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‘Confetti’ Hilo woman’s
ticket to national contest

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By Mary Alice Powell
Special to the Star-Bulletin

Jeanne Hosaka's husband, Duane, and two sons give her an A-plus for her Confetti Chicken Pasta and are hoping the judges at the National Chicken Cooking Contest agree.

Jeanne Hosaka, of Hilo, is one of 51 contestants in the national cooking marathon to be held April 5 through 8 at Sacramento, Calif. The top prize is $25,000.

A high school business teacher at Waiakea High School, Hosaka names cooking as a favorite hobby. Once a week, she and a neighbor team to prepare food for Ethnic Night, cooking Korean, or Thai, or whatever food they are in the mood to try.

But, she defines the recipe that will take her to California as being very simple and one that anyone could put together easily. Hosaka developed the recipe specifically for the contest and it was the only dish she entered.

Her taste for recipe development paid off in 1999 when she won the Tropics Dressing contest for an oriental style shrimp pupu and was awarded a two-night stay and dinner at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Her neighbors, like Hosaka's husband and sons Brett and Dean, have been eating their share of the pasta dish since Hosaka learned she would be a finalist and began to practice making her recipe in earnest to determine what utensils to pack.

Winning doesn't necessarily mean Hosaka will hold on to her prize money. She's already promised Duane, a county park supervisor, to use any prize money to buy him boat motors.

Meanwhile, Brett and Dean figure they have already won. They, along with their dad, will travel to Sacramento for the contest and a trip to Disneyland. In addition to the $25,000 top prize, four runners up will share $11,000 in prize money.

One contestant from each state and one from the District of Columbia are chosen as finalists and are given an all expense trip to the contest which includes sightseeing. This year, contestants and their companions will also be taken on a tour of Napa Valley.

This will be the 44th chicken cooking contest which is sponsored by the National Chicken Council and the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.

Following is the recipe Jeanne Hosaka will prepare at the National Chicken Cooking Contest finals:

Confetti Chicken Pasta

1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in strips
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced, divided
2 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup sherry
1 sweet onion, diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
1 14-1/2 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, divided
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 pound vermicelli noodles, cooked according to package directions

In large frypan over medium high heat, place 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 clove of minced garlic.

Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon of the salt and pepper and add to pan. Cook about 10 minutes or until pink is almost gone.

Add sherry, onion and zucchini and stir-fry 1 minute. Add bell pepper and tomatoes, stirring.

Stir in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil, lemon jice, Worcestershire sauce, remaining 1 teaspoon salt and remaining minced garlic.

Add 1/4 cup of the basil, remove from heat and stir mixture into cooked noodles.

Add Parmesan and toss to mix well. Remove to large serving bowl and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 basil. Makes 8 servings.

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