After a one-year hiatus, the Taste of Puna Cookoff was held once again this past May 15th. Sorry I'm late with this post, but my computer was giving me all sorts of troubles and finally died....but you don't want to read about that...You want to know about the contest!
The entries in all three categories were all beautiful and delicious...the judges had a very good time tasting and it was hard to choose winners.
Carl Okuyama,owner of Foodland in the Kea'au Shopping Center and founder of the Taste of Puna some 13 years ago; Valerie Ferrari, Director of Marketing for the shopping center and Steve Hansen, the 'Big Island Event Guy' did a great job of planning and coordinating this fun event.
The Taste of Puna stresses the use of Puna grown, raised or produced foods, and recipes were judged not only by taste, presentation and creativity but also by the use of locally grown products.
The Pupu Category:
1st Place - Noel Morata with his beautiful Fluffy Ravioli, Bok Choy and Papaya - these flat raioli were deliciously delicate and almost like 'stuffed crepes' with a papaya sauce drizzled over them. This dish was a very elegant presentation.
2nd Place: Amanda Fergerstrom with her innovative Aunty Tita's Island Taco - fresh lettuce served as the wrap under the veggies which composed the filling. Light and tasty topped with an avocado slice. I would have loved a squirt of lime over it!
3rd Place - Lisa Velez with a local kine version of 'Taco Dejas' - a combination of Puerto Rican and Hawaiian ingredients plus their own garden tomatoes, ginger, limes and onions, The masa for the pastry made use of taro flour.
The Entree Category:
1st Place - Peter Kaluna with a delicious Mauna Loa Morning brunch combination - almost a bit too much to eat, the judges could not get enough. The French Taost was made with thick slabs of Hawaiian sweet bread dipped in egg batter and then in a mixture of chopped macadamia nuts, flaked coconut and ground up Corn Flakes all mixed and toasted. Served along with the French Toast were Purple Sweet Potato Hash and "Lava Rocks" Goat Cheese, Puna "Best Bee's" Honey and Vanilla Creme Anglaise. A carved papaya served as container for a rich Kea'au Papaya, Banana and Spirulina Smoothie.
2nd Place - Graciano del Mar with Ohelo Berry Coconut Shrimp - the use of ohelo berries was inspired in this delicately creamy and delicious shrimp presentation.
3rd Place - Bill Eger and a Paniolo Style Old Fashioned Meat Loaf, Mashed Potatoes and Salad - I loved the meat loaf cooked in the old fashioned black cast iron Dutch Oven. The mashed potatoes were very creamy and the use of their Mountain View home grown combination of Tellicherry black and red pepper gave it a distinct flavor. The side of salad included watercress also grown in his home garden.
The Dessert Category:
1st Place - Sunserene Queveda with a wonderful Pumpkin Creme Brulee. By far the best pumpkin flan or creme brulee I've ever tasted. Sunserene grew the pumpkins herself and then roasted it to get a nice flavor. I'm sure the creaminess and smooth texture was also due to the use of her own chikens' freshest eggs.
2nd Place - Tiari Correa with her Guavalicious Guava Cheesecake - a combination of shortbread and cheesecake plus the creamy guava filling gave this delicious dessert three distinct textures. A drizzle of guava syrup added a final touch.
3rd Place - Shane Hanaoka's ono Banana Liliko'i Upside-Down Cake - The youngest contestant has a bright future in the culinary world. Shane is a first year student at the Hawai'i Community College School of Culinary Arts in Hilo. Imua, Shane!
I know my fellow judges had as hard a time as I just tasting the entries. The dishes were all so good we wouldn't have minded eating every last bit of each!
Looks like it was a great time.. The pumpkin Creme Brulee looks delicious and yummy..
Posted by: Creme Brulee | July 19, 2010 at 01:06 AM
Everything was all delicious, Portia. It was hard to make a decision....We even had a tie vote and one of the organizers had to break the tie!
Posted by: Sonia | June 02, 2010 at 03:31 PM
Sorry I'm late in reading this post,Sonia. It all looks magnificent, but my vote, vicariously, is for the pumpkin creme brulee.
Portia
Posted by: Portia Little | June 02, 2010 at 03:21 PM
I too thought it was quite amazing there were no overlaps. We do have some wonderful foods here and it was reflected in que quality of the entries.
Congratulations on your win. I would love to have the recipe for the ravioli!
Posted by: Sonia | May 31, 2010 at 06:06 AM
Aloha Sonia,
That was a fun event and your right from the photos, it does look amazing with the selections and ingredients used, they were all so different. I'm surprised there was no overlapp, shows how creative cooks are in puna. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by: noel | May 31, 2010 at 01:41 AM
Janice, besides the samples the judges tasted, there was tastings for the general public. I doubt there was anything left to sell or take home!
Posted by: Sonia | May 30, 2010 at 06:50 PM
Oh my! Yum, yum, and triple yum! Look at all that delectable temptation borne of homegrown Puna culinary talent! I am soooo sorry I missed that event. What became of the winning entry dishes? Did they go home with someone, or did they get sold, or...?
Posted by: Janice | May 30, 2010 at 06:29 PM
Mahalo, Bonnie. It all was delicious and very nicely presented!
Posted by: Sonia | May 30, 2010 at 06:03 PM
Mouth Watering! I love food! The presentation is great!
Posted by: Bonnie Bonsai | May 30, 2010 at 05:48 PM