COMING UP

Hawaii's chefs will battle on the Missouri

The U.S.S. Missouri will be the site of a battle once again, but this one will be fought with knives, not guns, and with luck no blood will be shed.

Civilian chefs will face off against Navy cooks for the title of “;Hawaii's Mightiest Chef”; on Saturday, part of the 10th anniversary celebration of the opening of the Battleship Missouri Memorial, and the 65th anniversary of the battleship's launch from Brooklyn Navy Yard during World War II.

The cook-off begins at 10 a.m., part of a daylong celebration that runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is free to kamaaina and military.

Call (877) 644-4896 or visit www.ussmissouri.org. 

MORSELS

Seminar and tasting feature Chinese tea

In honor of the Year of the Ox, explore fine Chinese teas on Saturday at the Pacific Place Tea Garden Hawaii at Ala Moana Center.

Owner Lynette Jee will offer a seminar from 11 a.m. to noon on several teas valued for their health benefits and flavors. Tastings will be offered from noon to 3 p.m.

The teas include White Peony, a white tea that is dried without heat processing; Dragon Phoenix Jasmine Pearl, a long-leaf green tea scented with night-blooming jasmine flowers; and Pu-erh, a large-leaf black tea valued for its antioxidants. Call 944-2004.

Learn how to prepare 3-course Italian meal

Chef Raul Bernal hosts a cooking class on producing a three-course Italian meal with fresh local ingredients, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Green House.

“;Cooking Revelations with Raul: A Taste of Italy”; will include recipes and a tasting. Cost is $25. Registration required: Call 524-8427 or visit www.thegreenhousehawaii.com.

The Green House is at 224 Pakohana St. in Pauoa Valley.

KCC cooking classes cover many cuisines

Kapiolani Community College offers these hands-on cooking classes this week and next. Call 734-9211.

Comida Ranchera: Chef Adriana Torres introduces foods of northern Mexico; 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday. On the menu are Caldo de Queso con Papas (Cheese Soup with Potatoes), Beef Alambre (a fajitas-style dish) and Frijoles de Olla (Country-Style Beans). Cost is $60.

The Gluten-Free Gourmet: Chef Carol Nardello, who shares the problem of gluten intolerance (celiac disease), offers gluten-free recipes for enchiladas, cornbread, chocolate-chip cookies and more; 6 to 9 p.m. Monday. Cost is $60.

Soups: Chef Grant Sato explains how to create inexpensive and easy meals with three classic types of soup—clear, thick and specialty; 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Cost is $65.

Mexican Seafood Tropical: Torres features seafood dishes of ceviche, Pescado Veracruzano and Sopa de Mariscos; 1 to 5 p.m. Feb. 7. Cost is $70.

Paris Dinner Party: Chef Laura Gershuni demonstrates a Valentine's meal of Steak au Poivre, Potato and Squash Gratin and Profiteroles; 8 a.m. to noon Feb. 7. Cost is $70.

The Dough Also Rises: Pastry chef Dan Wetter introduces sweet yeast breads such as malasadas, sweet bread and cinnamon rolls; 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 7. Cost is $80.

Family Literacy Day at Waianae Library

Waianae Public Library hosts a Family Literacy Day, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, featuring storytellers such as state Reps. Karen Awana and Maile Shimabukuro, and Sen. Colleen Hanabusa.

Kids' activities and games will emphasize the fun to be found in reading. Co-sponsor Hawaiian Electric Co. will have displays on renewable energy, conserving energy and solar water heating, and will give away children's booklets. Call 543-7511.

Expert to speak about artifact linked to Jesus

Jodi Magness, a specialist on the archaeology of Qumran, site of the Dead Sea Scrolls, will talk about “;Ossuaries and the Burials of Jesus and James”; at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow at the University of Hawaii's Campus Center Ballroom. Admission is free.

A small stone box called an ossuary was found in 2002, and the artifact caused a stir in the archaeological world because it was inscribed with the name of James, the brother of Jesus. Another headline-grabbing discovery followed in 2007 when an archaeological team apparently identified the tomb of Jesus' family in Jerusalem's Talpiyot neighborhood.

That family is large because Jesus had seven brothers and sisters. “;It's clear that they are brothers and sisters, and they actually ran the church of Jerusalem for about 100 years after the death of Jesus,”; said Robert Littman, a professor of classics at UH-Manoa and president of the Archeological Institute of America, Hawaii Society.

The topics “;have been all over the news and National Geographic in recent years,”; said Littman, who noted that the issue of the burial of Jesus is central to Christianity. He added that Magness, currently at the University of North Carolina, is a leading expert in first-century Israel who has written - and been quoted - extensively on these new finds. Of course, debates continue over the authenticity of the inscription on the ossuary. And does it refer to the Jesus of Christianity, or another Jesus?

Littman said that Magness is a dynamic speaker, and will explore all of these angles in her slide presentation.