Mahalo!
Celebrated chefs and culinary thought leaders joined us for our inaugural conference, Near and Far 2022: Cool Ideas, Hot Food! The Culinary Institute of the Pacific gathered inspired thinkers and food innovators for deep dive conversations and panel discussions on the intersection of food, culture and media.
WATCH Near and Far 2022 video
PHOTO GALLERY: Koji Workshops at CIP Welcome Reception Near and Far 2022
2022 speakers
Full schedule
Near and Far 2022
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Check in.
9:00 a.m. Welcome
9:10 a.m.
How a Local Future Can Save Hawai’i (and the World)
Linguist, author, and filmmaker Helena Norberg-Hodge (virtual) will share her ideas about localism and her vision for an “economics of happiness.” Hodge is also the founder of international non-profit organization Local Futures, a pioneer of the new economy movement, and will speak about revitalizing cultural and biological diversity and strengthening local communities.
9:25 a.m.
Bites and Bytes – Building and Sharing Your Story
Featuring Eric Kim, Katie Chin and Kevin Yim! ln this content-heavy world, a well-told and shared story is vital to building community, your brand and relationships. Eric Kim a New York Times staff writer and the author of Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home will lead the audience in an interactive writing exercise about your earliest or best food memory. Kim was previously the digital manager at Food Network and a senior editor at Food52. He now hosts regular videos on NYT Cooking’s YouTube channel. A former contributing editor at Saveur, Kim also taught writing and literature at Columbia University. Joining Eric are Kevin Yim and Katie Chin. Kevin is the Vice President of Marketing & Communications for FCH Enterprises, the parent brand of Zippy’s Restaurants. Prior to Zippy’s, he led marketing teams at other iconic Hawai‘i brands, such as Hawaiian Airlines and Bank of Hawaii. Katie left a career as a Los Angeles film and TV marketing executive to follow in the culinary footsteps of her mother—creator of the Minnesota Chinese restaurant chain Leeann Chin. Today Katie is a food entrepreneur, the author of five cookbooks, owner of Wok Star Catering and is the LA co-chair of Mayor Garcetti’s #AAPILA Task Force.
Moderated by Ryan Ozawa
10:25 a.m 10 minute break
10:35 a.m.
The Way Home
From the kitchens of Chez Panisse and Daniel back to finding his roots in the first tastes of his mother’s cooking, Chef and filmmaker of Emmy-nominated Bloodline, Tu David Phu shares about his food journey and the importance of knowing who you are and where you came from. His family has produced small-batch artisanal Phu Quoc Fish Sauce, considered the Champagne of fish sauces, since 1895.
11:35 a.m.
Lunch and Lineage: My Mother’s Kitchen
Listen to a Q&A of the chefs’ first tastes and memories while enjoying lunch with Chef Tu David Phu, Andrew Le, chef and co-owner of The Pig & The Lady and Piggy Smalls; Jared Kaya, CIP graduate and executive chef of Deck. at Queen Kapi‘olani Hotel.
Lunch and Lineage: Flavors from Home
12:35 p.m.
Getting Koji with It!
Join renowned local chef Alan Wong in an interactive audience tasting on miso and koji. Wong is one of 12 co-founders of Hawaiʻi Regional Cuisine, who collaborated together over three decades ago to create and promote a new American regional cuisine, highlighting Hawaiʻi’s locally grown ingredients and diverse ethnic styles. In 1996, Wong was awarded the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Pacific Northwest and Santé Magazine honored him as Chef of the Year in 2007.
1:15 p.m.
Start Me Up!
Learn how koji makes anything taste better! Rich Shih and Jeremy Umansky, coauthors of Koji Alchemy: Rediscovering the Magic of Mold-Based Fermentation (Soy Sauce, Miso, Sake, Mirin, Amazake, Charcuterie) will show you how to elevate your everyday cooking skills using koji. From easy ideas on how to get started, to how to make your own koji, Shih and Umansky will also speak about how a centuries-old food art can support a more secure and regenerative food future especially for island cultures such as Hawaiʻi.
2:15 p.m.
Near and Far
Hawaiʻi’s food creators and producers are at the forefront of the locavore movement. Dr. Dave Evans, University of Hawai‘i Kapi‘olani Community College professor of travel and tourism moderates a panel of local innovators to examine the challenges and opportunities of tourism and agriculture to support a more circular economy and healthier community sustained by a regenerative natural environment. Panelist include:
Pomai Weigert, GoFarmHawai’i, AgBusiness marketing consultant
Adam Watten, Common Ground Kaua‘i, director of food systems
Mike Pollard, Honoka’a Chocolate, co- founder
3:15 p.m.
Our Future is Local
Kuhio Lewis, CEO of Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement shares the challenges and opportunities for local non-profits and small business as we work toward a visitor experience that is additive vs. detractive and why our future is local.
Helena Norberg-Hodge is back for a live (virtual) conversation on near and far, how communities can thrive by adopting an economics of happiness mindset and the transformative power of food.
4:30 p.m. Farm to Glass Cocktail Reception
Farm to Glass Pau Hana
Sip, mingle and munch on delicious field to plate bites prepared by Deck. Chef de Cuisine and CIP graduate Jared Kaya. Cocktails and mocktails crafted from farm fresh local ingredients will be featured. Featured farmers and beverage makers include:
Beer Lab Hawai‘i
•
Islander Sake
•
Deck.
•
Makaha Mangoes
•
Kupu Place
•
Mana Ai
Support for this conference is generously provided by:
