New kids cooking classes at Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort feature exotic Hawaii-grown foods
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – The answer is: It’s a type of cactus, and yes, the flesh is sweet and edible.
The dragonfruit is also one of several kinds of Hawaii-grown foods that youngsters can learn about at a free cooking class for kids being offered this summer for guests staying at the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort on Hawaii’s Big Island. The new class is a fun way for young travelers to experience some of Hawaii’s locally grown foods from a professional chef, and how to make yummy treats from them.
Taught by Jason Koppinger, the hotel’s energetic executive chef, the kids cooking class will be available on select Wednesdays between June 28 through August 9, 2006, from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. Participating children will learn to make simple recipes like smoothies or cupcakes using such locally grown ingredients as dragonfruit, lychee, white pineapple, guava, banana and jackfruit. (Specific fruits subject to availability.) The program is being
supported by the Hawaii Department of Agriculture and the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers Association.
Earlier this year, Koppinger earned two of the country’s most prestigious professional designations from the American Culinary Federation (ACF): Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator. „We love to tell our guests they have got to try some of the wonderful foods that are raised locally on the Big Island, everything from tomatoes and lobster to dragonfruit and ginger,“ said Mark Burson, director of food & beverage for the Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort and vice president of ACF’s Big Island Chapter. „For our very young guests, this cooking class is a fun
way for us to share some of our more exotic foods in a really fun way.“
A special „Kids‘ Cooking Class“ rate of $139 per night is available at the hotel for families who will be participating in the cooking class. For reservations and to sign up for the Kids‘ Cooking Class, call toll-free 1-877-532-8468 and ask for extension 2515. Locally, the reservations number is 808-324-2515. All participants in the cooking class must be accompanied by a responsible adult or parent. Rates are per room, per night, two persons sharing. Subject to availability and change. Taxes not included. Cannot be combined with other offers. Outrigger’s Family Plan allows children 17 years
and younger to stay free in the room when sharing with parents in existing beds.
The Outrigger Keauhou Beach Resort is located in scenic Kailua-Kona, adjacent to Kahaluu Bay Beach Park. The hotel offers meeting facilities, restaurants, salon and spa services, tennis courts, pool, shopping, ancient historical sites and Hawaiian cultural programs for adults and children. For more information about the hotel, visit www.outriggerkeauhou.com.
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About Outrigger Hotels & Resorts
Outrigger Hotels & Resorts is a family-owned and operated company deeply committed to providing authentic island hospitality in premiere destinations throughout the Pacific. Each Outrigger property embraces the local culture to create a true sense of place for guests. Outrigger Hotels & Resorts and OHANA Hotels & Resorts are divisions of Outrigger Enterprises, Inc., Hawaii’s largest locally owned hospitality-company and one of the fastest-growing hotel companies in the Pacific managing over 50 properties
with more than 12,000 rooms in Hawaii, Australia, Micronesia, Fiji, Tahiti and New Zealand. For reservations or information, call your preferred travel professional or Outrigger Hotels & Resorts toll-free at 1-800-OUTRIGGER (688-7444) within the U.S., Guam and Canada. Elsewhere call 303 369 7777.
For online information or reservations, Internet users can log onto
www.outrigger.com.
