La Dolce Vida @ The Four Seasons

 I was invited to attend a really special event at the Four Seasons Hualalai (recently voted the #1 resort in all of Hawaii by readers of Travel and Leisure) called La Dolce Vida: the Sweet Life. It was a fund raiser for the Kona Hospital sponsored by HI Luxury Magazine and the Four Seasons. 

It was a beautiful night on the grass near the Beach Tree. The music was incredible and the weather was perfect. We had a glorious sunset and met up with some great friends who came to the event. It was great to see part of my Four Seasons Ohana there too. But the star of the night was the FOOD!

The event was a showcase of the trip that Chef Nick of Beach Tree and his sidekick Chuck a.k.a. “Carlos”, restaurant manager made last spring while the restaurant was closed for repairs from the Tsunami. They toured wineries and restaurants in California’s Central Coast and then made their way to Italy where they wined and dined and cooked throughout their trip. They brought back more than just memories. The foods and wines that they experienced on their trip were shared with the lucky people at the event. Several stations were set up and we nibbled and sipped our way around them.

Chef Nick is a buddy of mine. I spent a day with him last fall and he even taught my friend Janet and I how to make his mother’s special recipe of gnocchi. You can read more about that, including the recipe here.

At the event I even got to meet some of my Facebook friends who I had not met in person before. They came to the event after I posted about it. One of them is beautiful Joy who is a talented hula dancer.

If you are on the Big Island, you must make a visit to the Four Seasons Hualalai and have lunch or dinner at Beach Tree where you can partake in some of Chef Nick’s Italian Inspired menu items made with mostly local ingredients. His wild boar ragu is to die for. Beach Tree is one of the best places to watch the sunset on the island.  

Four Seasons Hualalai Renovations

Nobody loves the Four Seasons Hualalai more than I do. And I wanted to share this information with you all. There have been some pretty crazy rumors going on about the property’s damages from the storm. Basically, the damage was to the landscaping and pool areas. No major structural damages were sustained. There is still work to be done to bring the property back to the pristine and polished place that it is known to be. And because the Four Seasons Hualalai is committed to absolute tranquility and the best possible experience for their guests, they have decided to stay closed for the next several weeks to make all repairs without any kind of disruption to their guests. This is obviously something that will cost the resort a huge revenue loss. Their guest standards are more important to them than the bottom line. In the end, this commitment to guest experience is what makes them what they are, a notch above all other Hawaii resorts and a favorite destination for people around the world who want to come to Hawaii.

I am looking forward to the re-opening with great anticipation! There is no doubt that I will be among the first people to be sipping a cocktail and watching the sunset at Beach Tree once it is re-opened. I will be posting updates and photos on my Facebook Page soon.  Meanwhile, here are a few pictures I have taken at the resort: 

For more looks at my experiences at the Four Seasons Hualalai click here . here and here. 

Here is the official press release, just sent out:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FOUR SEASONS RESORT HUALALAI TO REOPEN ON APRIL 30

Closure allows proper restoration of resort following tsunami damage

KONA, HAWAI‘I (March 16, 2011) – Four Seasons Resort Hualalai at Historic Ka‘upulehu, the first and only AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star resort on Hawai‘i Island, will reopen on April 30, 2011. The reopening follows a six-week closure caused by the earthquake generated tsunami resulting from the recent earthquake in Japan.

The Resort sustained damage from the storm surge, bringing water, sand and debris onto the grounds, mainly affecting pool areas, landscaping, a restaurant and 12 guest rooms and suites.

Resort staff has been instrumental in the early clean-up efforts, and will remain so throughout the restoration. The Resort intends to keep all staff employed in various capacities wherever possible.

“We had planned on opening the Resort earlier, however upon further inspection and damage assessment, we determined it best to sustain the closure until April 30, in order to limit impact on the guest experience,” says Robert Whitfield, general manager of Four Seasons Resort Hualalai. “While there is no significant structural damage, we are well aware of what our guests desire and

our need to provide that experience at the highest level possible. This additional time will allow us to polish the property in the fashion it is known for. We’d like to thank our guests for their understanding and outpouring of support, as we bring this place back to perfect form.

Our thoughts continue to be with those directly affected by this tragedy.”

All guests with reservations prior to April 30 are being contacted by the reservations team to make alternate arrangements, which include re-booking at a later date, or staying at the Resort’s sister properties on Lana‘i and Maui, and other Four Seasons properties around the world.

       

For more information and reservations, please call (800) 332-3442 or visit

www.fourseasons.com/hualalai.

Farmer's Luncheon at the Four Seasons

I had the incredible opportunity to be invited to a luncheon celebrating the local 160 farmers, ranchers and producers that Four Seasons Hualalai's Executive Chef James Babian works with. I was already aware that Jim had an extensive commitment to local and sustainable food, but I really did not understand how many farmers, ranchers and producers were involved in meeting the goal of serving up 75% local food to the guests at the Four Seasons Hualalai. That is an incredible ratio, one that is larger than any other resort on the big island, perhaps in all of Hawaii.

Chef Babian and his staff created a luncheon of local and sustainable foods to thank the people that provide them with so much. While any meal I have at the Four Seasons is a true delight, this one seemed to me to be extra special because I was dining with the people who grew the lettuces, vegetables, fruits, meats, and multiple other things that we were treated to. So many comments were made by these purveyors about how they had never been recognized in such a way and how the luncheon was a very special event for them. 

