PUHI — Veronica Lovesy of the Po‘ipu Food and Wine Festival said the best advice she can give is to get tickets early for the popular events, especially the cooking classes with Aletha Thomas and the gala Pa‘ina at Kaua‘i Community College, before the events sell out.
Tickets for the cooking classes and Pa‘ina are available online at www.poipufoodandwinefestival.com for the 5th annual event that runs from Oct. 24-27.
The opening event, a Kaua‘i Community College (KCC) Culinary Demonstration at Kaua‘i Culinary Market at The Shops at Kukui‘ula is at 5 p.m. on Oct. 19. The demonstration is free. Savory plate samples will be available for purchase with the proceeds benefiting the KCC culinary arts program.
For the first time in the festival’s history, this year’s event will feature an all-female lineup of culinary masters from the mainland, O‘ahu and Kaua‘i. The culinary masters will work side-by-side with KCC students.
Participating in this year’s Po‘ipu Food and Wine Festival are Chef Belinda Leong of b Patisserie in San Francisco, Chef Melissa Miranda of Musang in Seattle, Washington, Chef Michelle Karr-U of MW Restaurant & Artizen by MW on O‘ahu, Chef Noelani Plana of Red Salt at Koakea Resort on Kaua‘i, Chef Kristen Yanagihara of Pua Kea Grill on Kaua‘i, Chef Shannon Tomacdor of Contemporary Flavors Catering on Kaua‘i, Chef Wendy Oyama of Mark’s Place on Kaua‘i, Chef Angela Ventura of Shelter Lodge in Alaska and Chef Gida Snyder of Hloe Soreym or Crecean Manuel.
Aletha Thomas of Monkeypod Jam will lead the In the Kitchen series of cooking classes, which will offer hands-on classes at Provisions Cottage starting with the Farm Tour Cooking Class on Oct. 24 and the Farmer’s Market Cooking Class on Oct. 25.
On Oct. 26, Thomas will be hosting an Ulu Cooking Class. The series wraps up on Oct. 27 with a Kaua‘i Local Favorites Cooking Class. Tickets are available online at www.monkeypodjam.com/experiences.
The Po‘ipu Food and Wine Festival wraps up on Oct. 27 with the Pa‘ina, an exquisite epicurean experience that runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at the KCC campus where the all-female lineup of chefs will prepare an evening of gastronomical delights, perfectly paired with wines. There will also be live music and a silent auction.
A portion of the funds raised at the Pa‘ina help with the continued development of the KCC culinary arts program by providing financial assistance for students in need. The program trains about 30 to 40 students a year with many of the program’s graduates going on to find jobs in the local culinary industry.
The Pa‘ina is hosted by the Po‘ipu Beach Foundation, Kaua‘i Community College and Southwest Airlines in partnership with the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority and Kaua‘i Visitor Bureau through the Community Enrichment Program.
