One doesn't often see the word moi, as in the fish, outside Hawaii — but it appeared in the James Beard Foundation newsletter last week under the heading, “;Eat this Word.”;

Moi was once prized by Hawaii's high chiefs, the newsletter explained, without any detail about the fate that would befall a commoner caught eating the delicacy that was actually kapu — reserved for those high chiefs' exclusive consumption.

Moi, or Pacific threadfin, were raised in traditional Hawaiian fishponds until “;the post-colonial dissolution of the island's indigenous political structure led to the cessation of this ancient fish-farming technique,”; the newsletter said.

Now farmed in offshore open-sea cages, moi is available to the masses, as the Star-Bulletin previously has reported.

Moi appeared in the newsletter because of a May 13 dinner at the Beard House in New York, to be prepared by five Denver-area chefs.

They will showcase, the newsletter informs us, “;the rich culinary traditions of the Mile-High City.”;

And moi is on the menu?

“;Though they can't bring the mountain air and spectacular setting with them, these five hyper-talented chefs promise to recreate the exciting, high-altitude cuisine for which they have earned national acclaim,”; it exclaims.

Again, moi is on the menu?

Indeed, it is: Crispy Hawaiian moi with roasted Olathe corn, Pueblo asparagus, lightly smoked trout salad, and truffled kabayaki dressing.

Some of the other rich culinary traditions the Colorado chefs will present include Korean-barbecued foie gras, as an appetizer. Another appetizer will be Ahi Tuna-Lobster rolls. You gotta excuse. Mainland people don't know that saying ahi tuna is redundant — like saying tuna-tuna.

Kaiser's kabuki

Kaiser Permanente has two new TV commercials airing, though only one runs in Hawaii and it is titled “;Kabuki.”;

The musical-themed spot features a Kaiser health team, none with apparent Hawaii ties, but they employ techniques in the 30-second performance derived from the ancient Japanese theatrical genre. Note the black-clad figures that help the action move along. There is no pasty-white makeup, however.

It will run in addition to the “;Share the Breath”; spot that debuted last year.

“;We have gotten incredibly positive feedback on it,”; said Jan Kagehiro, director of member and marketing communications for Kaiser in Hawaii.

“;We typically air two spots per rotation so we chose 'Kabuki' to be our second spot, as it conveys our team approach to care,”; she said.

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