Pau Hana Friday for January 31

Pele’s Passion at RumFire. Daniel Lane photo.

RumFire

Sheraton Kauai Resort will kick off its yearly fundraising for the 36th Annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk through RumFire Poipu Beach’s “You Dine, We Donate” program in February. Net proceeds for all food and beverage at RumFire’s sunset-view Table #53 will be donated to the non-profit event during the month-long fundraiser at the south shore’s hot spot for oceanfront dining.
Located within Sheraton Kauai Resort, the beachside RumFire Poipu Beach features Hawaiian-rooted cuisine with a global twist and exciting cocktails to ignite your palate. Guests dining at RumFire enjoy 180-degree oceanfront views from all of its 240 seats. Facing the beautifully landscaped Ocean Courtyard and inviting fire pits, Table #53 is a private booth with a prime vantage for viewing Kauai’s fiery sunsets. From its enticing flatbreads and fresh farm salads to its signature crab-crusted catch of the day, flaming signature Mai Tais and Crème Brûlée Cheesecake, guests can enjoy a great night of dining and support a worthy cause.
“We are pleased to participate in Charity Walk again as a way of saying mahalo to our island ohana who bring the aloha spirit to our visitors every day,” says Sheraton Kauai Resort General Manager Chip Bahouth.
Hosted by the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association, the Annual Visitor Industry Charity Walk is one of the largest fundraisers in the state, providing an opportunity for Hawaii’s visitor industry to collectively give back to its local communities. Since its inception in 1978, the Charity Walk has raised over $24 million for Hawaii charities, and all of Hawaii’s non-profit charities are eligible to benefit. Sheraton Kauai Resort contributed a total of $13,928 toward the annual fundraiser in 2013.

The house blend at Small Town Coffee in Kapaa uses beans from Big Island’s Ka`u district. Daniel Lane photo

Small Town Coffee

Small Town Coffee is turning 8-years old on Saturday, February 1. To celebrate, they will be giving free coffee until noon! And dressing up in silly costumes, of course. Starting Saturday, they will be serving bagel sandwiches made with bagels from from Ya Quddus Bagelry, a new bagel bakery on the island making handmade, boiled, New York style bagels. Anni, owner of Small Town Coffee, tells me these are the real thing and so, so good.
Lotus Fudge
Lotus Fudge Valentine’s truffles boxes are now available at Living Foods Market, Papaya’s Natural Foods & Cafe, Hoku Foods Natural Market, Small Town Coffee, Blue House Booksellers, Harvest Market, Princeville Wine Market and Accents in St. Regis, Princeville.

Kauai Beer Company

On February 5,  Kauai Beer Company will introduce Sustainable Pretzels made by chef Judy Capertina, owner of Haole Girl Island Sweets. The Bavarian style pretzel is made with spent grains, beer for flavor and topped with Aloha Spice Company Black Lava salt. It will be accompanied by a specially prepared mustard.
On February 6, Truck Stop Thursday will feature a new addition, The Kauai Food Truck and the return of a popular one, Julio’s Beach Burrito.

Photo by Megan Pittsley-Fox

Kauai Chocolate Company

This year, the Kauai Chocolate Company Valentine’s Day treat is a big, gold heart. Made of chocolate and filled with handmade strawberry ganache truffles! The beautiful chocolate heart box is hand decorated and hand crafted.

Dondero’s

Dondero’s restaurant is launching a new menu on Feb. 7 with a new concept as well. Going from formal, fine dining to a casual bistro café style. The menu will have some of the old favorites with new, very classic Italian, items added. I should have a menu next week.
EVENTS:    

