunset in the background. Each chef had his own area enabling guests to Sample dishes from duck bang- bang to lumpia and sushi. Champagne and wine were also served, and indeed a focus of the program was to taste wines that accompanied the cuisines. Par- ticipating winemakers (all California-based) were Williant Bonetti of Sonoma-Cutrer Winery, Jack Cakebread of Cakebread Cellars, ¥orrest Tancer of tron Horse Vineyards, and Tony Soter of Spottswoode Vine- yard and Winery. Demonstrations were held on two mornings in the Mauna Lani’s ballroom with the chefs taking turns at a high table. Video cameras were mounted overhead with large screens on ci- ther side. Participants sat semi- nar-style and had a comfortable, clear view of the proceedings. Each chef prepared two dishes, after which teams of waiters filed San Lucas and 2383 Marine Drive, West Vancouver V7V 1K4 MEXICO for 10-DAYS on the DAWN PRINCESS Visit: | Puerto Vallarta, Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Mazatlan, Cabo When: October {2 & 22, November 1, 11 & 21 From Just: inside cabin $995.00 USD including air outside cabin $1195. 00 USD including air David TRAVEL TIPS in with samples. Wine stewards also served a variety of wines. They included Van Aken’s rum and pepper-vainted grouper with mango-chardonnay puree. Del Grande did sea scallops with crabmeat and poblano chile sauce. Ogden prepared pan-roasted tuna with black bean salad and tomato vinaigrette. It was all enthusiastically received. Wong did wok-fhied tempura ahi with shoyu mustard butter sauce and tomato-ginger relish, and like the others, invited questions as samples were served to guests. Wien one said, ‘‘Is there more?’’ everyone applaud- ed. Seminars were held in the afternoons while the final morning had volunteers working with chefs SY att Photo submitted CHEF BRADLEY Ogden, suitably casual in shorts, at Mauna Lani with winemaker Jack Cakebread and his wife Dolores. and winemakers. That evening there was a gala dinner in which all the chefs and winemakers had contributions. It was semi-outdoors on the hotel's terrace, a sumptuous affair of sunset, candlelight and live music. Cuisines of the Sun is obviously aimed at people who like to cook and to eat. But there’s more to it than that: the theme gives the event a focus which brings people together and enables guests to meet and socialize much more eas- ily than in a normal vacation situ- ation, Mauna Lani has one of the best golf courses in Hawaii, there is an excellent tennis garden 100 yards away from the main building, and indeed there are special sports packages ($195 for golf, $65 for tennis) for participants’ guests. Los Angeles food journalist Janice Wald Henderson came up with the concept in the belief that cuisines of the sun are the most popular in the world because of their boldness in flavor, color and adventure in composition. The plan is to feature Asian foods next year (July 13-17) and Mediterranean cooking in 1992. Pe) Sunes ae. Cordially invites you to our SINGLES CRUISE NIGHT Tuesday, September 25 ALPINE CLUB (33rd & Victoria) cruise with the ALPINE CLUB'S SINGLES GROUP?! RSVP NOW!!! 926-7245 (SAIL) 2383 Marine Drive, West Vancouver Bj 2 ae ne We cas a free seminar As a GOING GREEN ON THE NORTH SHORE project/event North Shore Continuing Education, in cooperation with Lynn Canyon Ecology Centre, the Task Force on the Environment, District of North Vancouver, and The North Shore News invites you to find out more about the problems, issues, and future scenarios related to air pollution on the North Shore. Tuesday, September 25, 1990 7:30 p.m. — 9:30 p.m. Windsor Secondary School §31 Broadview North Vancouver We have invited representatives from GVRD, Environment Canada, S.PE.C., BC. Transit and the Task Force on the Environment, District of North Vancouver to address questions related to: » What is our air pollution attributed to? = What is the scenario if nothing is done? >» What is possible to curb the pollution? m» What are people in other places, ’ such as California, doing? For more information calli North Shore . Continuing Education (course reference number MF&0) 986-8888 THE VOICE UF MONTE AND WEST VANCOUVER north shore Environnement Canada Evil SUNOAY + WEONESDAY - FRIDAY