TODAY Show Goes Live From Oahu’s Royal Hawaiian on Monday at 1 a.m.

It’s been an incredibly fun week traveling to Kauai and Maui with the TODAY Show crew to shoot the opening travelogue introducing the Hawaiian Islands. All done on behalf of my client, the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.

The show goes live tomorrow, Monday, May 20 at 1 a.m. from The Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki.

The public is welcome to view the live broadcast starting from Waikiki Beach. Special hotel access will only be given to guests. Make your signs and head on down for a chance to be on TV.

The photo above was taken on Monday at National Tropical Botanical Garden’s McBryde Garden with Kumu Kapu Kinimaka-Alquiza and her beautiful halau. The photo below was taken on Wednesday as we watched the sunrise on Haleakala.

I won’t give away anymore. I hear there’s lots of fun planned for the thee hours. You’ll have to tune in to see where the start of TODAY’s Great American Adventure takes them in the islands of aloha. All five hosts are here too having a good time. Don’t believe me? Follow the hashtag #TODAYinHawaii on Twitter and Facebook and see for yourself.

Head to bed now, set your alarm for 11 p.m., and enjoy the show!

-NGK

Good Morning from Hawaii, the Big Island

So many incredible bays and beaches along Kona’s Alii Drive. Life is short. Take a moment to stop and enjoy the scenery.

-NGK

Beautiful and Fun Aulani, a Disney Resort on Oahu

The Kam Family enjoyed a much needed “staycation” at Aulani, a Disney Resort this past weekend. We used the occasion to celebrate Avery’s 3rd birthday and took full advantage of most of the resort’s amenities. It was a wonderful two-night stay gifted to us by my awesome mom. More on all of this in a future post. But for now, I share with you a photo taken from our ocean view room #1046. That pool below was definitely a highlight.

To give you an idea of how much fun we had, the first words out of Avery’s mouth when she woke from her nap was “Why are we home? I want to go back to Aulani.” Without question, we’ll be returning and hopefully soon.

-NGK

Meet Ron Finley: Guerilla Gardner in South Central L.A.

“Growing your own food is like printing your own money,” just one of the great lines Ron Finley delivered during his inspiring TED talk. The other one that I vividly remember was at the end of this presentation when he told the crowd to “Go grow some shit!”

If you’re looking for a fresh perspective on food sustainability and how a little creative thinking can do amazing things for a community, this is a must watch. As the video description on the YouTube site says:

Ron Finley plants vegetable gardens in South Central LA — in abandoned lots, traffic medians, along the curbs. Why? For fun, for defiance, for beauty and to offer some alternative to fast food in a community where “the drive-thrus are killing more people than the drive-bys.”

Have a watch and let me know what you think. As I watched this, it also made me think about the great work the folks out at MAO Organic Farms in Waianae are doing to put the youth on Oahu’s westside  on a path for success through working in the Earth. Very inspiring stuff!

-NGK

Eat This: Country and City Loaves by Breadshop’s Chris Sy

As I was preparing to write about local baker Christopher Sy’s incredible Breadshop sourdough breads (country loaf pictured above), it dawned on me that was a foolish idea. Why? Because my post would have said pretty much what HONOLULU Dining Editor Martha Cheng wrote in her detailed Biting Commentary column last year titled “The best country bread you’ve never heard of: Chris Sy’s levain.” I’m joking. There was no way I was going to be able to make the chef and his bread sound that good with my own words, so I encourage you to click the link above and enjoy her piece. I have mad respect for Martha’s work and it’s a great read.

On a slightly more serious note, here’s my take. If you enjoy sinking your teeth into a good piece of bread like I do, you need to give Chris’ country and city loaves a try. Some may argue that it’s ridiculous to pay $7.50 for a loaf, but those people just don’t get it.

This bread has a quality and character well worth the price and enjoyment. The texture (crunchy outside, chewy soft on the inside) and flavor (distinctly sourdough with a smoky finish from being baked in a kiawe wood fired oven) is like nothing I’ve had in Hawaii before. You can see and taste, passion, and pride Chris puts into his craft with every bite.

But don’t take my word for it, the fact that my kids – Ensen (5) and Avery (2) – prefer it over the regular sandwich bread you find in the grocery store is proof positive to me this stuff rocks. The delicious country loaf has become a staple in our kitchen  and I have a feeling it will be in yours too after you try it.

So  what does it look like and where can I buy this you ask?

Each loaf is carefully wrapped and date stamped for freshness.

Proof that good things come in white packages. The dark crust is not only beautiful, but packs a ton of flavor.

Cutting into a city loaf. As you can see, the texture of the bread is light and airy. Absolutely delicious with or without butter or olive oil.

Breads by Breadshop are made in limited quantities, so follow Chris on Twitter to find out when and where he’s delivering during the week.