Pineapple fields at Kilohana Plantation. Marta Lane photo

A Taste of Kilohana

Kilohana Plantation, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., $115
A Taste of Kilohana is an exclusive, guided food tour that offers a seasonal slice of Kilohana Plantation. Our tour includes an off-the-menu, three-course, locally sourced meal that’s served in the Private Dining Room of Wilcox Mansion. Tasting Kauai donates a portion of the proceeds to the Kauai Branch of the Hawaii Food Bank.
Our unique tour begins with a ride in a open-air train through the 105-acre orchard which has more than 50 varieties of exotic fruit trees. Guests disembark and feed wild boar, goats and chickens and stroll through the orchard with Kai, Kilohana’s expert in local agriculture. After picking and eating exotic fruit, sit and relax as Kai demonstrates how to select and prepare tropical fruit, then taste the best of Kilohana in a super-fresh fruit salad.
After a short tour of the historic Manor House, guests learn how to make Gaylord’s signature Mai Tai with fresh-pressed sugarcane and lime juice inside Mahiko Lounge. Meet Gaylord’s executive chef Todd Barrett while he explains the day’s preparations and enjoy a three-course, locally sourced lunch in the Private Dining Room. Proceeds from this tour benefit the Hawaii Food Bank – Kauai Branch, help to restore native plants and preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture through education. To make reservations, visit A Taste of  Kilohana. To see previous tours, check out our Facebook photo album. For a complete list of tour dates, check out our Kauai Culinary Tours Calendar.

Basis of Raw Food Preparation  

A series of five classes, one a week, will demonstrate how to make raw meals. Each class will cover a specific method and includes recipes using local ingredients. New and experienced raw cooks will find practical applications to the unique unfoldment of vibrant food experiences.
With a basic structure and a savvy approach to resources it is effortless and fun to turn local abundance such as noni, coconut, turmeric, and citrus into tasty recipes that become a sustainable foundation of thriving in Living Local Food Lifestyle. The wonderful treats prepared with these mana-rich foods will turn everyone on to the nourishment from the land.
Classes consist of deomonstrations, tastings, Q&A’s and original recipes to take home. Click here to register for one raw food class or all five. 
Tuesday, February 4

Kathryn O’Brien, a sustainable agriculture instructor at Kauai Community College. Daniel Lane photo

AgCurious?

5:30 to 8:30 p.m., Kauai Community College
Join KCC for part one of three in their Farmer Training program. A three-hour seminar called “Farm Dreams,” which is free and open to the public (regardless if you sign up for the class), will include discussions about agriculture in Hawaii, services that are available to farmers and the GoFarm Hawaii program. The discussion will conclude with a handful of farmers talking about the reality of farming on Kauai. For more information, visit GoFarmHawaii.org, call 808-245-0129 or email kfobrien@hawaii.edu. To register for any of the three classes, call 808-245-8318.
Thursday, February 6

Nani Moon Mead Tasting and Potluck

5:30 to 6:30 p.m., $8
Join Sustainable Kauai for a private Nani Moon Mead tasting and potluck. Nani Moon Mead makes a variety of meads, specializing in dry meads, hand crafted in small batches exclusively from Hawaiian honey, fruit, and spices. Tasting fee is $8 and includes samples of their flight of honey wines. You can also bring a dish to share with the group if you’d like.
Nani Moon Mead supports our island economy by purchasing fruit and honey exclusively from independent beekeepers and farmers, preserving the integrity and economic value of Hawaii’s diverse forests and farms. Committed to purity and quality, Nani Moon Meadery is the only winery in Hawaii that sources 100% of their fermentables locally and is chemical and sulfate free. Come meet ‘Queen Bee’ Nina and learn about this unique Kauai offering.
Must RSVP by Monday, February 3. Join Sustainable Kauai’s MeetUp group to RSVP.
Friday, February 7

