Announcing: Virtual Vacation Contest!

Now that the holidays are behind us and memories of festivities fade with each passing day, there's little relief on the horizon for the working stiff. Most people save their vacations for the summer, and aside from scatter shot holidays there's not much time off between now and then. The next few months are basically vacation-free. Who says we can't celebrate a virtual vacation anyway?

Alan of Ma`ona and Reid of `Onokinegrindz are hosting a one-time food blog event, the Virtual Vacation Contest. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to think back to a memorable vacation and recreate a dish you had for the first time while traveling. Write about the dish, and possibly the stories behind it. Where were you, and what were you doing on that vacation? How successful were you at recapturing the flavors and sensations? Why is the dish important to you?

Then send an email by February 10th to virtualvacation@maona.net containing your name, the name of your blog, the permalink to your post, your location and (we're almost done) typical weather for your location in early February. Please make sure to include the words "Virtual Vacation Contest" in the subject line of your email. Reid and I will post a round-up of the entries soon after.

But wait, there's more! This is a contest after all, and what's a contest without a prize? We're in the process of selecting a panel of judges who will read all the entries and pick da kine to be the recipient of an `ono hand-picked gift basket of food from here in Hawaii. Don't stress over the contest aspect though. This is vacation, right? Rule #1 is to relax and enjoy yourself!

Your vacation spot could have been anywhere in the world, but if you're looking for inspiration of the tropical variety, these are Hawaiian food blogs from here and abroad:

→ AlohaMa's Kitchen (Yvette, the Big Island)
→ Big Island Grindz (James, the Big Island)
→ The Free Range Gourmet (Larry, Oahu)
→ Kaukau Time! (Reggie, Oahu)
→ Ma`ona (Alan, Oahu)
→ mmm-yoso!!! (Kirk, now in California)
→ Nattokun (Jupiter, Oahu)
→ `Onokinegrindz (Reid, Oahu)
→ A Passion for Food (Kathy, now in California)
→ Rubber Slippers in Italy (Rowena, now in Italy)

Any questions? If not, grab your beach towel and sunscreen then head to the kitchen. Mahalo for participating!