Breadshop
www.breadsbybreadshop.com
Stay in touch on Twitter and Instragram
Breads available at The Whole Ox Butcher and Deli and The Pig & The Lady (various farmer’s markets)

-NGK

Eat This: Sheila G’s Brownie Brittle from Costco

My simple advice to you is get a bag (or two) of this delicious Brownie Brittle the next time you’re at Costco or Don Quijote. Why? Well, if you typically reach for the crunchy corner pieces in the brownie pan like I do, you’ll absolutely love these crisp and decadent snacks. As the package reads, “No more fighting for the Corner Pieces.”

Apparently, these brownie treats have been on the shelves for some time now, but I only recently discovered them when my mother-in-law sent us home with a bag the other night. I’m glad…and mad…she did. This has instantly become a family favorite and will surely satisfy your craving for declines chocolate brownies anytime of the day.

Have you tried this yet? Love? Hate?

My apologies in advance if you get hooked like we are.

-NGK

As the package

Hawaii Food & Wine Festival Raises $210,000 For Local Beneficiaries

Pictured from left: Dean Okimoto, president of the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation, Hiilei Kawelo, executive director of Paepae o Heeia, Rick Barboza, hanaola director of Papahana Kuaola, HFWF co-chairs Alan Wong and Roy Yamaguchi, Michael Pecsok, vice chancellor for academic affairs and chief academic officer at Leeward Community College, and John Morton, vice president for community colleges for the University of Hawaii. [Photo Credit: Hawaii Food & Wine Festival]

The Hawaii Food & Wine Festival (HFWF), the state’s premier culinary event now in its third year, presented checks to five local nonprofit beneficiaries totaling $210,000 on Monday, February 4, in a special presentation at Kapiolani Community College’s Ka Ikena dining room.

The net proceeds raised during the 2012 festival went to the Hawaii Agricultural Foundation ($80,000), Culinary Institute of the Pacific ($80,000), Leeward Community College Culinary Arts Program ($30,000), Paepae o Heeia ($10,000), and Papahana Kuaola ($10,000). Since its inception in 2011, HFWF has raised nearly $500,000 for these organizations.

“In partnership with the tourism industry, we created this festival in 2011 to give travelers to Hawaii and residents alike a world-class food festival featuring top chefs and wine makers from around the globe, while showcasing the bounty of incredible ingredients the islands have to offer,” said Roy Yamaguchi, HFWF co-chair and owner of Roy’s Restaurants. “As a result of the festival’s success the past two years, we’ve been able to fulfill the festival’s equally important mission of providing our beneficiaries funding to support their important food sustainability, cultural, and educational efforts.“

HFWF co-chairs and chefs Yamaguchi and Alan Wong, owner of Alan Wong’s Restaurants, presented the checks during a Mahalo Reception thanking the festival’s partners and participants for making last year’s festival a sold out success.

“The support from the visitor industry and local community has been tremendous and instrumental in our ability to offer unique events that sets our festival apart from others across the country,” Wong said. “The guest chefs love coming to Hawaii to cook, attendees really enjoy the opportunity to learn about where the food comes from and meet the chefs, and everyone leaves inspired by the experience. It’s a win-win for everyone involved.”

Through the industry’s efforts in 2012, more than 4,000 visitors and residents from around the world attended 15 events at six venues on Oahu featuring 61 chefs, four master sommeliers, 25 top-tier winemakers and 31 local farmers, artisan food producers and innovators. These chefs and participants shared their expertise and skills with more than 200 culinary students from Kapiolani Community College, Leeward Community College, Maui College, and Kauai Community College who were able to work side-by-side with some of the most respected names in the industry for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“We are very grateful to receive this donation which will help finance the construction of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific (CIP) at Diamond Head, an advance culinary/pastry facility that will offer students new opportunities currently unavailable in Hawaii,” said Conrad Nonaka, CIP director. “The University of Hawaii community colleges offer a two-year associate degree for culinary students through its six culinary training programs on the four major islands. However, the CIP will provide students the opportunity to gain their third year professional certificate, as well as the ability to earn a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree through UH West Oahu.”

“The Bounty of Heeia event allows us to showcase our premise and education programs to a much broader audience that we would not otherwise reach and this generous donation will go towards our aina based education programs increasing our capacity to serve the community,” said Rick Barboza, hanaola director of Papahana Kuaola. “As a member of Papahana Kuaola, I would like to extend my sincerest aloha and mahalo to all the people from the festival, in particular Roy and Denise Yamaguchi and Alan Wong for including our organization in this spectacular event.”

The 2013 Hawaii Food & Wine Festival is set for Sept. 1-8, 2013, and will kick off with an event on Maui (Sept. 1) before returning to Oahu (Sept. 5-8) for the main events. For more information, please visit HawaiiFoodandWineFestival.com or follow the festival via social media on Twitter, Instagram  and Facebook for updates.