Music teachers host recitals

The Hawaii Music Teachers Association convention includes a pair of public performances at Orvis Auditorium on the University of Hawaii-Manoa campus:

» Friday: Recital featuring pianist Helen Marlais and clarinetist Arthur Campbell; 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20.

» Monday: State Honors Recital for winners of the piano and string competitions; 7:30 p.m. Also featured: the premiere of Jon Magnussen's “;Canticum,”; by Hawaii Youth Opera Chorus. Cost is $5.

The convention will include student competitions, workshops and master classes this weekend. Call 398-0565.

Ward Centers offers benefit sale

Ward Centers presents a three-day shopping extravaganza, “;Festival of Giving”; Friday through Sunday.

A $10 ticket provides shoppers with discounts at nearly 100 participating shops and restaurants.

Nonprofit groups that began selling tickets in September will keep all the ticket earnings. Last year, the event raised more than $73,000 for more than 50 groups.

Among the specials offered are buy-one-get-one free deals and merchandise discounts at a variety of shops. For a list of participating organizations, visit www.wardcenters.com or call 591-8411.

Give A Little

You can help battle hunger with a check-out line gift

Kraft Foods' annual “;Check Out Hunger”; program begins today in supermarkets statewide.

For the 15th year, shoppers can easily set aside cash for the Hawaii Foodbank by having a donation added to their bill in the check-out line. Simply tear off a bright green coupon at check-out: $2.81 feeds a child breakfast for a week, $12.43 feeds a senior lunch for a month, $16.84 feeds a family for a week.

Kraft Foods Hawaii is starting things off with a $5,000 donation to the Hawaii Foodbank.

Last year's program raised more than $140,000. The campaign runs through Jan. 13.

Morsels

Abalone arrives at KCC market

Big Island abalone, previously available on Oahu only to restaurants, is now being sold at the Kapiolani Community College Saturday Farmers' Market twice a month.

Boxes of Kona Coast Ezo Awabi, vacuum-sealed and fully pressure-cooked, are available at $19 per 3.5-ounce box from Big Island Abalone Corp., which says the unopened packages can be kept as long as two years.

The abalone is grown at the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii near the Kona Airport.

Sales at KCC began Oct. 25 and will continue this weekend and every second Saturday thereafter. Orders are also being taken for live abalone. Call (808) 989-8852.

Whole Foods store offers 'value tours'

For all those who think of Whole Foods Market as “;Whole Paycheck,”; the store is offering classes on seeking out the value in its aisles.

“;Value Tours,”; held at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and 11 a.m. Saturdays, offer tips from insiders during a store tour.

The Kahala Mall store offers other regular classes:

» “;Wellness Wednesdays,”; a lecture by lifecoach Jan Barosh.
» “;Raw Foods,”; a lecture and demonstration by chef Skya on eating organic, vegan and raw.
» Local Healthy Cooking, a class by macrobiotic chef Leslie Ashburn on using fresh, local, organic ingredients.
For class times or to reserve a spot, visit the store's customer service desk.

Chef teaches 3-course cooking

Chef Raul Bernal teaches “;The French-American Connection,”; a class on preparing a simple three-course meal using fresh local ingredients, from 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 15 at the Green House in Pauoa.

Cost is $25, including recipes and food sampling. Registration required. Call 524-8427 or visit www.thegreenhousehawaii.com.