[ STUFFS ]
Readings for 'little people' start tomorrow
Authors of Hawaiian children's books will read their stories at "Today's Little People," a five-day event for children that starts tomorrow at the Outrigger Waikiki Hotel. Readings begin at 10 a.m. Scheduled authors are:Monday: Gill McBarnet, "Tikki Turtle's Quest."
Tuesday: Rianna Williams, "Mahealalani and the King of Hawaii," and Kelimia Mednick, "Sugar and Spice Cookbook."
Wednesday: Jeremiah Gruenberg, "Kii and Lii."
Thursday: Amy Hammond, "The Magic Sandman," and Kerry Germain, "Surf's Up for Kimo."
Friday: Donivee Larid reads from various titles, and Al Bitner, "Phoebe Beach."
Additional readings will be held Dec. 19 (Jane Hopkins, "Hide and Seek" series) and Dec. 21 (Joy Au, various titles).
Parking at Outrigger Waikiki is $3. Park for $1 at Outrigger East, Ohana Maile Skycourt and Ohana Waikiki Village.
Christmas Tea with Lee
Local author Lee Tonouchi will speak at Wahiawa Public Library's first Christmas Tea on Tuesday at 2 p.m.Tonouchi's "Da Word" is a collection of short stories written entirely in pidgin English.
The event is free; call 622-6345 for reservations.
CHEW ON THIS
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The chef is watching the wind this week. Steady gusts could blow several dishes off the menu planned for L'Uraku's special 10-course dinner Friday. L’Uraku’s Friday menu
at the mercy of the windStar-Bulletin staff
Chef Hiroshi Fukui's concept for the Contemporary Sushi and Mini Tastes dinner is to showcase types of island seafood that don't commonly make it into upscale restaurants. But when the wind blows, fishing boats don't launch, and this has turned Friday's menu into a moving target.
"The moon and the tides are right, but if it's windy, cannot get akule and opelu," chef Hiroshi Fukui says. "That's what it takes to get things from the ocean that are not readily available."
He's penciled in akule loin, served seared on tomato concasse; opelu made into poke and served with sushi; opihi in a chilled pasta dish; and an unusual "micro" shrimp grown in Kahuku, to be served with a lobster salad.
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He'd normally have a special dinner like this planned completely two weeks ahead, but not this time. The meal does have some anchor courses safe from change: a Big Island Beef Filet Mignon "Sandwich," for example, and a sushi duet featuring portobello mushroom and foie gras, both in kabayaki butter sauce.But the dinner's centerpiece fifth course is purposely being left blank so Fukui can wing it with whatever's fresh and available at show time.
It's stressful, Fukui says, but should prove a challenge for him and enlightening for diners as they discover ingredients and preparations they may never have considered. "That's all part of the fun of it."
Each course will be served with a wine chosen by master sommelier Chuck Furuya, many of them unusual Rieslings selected to match the sushi and island fish.
Cost is $56, $78 with wines. Call 955-0552.
Special events
Master Chefs Dinner: Marc Poidevin of Le Cirque and Circo at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas cooks alongside Philippe and Pierre Padovani tonight at Padovani's Restaurant. Poidevin's menu includes White Asparagus Salad with Sautéed Duck, Foie Gras and Black Truffle Sausage, Oxtail Consommé, Roasted Wild Scottish Partridge in Puff Pastry and Rabbit Blanquette.The Padovani brothers will match each course with their own contemporary French creations. Several desserts will follow. Cost is $110; seatings begin at 5:30 p.m. The dinner is one in a series of guest chef events at Padovani's that will continue next year. Call 946-3456.
Winez & Grindz: Chef Steven Ariel offers a five-course dinner centered on an entree of Oven-Braised Beef Short Rib on Truffled Potatoes, 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Pineapple Room. All courses are paired with wine; the short rib, for example, with Cahors, Clos la Coutale, 1997. Leading up to the entree will be Sautéed Shrimp and Manilla Clams, Salad of Five-Spice Duck Rillette and Cambazola Cheese, and Lemongrass-Steamed Onaga. Cost is $49, $64 with wine. Call 945-6573.
Give and you will receive
Bring a can of food to Dave & Buster's, and you'll receive a PowerCard with six chips to use in the Million Dollar Midway. Up to five cans may be donated per day for a total of 30 free chips. Donated food will be given to the Hawaii Foodbank.Dave & Buster's is in the Ward Entertainment Center. The PowerCard offer is good through Dec. 20. Call 589-2215.
ISLE PAGES
New releases from Hawaii authors
"Lanai & Augie's Joke of the Day": By Lanai Tabura and Augie Tulba. (Lolo Publishing, $9.95)Comprised of 13 chapters (with names like "Okinawans," "Portagees" and "Haole Stuff"), this joke book by the popular radio comedians contains quite a few rib-ticklers, but be forwarned: The humor often makes generous use of mild ethnic slurs, not to mention quite a bit of sexual innuendo. Still, if you've ever wondered "What's a Moke's idea of foreplay?" or how many Samoan guys it takes to pop popcorn, or what the number one pick-up line for Batu addicts is, or what Ethiopians and Yoko Ono have in common -- well, this is the book for you. -- Scott Vogel
"Holo Mai Pele": By Pualani Kanaka'ole Kanahele. (Pacific Islanders Communications/Edith Kanaka'ole Foundation, distributed by Native Books, Inc., $21.95)An impressive softcover book filled with photos both from the stage presentation of the Kanaka'ole sisters' epic hula and the ever-evolving landscape of the Big Island. The performance program notes and chants are presented in text form, although it doesn't replace the rich vocal performance that accompanied the hula, or, for that matter, actually experiencing this monumental theatrical work when it was staged. Still, this book makes for a nice memento. -- Gary C.W. Chun
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