Lilikoi Truffle from Kauai Chocolate Company. Daniel Lane photo

Eat Dessert First 

Kauai Beach Resort, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., $25 (in advance)
Zonta Club of Kauai Foundation is celebrating its 21 annual Eat Dessert First event. Delightful desserts from local restaurants, hotels, chefs, friends and neighbors include The Right Slice, Sweet Marie’s Hawaii, Hukilau Lanai, Grand Hyatt Kauai, Kauai Chocolate Company, Regency at Puakea and many, many more. A selection of sugar and gluten free items will be available as well as fruit, vegetables, cheese and cracker platters, Kauai Coffee and no host bar. Plus, a huge silent auction filled with gifts for you and your Valentine. For ticket information, call 808-346-1058 or visit zonta-kauai.org.
Since 1952, The Zonta Club of Kauai has brought together business executives and professionals to volunteer their time to raise money, advocate, and provide service to women in need. A major portion of the proceeds from “Eat Dessert First” is used to provide student scholarships for seniors in our high schools and also to assist with the education of women re-entering the workforce through Kauai Community College.
 
 
Tuesday, February 11

Kilauea Monthly Garden Share

5 to 6:30 p.m., free
Sustainable Kauai’s Garden Shares invite residents to share in the bounty of your gardens. Bring homegrown fruit, vegetables, eggs, herbs, honey, flowers, seedlings, plants and seeds. Garden not producing? No worries – bring homemade treasures, food, and supplies made from or for the garden or kitchen too. Bring something you have, take something home you do not. Please bring bags, paper towels, etc. to take things home with you. Any items remaining at the end of the event will be donated to the food pantry or community garden. Signup at Sustainable Kauai.

Breezy and beautiful gourmet lunch and cooking demonstration at the Kauai Marriott Resort. Daniel Lane photo

A Culinary Romp Through Paradise

Various locations in Kapaa, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., $140
Tasting Kauai’s Culinary Tour offers an intimate glimpse into the Garden Island’s culinary scene. We start with a farm tour and sample exotic fruit grown on Kauai. At the Kauai Marriott Resort, we join executive chef Guy Higa for an outdoor cooking demonstration and gourmet, four-course lunch made with Kauai grown ingredients. We conclude this food tour oceanside at Oasis on the Beach, an east side farm to table restaurant. Koloa Rum Co. will begin with a presentation of the locally made, small batch, award-winning rum. Mixologist Joel Downs with make two cocktails with Koloa Rum and fresh, local ingredients.
To make reservations, visit A Culinary Romp Through Paradise. To check out previous tours, visit our Facebook photo album. Chef Higa donates proceeds from his portion of the tour to the Salvation Army Soup Kitchen and Tasting Kauai donates proceeds to the Kauai Branch of the Hawaii Food Bank. For a complete list of tour dates, check out our Kauai Culinary Tours Calendar.

Dine under the stars during the Green Pig’s Valentine’s Day dinner. Daniel Lane photo

Valentine’s Day Dinner Under the Stars

The Green Pig, 6 p.m., $100 (all inclusive)
The Green Pig will host a four-course, farm to table dinner under the stars. Located in the open field across the highway from Kealia Beach, guests will enjoy dinner, cocktails, wine and entertainment. The theme is white so all attire and décor will be an elegant, under the stars dinner in white.
“We have decided on the menu (roughly) and I have been cruising your articles on local farms,” says co owner and co chef Erron. “We have landed on a decision to showcase Wootens Produce of Kauai for the produce, Kaneshiro Farms for the pork, our local guy Willie Sanchez already provides us with our beef and Frank Maderias catches fish for us! Kauai Coffee, Kauai Beer Company and a well chosen wine selection are the drink options.”
Limited Seating (accepting 20 couples/40 guests). Must pre-pay for seats. Call 808-212-5769.

Dining on the lanai at Plantation Gardens. Daniel Lane photo

Plantation Gardens Restaurant & Bar

Plantation Gardens is celebrating Valentine’s Day with two special menu options. Fresh, local fish ($33.95) is blackened and pan seared and served with roasted garlic mash potatoes, Kamuela tomato and lobster relish and lilikoi Champagne emulsion. Grilled Rib eye ($36.95) will be served with wasabi mash potatoes, green beans, wild mushrooms and port wine demi glace. For dessert, enjoy a strawberry cheesecake ($7.95) with sun baked creme fraiche and an oreo cookie crust. For reservations, call 808-742-2121.
Sunday, February 16

