Brunch to
benefit firefighters

Chef Freddy Halmes of Swiss Haus Restaurant has a special empathy for firefighters -- his father, younger brother and uncle are all firemen in Belgium.

This connection is prompting him to stage a benefit Sunday brunch this weekend, with all proceeds going to the New York City Firemen's 9-11 Relief Fund, for the families of firefighters lost in the World Trade Center attack.

The staff members of the Niu Valley restaurant are contributing their time and tips to the cause as well.

Brunch, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., will feature Eggs Florentine, Braised Brisket of Beef, Bratwurst with Onions, Smoked Sausage with Sauerkraut, Apple Crepes, European salads, assorted cheeses and pastries. Cost is $16. Call 377-5447.

Wonder of wonders

An international selection of dishes tied to the theme "Our Seven Wonders of the World" will be served at a scholarship fund-raiser 6 p.m. Friday at the Sheraton-Waikiki.

The dinner is sponsored by Chef de Cuisine, an organization of professional chefs, to fund scholarships for students in the culinary arts or food and beverage industries.

The "wonders" of the theme are the Great Wall, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Taj Mahal, Mount Fuji, Hawaii's volcanoes, the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building.

Chefs challenged with presenting dishes related to the wonders are Tom Wong (Waialae Country Club), OnJin Kim (OnJin Café) Kusuma Cooray (Kapiolani Community College), Ram Arora (India House), Jimmy Ueda (Tokyo Tokyo), Yoshoji Kanada (International In-Flight Catering), Eugenio Martignago (Nick's Fishmarket), Fred DeAngelo (Palomino), Rey Dasalla (Hau Tree Lanai), Daniel Delbrel (Sheraton-Waikiki), Ceferino Maduli and Klaus Saballus (Pacific Club) and Almar Arcano (Hy's Steakhouse).

Chef Martin Wyss, former owner of the Swiss Inn, will be presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Tickets are $85. Tables of 10 are $1,000. Call 921-2440 or 739-8711.

Kama'aina Days

So, do you think you have it hard getting dinner on the table night after night? Yeah, well, imagine doing it without electricity or grocery stores.

A costumed role-player at Mission Houses Museum will demonstrate 1840s cooking techniques at Kama'aina Days, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. A second themed tour explores the mission's printing press.

Cost is $4.50 for one tour, $7 for two. Call 531-0481.

Rice is nice

Ever wonder how brown rice becomes white rice? Did you even know that white rice comes from brown rice? It's time to investigate that staple food of local cuisine at Saturday's Rice Festival.

The festival, at the Japanese Cultural Center, will feature a rice-milling demonstration showing the processing of white rice. You can also make musubi and mochi cakes, eat rice dishes, even buy rice.

Karen Yamamoto Hackler will tell stories from her "Tales of Rice and Adventure," and Sandi Takayama will read from her book, "The Musubi Man."

Admission is free. Call 945-7633.

Jubilee dining

Kapi'olani's Royal Jubilee is the theme of Ho'okipa 2001, the major fund-raiser for the Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiolani Community College.

The 6 p.m. event at the Royal Hawaiian Hotel's Monarch Room will feature food stations showcasing the growing talents of KCC's culinary students. Robert Cazimero and Danny Kaleikini will entertain.

"Grazing" tickets -- meaning diners walk the room and partake of the food and wine stations -- are $100. Tickets for sit-down dining are sold out. Call 734-9570.

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