Food Matters: James Beard–Themed Dining in Hawaii

by jbfauthor on October 30, 2009

When one of our board members mentioned that they had gotten wind of a yearly James Beard–themed dinner in Hawaii, we knew we had to investigate. We eventually tracked down Hilo resident Mike Middleworth, a member of a group called Wine Connection that stages wine and culinary events throughout the year. "I have always enjoyed James Beard's recipes, so it seemed very logical to produce a dinner with a menu of his dishes that call for a wine as an ingredient," Middleworth explained. "We then drink the same wine for the pairing."

This is the fourth year that Middleworth has hosted the dinner, which is attended by anywhere from 30 to 50 people, and it's always a huge success. "Beard's recipes, of course, are richer than today's healthy cooking, but you can't beat the results," says Middleworth.

The menu for the event, which was held last weekend, is below. We're charmed to see that the spirit of the dean of American cookery is alive and well in the 50th state.