28th Annual ACF Breakfast

Kauai Community College, 7 to 11 a.m., $15 ($18 at door), children $5 (5 to 10, under 5 free)
Every year, the students at Kauai Community College prepare a massive all-you-can-eat breakfast for the public.This year is the 28th Annual American Culinary Federation (AFC) Breakfast Fundraiser, and proceeds go towards student scholarships and classroom improvements. For example, KCC needs funds to install a commercial imu pit (underground oven) so students can learn how to employ a traditional Hawaiian technique.
This event has been touted as “Kauai’s Biggest and Best Brunch” so wear your stretchy pants and feast on all you can! The serious eaters bring a cardboard flat to carry their food. There will be eggs Benedict, scrambled eggs, Portuguese sausage, ham, steamed rice, hash browns, omelets cooked to order, pancakes and pastries all make by KCC students. Kauai Coffee will be there serving their coffee as well as Meadow Gold juice and milk and Kauai Springs Water. Tickets are available at:

• Kalaheo Cafe & Coffee Company
• Kauai Coffee Visitors Center
• Koloa Fish Market
• Mark’s Place, Puhi
• Fish Express, Lihue
• Sole Mates, Kapaa
• Pono Market, Kapaa
• Kauai Community College, cafeteria

Tuesday, February 18

Wailua Monthly Garden Share

5 to 6:30 p.m., free
Sustainable Kauai’s Garden Shares invite residents to share in the bounty of your gardens. Bring homegrown fruit, vegetables, eggs, herbs, honey, flowers, seedlings, plants and seeds. Garden not producing? No worries – bring homemade treasures, food, and supplies made from or for the garden or kitchen too. Bring something you have, take something home you do not. Please bring bags, paper towels, etc. to take things home with you. Any items remaining at the end of the event will be donated to the food pantry or community garden. Signup at Sustainable Kauai.
Friday, February 21

Lunch on the beach after A Taste of Kauai, Yesterday and Today. Daniel Lane photo

A Taste of Kauai, Yesterday and Today

Waipa, 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., $115
Tasting Kauai’s north shore tour is a magical food tour that’s part luau, part agritourism and part ecotourism. Our exclusive tour takes place at Waipa, which is nestled in the Hanalei Valley and is a National Wildlife Refuge. Guests explore a vast loi (taro garden) fed by auwai, or irrigation system, that supplies water from mountain streams, and learn about significant foods, growing methods, and overall Hawaiian agricultural and land management concepts and complexes in ancient times and their transition to today. Afterwards, guests sample Hawaii’s staff of life three ways.
Lunch changes seasonally and is made with vegetables grown in onsite gardens, locally sourced meat or fish, and mamaki tea with lemongrass and mint. Guests eat ohana (family) style while enjoying the beauty and breezes of Hanalei Bay. Proceeds from this tour benefit the Hawaii Food Bank – Kauai Branch, help to restore native plants and preserve and perpetuate Hawaiian culture through education. To make reservations, visit A Taste of  Kauai, Yesterday and Today. To see pictures from previous tours, check out our Facebook photo album.
UPCOMING:
Saturday, March 1

Ayurveda Workshop

2:45 to 3:45 p.m., Anahola Beach Park, at Smith’s Beach, free
This Meetup is about your Ayurvedic journey. Are you just starting out or do you want help getting started? Want recipes and remedies work best for you? Do you have any symptoms or disease you want help treating naturally and holistically or what are you doing to improve your digestion and overall health? What are your favorite recipes? You could even bring along an Ayurvedic meal or snack to eat at the beach while we share! This Meetup is about being introduced to Ayurveda as well as just coming together to discuss holistic health. Bring towels or chairs as we’ll be sitting on the beach! Click here to register.
ONGOING:
Saturday Feb. 8 – Saturday, March 8

Introduction to Aquaponics Systems

Kauai Community College, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., five Saturdays, $165
I met the instructor for this class when I first covered aquaponics in Kauai Midweek for a story called “A Growing Trend in Aquaponics“. Bernie Tsao launched the Aquaculture Technology Training program at the University of Nations, Kona, where he was the director for 11 years. Today, he is the Aquaculture and Aquaponics instructor at KCC, and provides consultation services to the community, including the Hyatt, which is considering implementing its own aqua-culture system. Aquaponics is the integration of aquaculture and hydroponics. It is a closed cycle bio-integrated system becoming the cutting edge technology of intensive food production. To register, call 808-245-8318.

