Students training for culinary contest

They've aced one competition, but they're still preparing for battle.

Culinary students Keaka Lee, Tate Nakano-Edwards and Rena Suzuki won the 2008 Tom & Warren Matsuda Scholarship Culinary Competition last fall. They also won spots on the American Culinary Federation's Hawaii team.

So now they're in training with fellow team members San Shoppell, Anna Hirano and Kenley Yi to compete in the ACF Regional Competition in Seattle next month. The winners of four regional contests go to Orlando in July for the nationals.

On Saturday, the Matsuda scholarship winners showed off some of that winning form at a demonstration and tasting at Sub-Zero/Wolf Showroom. On Monday, the full team hosts a dinner at Roy's Hawaii Kai to raise funds for their Seattle trip.

Each student chef has been paired with a professional to work one-on-one on their dishes. The mentors: chefs Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong, Hiroshi Fukui, Lindsey Ozawa and Rodney Uyehara.

The dinner is sold out, but donations to support the students may be made to the University of Hawaii Foundation (mark them “;Student ACF Fund”;), P.O. Box 11270, Honolulu 96828. For online donations, visit http://www.uhf.hawaii.edu.

Dinner gala aids Honolulu Festival

What goes with friends? Food, they say, which brings us to the Friendship Gala, a benefit for this weekend's Honolulu Festival.

The dining event, 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Hawaii Convention Center, features signature dishes from restaurants including 3660 on the Rise, Alan Wong's Restaurant, Chef Mavro, Nobu Waikiki, Roy's Hawaii Kai and Tango Contemporary Cafe.

Tickets are $85. Call 596-3327. For a schedule of other Honolulu Festival events visit, http://www.honolulufestival.com.

Learn recipes to improve health

The Green House begins a monthly lecture series on macrobiotic cooking, “;Our Bodies, Ourselves,”; with a lesson on the kidneys, 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.

Throughout the series, chef Kathy Maddux will address ways to improve the health of the major organs of the body through good nutrition, and demonstrate plant-based dishes that keep them healthy.

Also coming up at the Green House is “;Cooking Revelations with Raul,”; 9 a.m. to noon March 21, featuring recipes for seafood and spring vegetable dishes.

Cost for either session is $35. Registration required; visit http://www.thegreenhousehawaii.com or call 524-8427.

Shell out for crab at Rotary event

If crab is one of your passions, you can fill up this weekend at the Rotary Club of Ala Moana's Crab Fest, 5:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the Kapiolani Community College Cafeteria.

It's $75 for all the Dungeness crab you can eat. The only rule is you can't take any home (please, it's a fundraiser, don't be greedy).

There'll be a cash bar so you can buy what you like to wash it all down. And if you need to walk around to let the crab settle before you eat some more, cruise the silent auction. Also on tap: a live auction and other entertainment.

Proceeds support KCC culinary scholarships and Rotary projects ($30 of each ticket is tax-deductible).

Call 955-6493.