MORSELS

Coffee, cake and jazz

Learn all about coffee—and taste five from Hawaii—at a discussion led by coffee scientist Shawn Steiman at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Cake Works in Moiliili.

Abigail Langlas, owner of Cake Works, will provide a dessert bar featuring both old and new treats. Also slated for the event is a performance by jazz group Meridian.

Steiman, author of “;The Hawaii Coffee Book: A Gourmet Guide from Kona to Kauai,”; provides consulting services to farmers, roasters and retailers.

Langlas worked at Alan Wong's Restaurant and as pastry chef at the Honolulu Coffee Co. before opening up her custom cake and dessert shop.

Tickets are $40. Seating is limited and reservations are required; call 946-4333.

Best tilapia meal will win $5,000

Know how to whip up a fabulous, economical fish dish? It could earn you $5,000.

Regal Springs Tilapia, the world's largest producer of the fish, is holding a contest for the best tilapia meal that costs no more than $15 and feeds a family of four.

Recipes must be original and include a tilapia entree, salad and vegetable or fruit.

Six finalists will win cash prizes; the grand prize is $5,000. The contest runs through Aug. 1.

Visit www.regalsprings.com for official rules and to enter.

Chai's cookbook wins Po'okela

Chef Chai Chaowasaree's “;The Island Bistro Cookbook”; received the 2009 Ka Palapala Po'okela Award of Excellence in the cookbook category.

The award is given out by the Hawaii Book Publishers Association. The book is priced at $32.50.

The chef is continuing to offer a special prix fixe menu at Chai's Island Bistro, featuring five courses for $55 that showcase dishes from the cookbook.

Parties of two or more who order from the menu will receive a cookbook, through June. Call 585-0011.

Explore wines with winemaker

Winemaker Steve Clifton will be at Vino on Saturday for two events: a tasting of five wines from Palmina & Tritono and Brewer Clifton, and a pairing of Clifton's wines with food by Vino chef Keith Endo.

The 5:30 p.m. tasting will feature 2006 Palmina Tocai Friulano, 2004 Brewer Clifton Pinot Noir “;Rancho Santa Rosa,”; 2005 Palmina Undici, 2003 Palmina Nebbiolo “;Sisquoc Vineyard”; and 2005 Tritono Malbec.

The menu: beef tartare and Nalo Farms baby arugula roll, with 2007 Palmina Dolcetto; lobster and lump crab ravioli, with 2005 Brewer Clifton Chardonnay “;Rancho Santa Rosa”;; and seared porcini-crusted Maui Cattle Co. New York steak with homemade tagliatelle, swiss chard and haricots verts, with 2005 Tritono Malbec.

Dinner is at 7:30 p.m.; cost is $85. Call 524-8466.

Cook-off seeks top lentil recipes

The 2009 National Lentil Festival Cook-off, held each year in Pullman, Wash., is holding a lentil recipe contest. The first-place winner will receive $1,000.

All recipes require 1/2 cup dry lentils or one cup cooked lentils and are limited to 15 ingredients. Dishes will be judged according to appearance, flavor, aroma, texture and lentil presence.

Applications for the cook-off are available at www.lentilfest.com. Recipe submissions must be postmarked by July 3. A preliminary cook-off is slated for July 30, and the top six recipes will be judged at the lentil festival in Pullman on Aug. 23.

Call (800) 365-6948 or (509) 334-3565; write National Lentil Festival, 415 N. Grand Ave., Pullman, WA 99163; e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address); or visit www.lentilfest.com.

ON THE PLATE

Culinary delights and beer on Maui

If you love food and drink, Maui is the place to be next week with “;Restaurant Week Wailea”; and the first-ever Maui Brewers Festival.

The Wailea Resort, known for its award-winning culinary talent, launches the week, featuring pre-fixe menus by 13 restaurants.

Venues will contribute to Maui Food Bank for every pre-fixe entree sold.

Call restaurants for reservations:

» Capische?: (808) 879-2224

» Duo: (808) 874-8000

» Ferraro's: (Four Seasons), (808) 874-8000

» Humuhumunukunukuapua'a: (808) 875-1234

» Joe's: (808) 875-7767

» Ko: (808) 875-4100

» Longhi's: (808) 874-8000

» Mala Wailea: (808) 875-9394

» Matteo's: (808) 874-1234

» Mulligan's: (808) 874-1131

» Nick's Fishmarket Maui: (808) 879-7224

» Ruth's Chris Steak House: (808) 874-8880

» Tommy Bahamas: (808) 875-9983

To commemorate the 15th anniversary of the Maui Arts & Cultural Center, Kona Brewing Co. is presenting the Maui Brewer's Festival, from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 30 at the center. The event features breweries, food, entertainment and door prizes.

Participating breweries: Anheuser-Busch, Boston Beer Company, Caldera Brewing, Deschutes Brewing, Hawaii Nui Brewing, InBev HI, Lost Coast Brewery, Maui Brewing Company, Michelob Brewing, Redhook Ale Brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewing and Widmer Brothers Brewing.

Pupu provided by 808 Deli & Zia Maria Gelato, Catering Creations by Vasi, Mulligans at the Wharf, Maui Brewing Co., Alexander's Famous Fish, Maui Kazowie Kettlecorn, ONO Gelato and Maui Gourmet Hot Dogs.

Tickets are $50 advance, $75 at the door, or $150/ $175 VIP.

The event is a benefit for the center's arts education and community programs. Call (808) 242-2787 or visit www.mauiarts.org.

STUFFS

LOOK » ”;Terminator: Salvation”; opens tomorrow.

LISTEN » Ukulele master Gordon Mark shares stories about his musical education and performs signature songs, from 7 to 8 tonight at the Paliku Theatre, Windward Community College. Free.

DO » Meet “;Mamma Mia!”; Broadway stars Liana Hunt and Adam Jacobs (Sophie and Sky), from 4 to 5 p.m. today at Barnes & Noble in Ala Moana Center. The pair will be signing autographs on the show's CD.

Driver survives crash, flees from Dog

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. » Police in Colorado say a driver being followed by bounty hunter Duane “;Dog”; Chapman during filming for his reality TV show was involved in a rollover crash.

It's not clear whether anyone was hurt.

Colorado Springs police say Chapman's daughter called them to say the man was trapped inside the vehicle early yesterday. But police say the man got out of the car and ran away and hasn't been found.

Authorities say Chapman and A&E's “;Dog the Bounty Hunter”; crew were pursuing a man wanted for failure to appear on a narcotics charge.