The luncheon was also a symposium about local food and there was a great deal of input about the incredible array of items that are produced right here on the big island. Everything from Ice Cream to Wild Boar was discussed and on the menu. A "wish list" was provided for the guests, to let them know what additional items are needed in quantity to provide for the needs of the food service at the Four Seasons Hualalai. I have a feeling that  the 75% ratio is going to climb in the coming year. Our island is immense and has so many elevations and an agrarian history that goes all the way back to King Kamehameha. With our climate and so many farmer's dedicated to producing quality produce, meats like wild boar and beef cheeks and processed foods like ice cream, chocolate and goat cheese we are so fortunate.

I would personally like to thank Chef Babian for his commitment to local and sustainable food and for the generosity of the Four Seasons to host such a luncheon with such aloha. I am honored to have attended and I treasure the many new friends I made while dining and taking photos.

For related posts, see the story of Chef Babian's fabulous Avocado Luncheon served up for the American Culinary Federadion's Kona Kohala Chefs or check out my blog on my day spent with Nick Matracusa the Chef of Beach Tree restaurant at the Four Seasons Hualalai. We made Gnocchi and tasted many of the fun dishes that Nick and his staff have created.

Gnocchi in Sage Cream Sauce

Last month I spent 36 magical hours at the Four Seasons Hualalai in Kona. During my visit I had the chance to dine twice at Beach Tree Restaurant and spend an afternoon with the charming Chef de Cuisine of Beach Tree, Nick Mastracusa.

I will be doing a further blog about him and the dining experience at Beach Tree, but this one is about something he taught me! I have made gnocchi before and eaten them in many forms at restaurants, but they always seem dense and doughy. Nick gave me and my friend Janet a lesson in the way his family makes gnocchi.

In Beach Tree Style, this included some awesome White Sangria

The secret is in using *00* super fine flour, ricing the potatoes and making the dough by hand. The result is a lighter fluffier pillow of pasta. When we made the Gnocchi with Nick he invited us to stay for dinner, where we would dine on the gnocchi with a slow cooked sauce made with braised oxtails. Unfortunately, I had another commitment, one which I was highly tempted to skip, but he packaged up our gnocchi, gave us sauce, fresh mozzarella and herbs and we took the goodies home to cook later. 

I made gnocchi again last night using his method, 3:2:1, three large russet potatoes, 2 cups of *00* Superfine Italian Flour, and one large egg. I had one little disaster the night before. I had set out the flour from my flour vault. We cannot buy this flour here in Hawaii and I have to import it from Italy. While I am normally a localvore, I do take exception when it comes to ethnic foods, where I believe ingredients are key and this is one of them. In the middle of the night, my kitten, Pili jumped up on the counter, grabbed the bag of flour, hauled it up two sets of stairs and across the bedroom where he proceeded to tear it apart and paint the floor with it. Fortunately I had back up flour.

For the dinner party last night, the gnocchi was a side dish and I used a Sage Cream sauce to top it. It was a gift of love to my guests.

The recipe is in this picture... a menu from the Beach Tree that Chef Nick gave me to make notes on.

Double click for detail... 

The sauce is easy too...
1/2 cup of butter
18 sage leaves chopped lightly
1/2 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of home made chicken stock.
1 cup of parmesan finely grated

While the gnocchi is boiling, melt the butter in a frying pan. Add sage leaves. When the leaves start to brown, add the cream and stock and reduce to about half. Then add the parmesan and stir for a few minutes. Add the drained gnocchi and serve. I think next time I may add some buttered bread crumbs.

Avocado Heaven at the Four Seasons

I died and went to Avocado Heaven.

Yesterday was the AFC Kona Kohala Chefs Association June meeting and luncheon hosted by the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai on the big island of Hawai'i and Executive Chef James Babian. Oh MY!  I am still in awe thinking about the 14 wonderful and creative dishes that the chefs at the Four Seasons prepared for us.

The Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers and the University of Hawaii also gave us an Avocado tasting of ten varieties that are in season right now. Ken Love, who is considered one of the world's authorities on Avocados and in Tropical Fruit in General set up the tasting with special guests from Manoa, Dr. Ted Radovich, Jyotsna Krishnakumar and Kelly Assai. In the tasting members and guests of the Kona Kohala Chefs Associaion tasted and rated 10 varieties of local Avocados and then those ten varieties were incorporated in various ways in the fantastic menu created by the Four Seasons Chefs.

Executive Chef James Babian of the Four Seasons Resort

The tasters took the assignment seriously... and happily. 

Here is the menu for the afternoon: 

Prickly Pear Gelle, Avocado Pudding and Maui Pineapple Salsa

Smoked Marlin-Ono Avocado Terrine with Umi Vinaigrette

 

Ahi Avocado Poke with Heart of Palm Salad

Avocado Flan with Grilled Kona Shrimp & Mango Salsa

One of my favorites, Wild Boar Adobo with Cilantro Lime Avocado Sauce

 

Another favorite of mine... Compressed Watermelon Carpaccio, Puna Feta Cheese

Avocado Mousse, Micro Shiso and Liquid Olives (that last part was amazing!)

Fulton Valley Organic Chicken, Puna Feta Cheese, Sharwil Avocado Salad

Up Country Palani Ranch Tri Tip, Black Bean Avocado Relish, Hawaiian Chili Pepper Tuille 

Local Grass Fed Beef Sliders with House-Made Local Accompaniments

Macadamia Nut Cake with Avocado Mousse

Dessert Table 

!

These are some of the up and coming Culinary Students that our Association Supports

After lunch... the outrigger awaits