Wilhelm Pirngruber's salt sculpture won
a gold medal for culinary artistry.
Chef earns gold
Pirngruber prepared a salt sculpture of a manta ray and two dolphins for the artistry prize.
For the bronze, he took 4-1/2 days to devise a cold platter with a medley of hors d'oeuvres, such as smoked fresh ahi in brioche, and Mandarin orange crepe filled with goose liver and draped with crisp lotus chip.
Culinary happenings
Vegan Thanksgiving: Today is the ticket deadline for the 7th annual Vegetarian Society vegan Thanksgiving dinner 3 to 9 p.m. Nov. 27, McCoy Pavilion. The menu features tofu turkey loaf and stuffing, with all the trimmings. Tickets are $22 for adults, $11 for children ages 5 to 11. Call 672-4207 or 373-3314. For a holiday vegetarian-recipe hotline, call toll free (888) VEG-FOOD.
Hospice hospitality: Barbecue chicken, corn on the cob, beer and soda top the menu at the second Hospice Hawaii fund-raiser at tomorrow's Hawaii Winter Baseball game, 6:55 p.m., University of Hawaii Rainbow Stadium; $25, with $10 tax deductible. Munch on all-you-can-eat burgers, potato and tossed salads and more from 6:30 p.m. through the sixth inning of the Honolulu Sharks vs. Hilo Stars game. Call 924-9255 for tickets, which include game admission; a limited number of tickets available at the gate.
Festive favorite pies: Charlie Farr leads a "Best Pies for Christmas" cooking demonstration/sampling 9:30 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday, Lyon Arboretum; $20.50. Call 988-7378.
It's a Waldorf world: Thirty specialties from the new "Ka Mea 'Ai 'Ono Loa" cookbook are on tap at Saturday's "Tastes & Treasurers" benefit tasting/silent auction 6:30 to 10 p.m., Honolulu Waldorf School, 350 Ulua Way. Tickets are $15, with proceeds benefiting school programs. Call 377-5471 for information on tickets and the school's 370-page cookbook, which is $20 at bookstores, kitchen shops, Lyon Arboretum gift shop and Foster Gardens gift shop.
Stew cook-off set
Friendly Isle deadline: Today is the deadline to enter the third annual Great Moloka'i Stew Cookoff, set for 4:30 p.m. Nov. 30 in Maunaloa. Entry fee is $50 and entrants get to keep the 20-quart pots they'll receive, but they must sell their stew by the ladleful to rodeo-goers. Enter on official entry forms only - via Molokai relative or friend, or via phone and fax - by 4:30 p.m. Your stew might win one of 10 prizes worth up to $500. Call (800) 553-0404.