Hawaii
WHO would have thought that the Center for Culinary Development would turn to the talent of McDonald's to help develop products for food industry giants? That would be the talent of James McDonald, Uncle Ben’s goes authentic
of Lahaina's "The Feast of Lele." He holds the distinction of being the only chef outside of San Francisco to be a member of the center, and he's just been given an interesting assignment. He's been asked to develop five Pan-Asian frozen entrees for Uncle Ben's. They want one Thai dish, two Vietnamese, one Chinese and one "chef's choice" dish, reports McDonald. The only requirement is that they all require rice as a primary ingredient. How about for the "chef's choice" a pigtail-shaped bit of braided rice topped with sashimi, which they could call Uncle Ben's Sushi Queue? You're welcome ...
YOU have to wonder why nobody's come up with this idea before. Abe Weinstein is boarding the Regal Princess in Vancouver Saturday to play jazz through the Alaska Passage -- no, it's not something in your nose -- on a luxury cruise. Abe is taking with him a group calling themselves the Poi Boys, appropriating the name used by the disc jockeys on K-POI back in the 1960's. The group consists of David Asing and his father, Peter Asing, plus Jonathan Lum. While the Poi Boys make isle-style music, Abe will be doing Big Band Swing and Dixieland. He'll get off the ship in Honolulu Oct. 6 and then continue his journey playing on the Sky Princess and Pacific Princess to Asia and Europe. A moving jazz experience ...
Radio Daze
IS radio making something of a comeback? It is as far as Hawaiian expatriates living in the Pacific Northwest are concerned. KKOL-AM in Seattle is carrying a new show called "Hawaii Radio Connection" featuring not just Hawaiian music, but news and sports from the islands, info on cultural activities and even language classes. Stephen Gomes created the program, just as he did the once-a-month "Music of Hawaii" on KBCS-FM. Gomes told a Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter the shows weren't just for homesick Hawaiians. "Lots of people fly to Hawaii, love it and want more of it," Gomes is quoted as saying. "They get touched by the culture." ...SOME members of "Baywatch Hawaii" are slated to attend the Honolulu Club's 19th anniversary party Friday night, a party to benefit Camp Baywatch for disadvantaged kids ... Red Session isn't the name of a communist study group, but a rock band originated in Honolulu seven years ago. Since then the band has moved to San Francisco and has toured the country extensively. It will return to Hawaii for the first time in a year on Sept. 24 and play several venues here through Oct. 2 ...
Soller system
FORMER UH drama department technical director Bob Soller is back for a look-see at Honolulu after leaving these shores 30 years ago. His first reaction: "Where did all these buildings come from?" Soller, who designed, built and also variously acted in, directed and served as music director for major shows in the '50s and '60s at UH's Farrington Hall, now runs a historic old theater in Adrian, Mich. which was built in 1866. Burton White, G.M. of the historic Hawaii Theatre, was nice enough to take time from his schedule to give Soller a guided tour through the backstage and under-stage areas of the restored old theater, areas rarely seen by the general public ...
Dave Donnelly has been writing on happenings
in Hawaii for the Star-Bulletin since 1968.
His columns run Monday through Friday.Contact Dave by e-mail: ddonnelly@starbulletin.com