Food historian Rachel Laudan will present a free lecture, “;Six Essential Steps to Creating a Regional Cuisine,”; at 10 a.m. Monday at Kapiolani Community College.

Rachel Laudan

Laudan, a former University of Hawaii professor, is the author of a leading local food references, “;The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawaii's Culinary Heritage,”; published in 1996 by UH Press.

She now lives in Mexico and has been working on developing regional cuisines with cooks, chefs, tour guides and tourist boards. Her talk, in Ohia Room 118, will focus on how this is done in various countries.

Seating is limited; for reservations call 941-9088.

Laudan is in town to deliver the keynote address at this weekend's annual conference of Les Dames d'Escoffier International, a society of professional women in the fields of food, fine beverage and hospitality. The group meets tomorrow through Saturday at the Halekulani and Waikiki Parc Hotels, drawing 150 attendees from 27 chapters in the United States and Canada.

Hosted by the Honolulu chapter of Les Dames, the conference takes as its theme “;Tradewinds of Change”; and will feature seminars and events focused on Hawaii's food and culture.