Chefs of the Future Benefit from “Christmas at the Fairmont”—Dining with the Chefs: 22 Years of Delicious!
By Devany Vickery-Davidson It’s the Big Island’s largest Christmas party and it’s all for a good-tasting, good cause. Each Christmas since 1989, The American Culinary Federation (ACF) of Kona Kohala Chefs have worked to raise funds for culinary education while…
Volcano Tree House Takes “Green” to a New Level
Devany Vickery-Davidson Tarzan and Jane never had it so good, nor did the Swiss Family Robinson. Nestled in the branches of several old-growth ‘ohia trees and perched above a lava tube in Volcano on the Big Island of Hawai‘i is…
Ocean Trash Art: Ocean Debris Becomes a Work of Art
By Devany Vickery-Davidson Few people have the talent and the vision to literally take trash to an art form. Hawai‘i Island was fortunate to have a visitor here in January that did just that. Aurora Robson, an artist who was…
Surinam Cherry: What It Is and What to Do with It
By Devany Vickery-Davidson The Surinam cherry is sometimes called the Brazilian cherry, Pitanga or Cayenne cherry. The plant is native from Surinam, Guyana and French Guiana to southern Brazil. It was first described botanically from a plant growing in a…
Rolling Into the Hearts of Hilo: Today’s Roller Derby Girls
By Devany Vickery-Davidson The Hilo Civic Auditorium has only sold out twice in the last 30 years. The first time was in November, 2010, and more recently in March of 2011. Both events were due to the huge outpouring of…
A Tower of Strawberry Love: Hanging, Hydroponic Planting Yields a Profusion of Healthy Berries
By Devany Vickery-Davidson Hawai‘i Island draws many Alaskans to her shores. There must be something about the lure of the tropics and year-round growing season especially appealing to hopeful farmers from the northern reaches of the United States. One of…
The Enchanted Gardens of Ira Ono
By Devany Vickery-Davidson In the fern forest of Volcano Village is a magical place, full of art, music, wonderful food and enchanting gardens. The spot is Volcano Garden Arts (VGA), and Ira Ono is the maestro who orchestrated this virtual…
Ken Love: Hawai‘i’s Fruit Guru & Avocado Advocate
By Devany Vickery-Davidson Ken Love personifies the word “localvore.” He has been passionately preaching about local fruits and vegetables long before it was in vogue. I first heard of Ken in 2008, when reading Adam Leith Gollner’s book, The Fruit…
Daniel T. Set to Change Waimea’s Food Scene: A New Look for a Treasured Old Building
By Devany Vickery-Davidson Any resident or visitor to Waimea has experienced the wind blowing down from the mountains on a daily basis. The winds of change are also blowing in Waimea’s food scene. Legendary chef and restaurateur Daniel Thiebaut is…
Treasures from the Sea: A Unique Farmers’ Market Comes to Kona
By Devany Vickery-Davidson Looking for live crabs and lobster? How about some local sea salt? Abalone? A free cooking class? Get the cooler out and head to NELHA! On the last Friday of each month Hawai’i Island residents are afforded…
Hilo Coffee Mill: More Than Java
By Devany Vickery-Davidson Most people immediately think of Kona when you say Hawai‘ian Coffee. But things are changing in that realm. There is fine coffee being grown on other islands and there are fantastic coffees being grown in Hilo, north…
Hidden Treasures: Hilo Bay Café
By Devany Vickery-Davidson Hilo Bay Café sits in an unpretentious strip mall in a busy Wal-Mart shopping center, and regardless of what the location suggests, they are consistently producing some of the finest and most innovative food on Hawai’i Island.…
Mama Mia! It’s All Homemade: House-Cured Meats, Garden-Fresh Veggies and Homemade Breads—in Gourmet Pizza
By Devany Vickery-Davidson In a quiet little corner of Hilo something very special is going on. Not only are great pizzas with locally grown and made ingredients being created, but so are sausages, cured meats and an assortment of bread…
