COMING UP

Martin Yan hosts demos at Splendor of China event

Chef Martin Yan will host cooking demonstrations and sign his 27th cookbook at the Splendor of China cultural event this weekend at Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.

Yan, host of the PBS series “;Martin Yan's China”; (his new cookbook has the same name and is a companion to the TV show) demonstrates his cooking techniques at 6:30 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. Sunday. A book signing and sale of his knives takes place at 10:15 a.m. Sunday.

As a preview, Yan and Hawaii chef Rodney Uyehara will match cooking and chopping skills at the Sheraton Moana's Beachhouse Restaurant at 5:30 p.m. Friday.

Splendor of China runs from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $6; $4 military. Call 533-3181 or visit www.SplendorofChina.com.

Concert features masters of zither

Whither the zither? A concert Saturday at the University of Hawaii will demonstrate the essence of the kayagum - 12-string Korean zither - featuring performances by 20 masters of the instrument.

The concert of traditional and contemporary works takes place at 7:30 p.m. at Orvis Auditorium, presenting members of the Korean Zither Musicians' Association who are teaching at major Korean universities.

Presale tickets are $15; $10 seniors, military, students, UH faculty and staff; $5 UH students. At the door, all prices will be $5 more. Visit www.etickethawaii.com/orc.html.

St. Francis Day fair offers pet blessing

Take your pet to church Saturday, to the Blessing of the Animals at Cathedral Church of Saint Andrew.

The noon blessing, part of the St. Francis Day Fair and Picnic, consists of a service led by the Rev. Timothy Sexton. An Adoption Fair and Picnic - with free lunch and animals available for adoption - runs from 12:30 to 2 p.m.

All animals must be on a leash or in a carrier. The church is in Queen Emma Square, corner of Beretania and Alakea streets.

Call 524-2822.

MORSELS

Octobeerfest aids Hawaii charities

Suck 'em up for a good cause tomorrow at the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Octobeerfest, 6 to 9 p.m. at the Sheraton Waikiki Ballroom.

Fifty beers and the food to soak it up with, plus entertainment and a silent auction, are all part of the evening, which benefits a number of local charities.

Tickets are $55 in advance; $70 at the door - available at the University of Hawaii Ticket Office, online at www.eTicketHawaii.com or call 548-2695.

For those who'd rather not drive after that much celebrating, the Sheraton is offering special overnight and weekend room rates. Call 921-4610 and ask for the OCTFEST rate.

Kaneohe dinner is macrobiotic

Chef Leslie Ashborn's macrobiotic dinners make the move over the mountains, debuting in Kaneohe on Oct. 10.

On the menu: Carrot Coconut Bisque Soup, Tofu and Vegetable Quiche, Green Rolls (vegetable sushi), Summery Arame Sea Vegetable Salad and Blueberry Crunch.

Dinner will be served from 6 to 8 p.m. in a private home. Cost is $30. Call for location: 398-2695 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Payment must be made by Monday.

Cooking classes at Macy’s, Servco

Upcoming cooking classes:

Tony Liu:
He'll cook at Macy's
on Monday

Macy's Ala Moana: Chef Tony Liu of New York's Morandi restaurant will prepare a menu of Raw Squash Salad and Orecchiette with Sausage and Broccoli Rabe in the fourth-floor demonstration kitchen, 5 p.m. Monday. Free. Call 945-5894.

Servco Showroom: Chef Elmer Guzman of the Poke Stop hosts a hands-on cooking class, 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 9. Participants will prepare, then taste, a fall menu: Truffled Cream of Kabocha Soup, Stuffed Quail and Banana and Blueberry Bread Pudding. Guzman's classes repeat on the second Thursday of the month through December. Cost is $125. Call 258-5448 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Servco is at 2841 Pukoloa St., in Mapunapuna.

Bay Area chefs headline benefit

The chefs who keep the staffs fed at the corporate offices of Facebook and Google will headline a benefit dinner for Kona's Hulihe'e Palace on Oct. 18.

“;Kahea 'O Hulihe'e, e Hele Mai e 'Ai - A Call From Hulihe'e to Come and Share,”; runs from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Keauhou Bay Resort and Spa.

The event features Bay Area chefs Josef Desimone and Michael Dean Spinks of Facebook and Brian Mattingly and Karen Sakata of Google.

Joining them will be Jeffrey Mora, chef for the Los Angeles Lakers, James Waller and Saul Romero of the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa, Stanton Ho of California's Chocolates a la Carte and Kristina Karlicki of Utah's Stein Eriksen Lodge.

Hawaii chef Sam Choy of Kona leads the local contingent, which includes Beverly Gannon, DK Kodama, Eric Rouelle, William Trask, Jackie Lau, Jason Verdun, Arnold Arellano, Daniel Thiebaut and Chris Fagan.

Tickets are $125 pre-sale; $150 at the door. Proceeds will go toward preservation efforts at the palace, which suffered $1.5 million in damage in the 2006 earthquake. Call (808) 329-9555 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).