Farmer John Wooten holds a jackfruit. Daniel Lane photo

Farmers Market Tour

Wednesdays, 3 to 4 p.m., $30
Meet local farmers, learn how to select perfect produce as well as when it’s in season and how to cook with it during Tasting Kauai’s one-hour farmers market class. Farmers markets are an affordable way to immerse yourself in local culture and the best place to buy produce that’s so fresh, it was harvested that morning. But buying at the farmers market doesn’t always insure that it was grown on Kauai. It happens all over the world. In Hawaii, customers want mangos year-round. In Colorado, they want tomatoes in May. To make that sale, vendors buy imported mangoes or tomatoes and sell them as their own. Becoming familiar with growing  seasons insures your dollars are spent on local produce.
There’s a whole world of delicious produce that many people never try. Let’s face it, some of it looks like it came from another planet. Once unfamiliar produce is demystified and cooking tips are shared, it may become a regular at dinner table. Many factors can make exotic produce expensive and the last thing you want to do is buy a pineapple that isn’t at peak perfection. This class will also teach you how to tell when produce is ripe as well as how to store it for best results. To make reservations, visit our Farmers Market Tour page.

Hanapepe Friday Night Festival and Art Walk

Hanapepe Town, 6 to 9 p.m.
Every Friday evening, Old Town Hanapepe bustles with people. A dozen art galleries stay open late and local crafters sell their wares. There’s also stilt walkers, classics cars, live music and entertainment. The Right Slice sells fresh-baked pie by the slice or whole.  Midnight Bear Breads makes pizza fresh from a wood-burning oven. Aloha Spice Company serves samples of their Hawaiian sea salt and spice blends on grilled chicken. These spices quickly add fantastic flavor without a lot of calories and make wonderful gifts of aloha.
Haole Girl Island Sweets sells a variety of hand-made butter croissants, including grilled chicken and portobello mushroom seasoned with Aloha Spice Company blends. Other croissants are filled with local fruit, nuts, honey or vegetables. Samples are given just outside the parking lot, in front of the darling Aloha Spice Company building. Call 808-335-6469 for more information.

Kapaa Art Walk in Old Town Kapaa. Daniel Lane photo

Kapaa Art Walk

Old Town Kapaa, 5 to 9 p.m.
On the first Saturday of the month hundreds of people party in Old Town Kapaa. The street is filled with the sounds of laughter and music, smells of delicious local food, and the work of Kauai artists. In front of the Dragon Building, Anni Caporuscio (owner of Small Town Coffee and Blue House Booksellers) sings to a three-piece band which includes a guitar player, drummer and washboard player. Art Cafe Hemingway and Java Kai open a new exhibit and serve food late. The Buttery hosts jewelers and other Kauai Made jewelry is available throughout.

Art Walk at Kukuiula

The Shops at Kukuiula, 6 to 9 p.m.
Join The Shops at Kukuiula for an enchanting evening of fine art, fine dining and live music under the stars on the second Saturday of each month.

Kilauea Art Walk

Stone Building, 5 to 8 p.m.
Join more than 20 artisans on the last Saturday of the month at the Stone Building in Kilauea Town. There’s live music, original art, hand-made apparel, jewelry, photography, custom slippers, painted glass bottles, ice cream and unique creations. Face painting henna tattoos. Stop by Kilauea Fish Market for dinner.

Photos for this blog post were contributed by Daniel Lane of Pono Photo.