Dine with chefs this Saturday

One of the Big Island’s most festive culinary fundraising events of the year is coming up this Saturday, and would make an excellent gift for family, friends, and yourself. “Christmas at Kamakahonu: Dining with the Chefs” now in its 28th year, will feature the talents of more than 20 chefs in the ACF Kona-Kohala Chefs Association with holiday-worthy cuisine, both savory and sweet, plus handcrafted ales, wines, pure Kona coffee, and live music by the Bill Noble Trio. Dancing and a silent auction will add to the fun.

Held seaside under the stars at the Courtyard King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel from 5-8:30 p.m., this magical event will benefit local culinary students attending our Hawaii Community College — Palamanui and continuing education for Big Island chefs, which in turn benefits all of us who enjoy eating out. Tickets are $85 in advance or $90 at the door, and can be purchased online at www.konakohalachefs.org or charged by phone at 329-2522.

The always gracious and talented Chef Paul Heerlein, who is a major force behind the culinary school’s success, has shared recipes to whet your appetite.

Lomi lomi tomato cappuccino with salmon gravlox crostini

This has four parts and may look daunting, but much can be made in advance and is not too difficult. If you do not wish to make your own salmon gravlax (takes a couple of days to cure) you can purchase 3-5 ounces of good quality smoked salmon as a substitute. Recipe by Paul Heerlein, CCE,CCC; associate crofessor/coordinator, Culinary Arts Program, Hawaii Community College — Palamanui; makes 10 servings.

Tomato cappuccino:

5.25 pounds fresh tomatoes, cut into small dice

1 pound sweet Maui onions, cut into small dice

1 cup green onions, finely minced

Hawaiian salt, to taste

Place all ingredients in a stainless steel saucepan and lomi (massage) the ingredients. Reserve a few tablespoons for the crostini garnish. Simmer for 15 minutes; remove from heat. Cool slightly, puree and strain through a food mill or large mesh strainer. Soup can be made in advance, chilled overnight in refrigerator and reheated to serve.

To serve, reheat tomato broth and top with foamed milk and freshly ground black pepper (this gives the appearance of cocoa powder).

Lomi lomi (salmon gravlox):

1 pound salmon fillet, skin on and pin bones removed

½ cup sugar

½ cup kosher salt

2 teaspoons fresh dill

½ ounce fresh lemon juice

1 pinch fresh cracked black pepper

Mix the sugar, salt, and dill to make the dry cure. Place the salmon on a large sheet of cheese cloth, skin side down. Brush lemon on the fish. Season the salmon generously with the cure. Wrap the filet loosely in the cheesecloth and place in a perforated hotel pan set in a regular hotel pan. Top with a second hotel pan and a 2-pound weight. Cure the fish under refrigeration for 3 days. After the third day, scrape off the cure. Slice the salmon thinly for service.

Sun dried tomato spread:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

1 green onion, finely minced

¼ cup sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped

¼ teaspoon each: salt and cracked white pepper

Mix all ingredients in a small dish; set aside.

Lomi lomi crostini:

Cut slices of French bread on the diagonal, (in the shape of biscotti), Brush slices with olive oil and toast the crostini in the oven. Spread a thin coating of the sun dried tomato spread on top of the crostini, garnish with a thin slice of gravlox and a little lomi lomi tomato. Place the crostini on top of the tomato cappuccino to serve.

The Palamanui culinary students offer amazing lunches on select Fridays when classes are in session. I’ve been told that a gift certificate for one of these on-campus luncheons may be included as a silent auction item at this Saturday’s fundraiser. Last September, they did a “Taste of Sri Lanka” luncheon that included a coconut fry bread served with sambal, a sweet-spicy onion relish; recipes by Madeleine Le Bourveau, a second year culinary student at the college.

Coconut roti

This is a traditional bread that you cook quickly in a cast iron skillet and keep warm until ready to serve. Recipe makes 32 small roti, perfect for a buffet or dinner party.

8 cups all-purpose flour

4 cups grated coconut

8 green chilis, minced

4 teaspoons salt

5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 cups warm water

Oil for frying

In a large bowl, combine flour, coconut, chilies, salt and oil. Using your hands, work the oil into mixture until well distributed. Gradually add water until you have a soft dough that’s not too sticky, Knead dough in bowl about 3 minutes until smooth and pliable. Cover bowl with a clean towel; let sit 1 hour or longer.

Divide dough into 8 pieces, then divide each piece into 4, for a total of 32 pieces; shape into balls. Using the palms of your hands, press each ball into a small round roughly ¼-inch thick. Keep uncooked dough covered with the towel while you cook batches of roti, so dough doesn’t dry out. Brush a cast iron skillet with a scant bit of oil; heat over medium high. When hot, cook roti in batches until browned on both sides, about 2-3 minutes per side. Take care not to overcook, or they will be too hard. Keep warm in foil while cooking remaining roti.

Seeni sambal:

10 tablespoons cooking oil

5-inch cinnamon stick

10 whole cloves

10 cardamom pods

10 curry leaves

About 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 pounds red onions, peeled, sliced, then finely chopped

5 tablespoons chili powder

5 teaspoons salt, or to taste

2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

2 1/2 tablespoons tamarind paste, mixed with enough water to make juice consistency

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan over low heat. Add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and curry leaves; stir lightly. Add onions and saute’ for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add chili powder, salt, sugar and tamarind juice; stir well to coat onions. Cook another 5 to 8 minutes or until mixture turns brown; remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving. Serve the sambal with bread or yellow rice.