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On the menu for Key Ingredients

what: "Key Ingredients: America by Food" traveling exhibit

where: Maui Community College's Ka'a'ike Building (enter via

Wahinepio Ave. parking lot)

when: Now through April 12

hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday; closed Sundays and holidays

cost: Free; donations accepted

Free Movie Showings

6 p.m. at Pa'ina Building, with refreshments

"Big Night" Friday

The story of two Italian brothers whose superb restaurant is on the verge of bankruptcy. Their only chance is to risk everything on one big night. Stanley Tucci, Minnie Driver, Isabella Rossellini. Rated R.

"No Reservations" March 6

A perfectionist chef addicted to her work struggles to adjust when her sister passes away, leaving her with a little girl to raise. Catherine Zeta-Jones, Aaron Eckhart. Rated PG

Free Activities

Taro Field Day, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 8, Agriculture Building. Talk story with the experts. Learn the past, present and future of taro and how it impacts Hawaii.

Taro Self-guided Tour, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 6, 7 and 9, Agriculture Building. Enjoy a walk through a taro patch displaying the different varieties grown for cooking.

Pa'ina Food Court

Blue Plate Special, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Maui Cattle Co.'s Teriyaki Hamburger

Campus Cafe, Tuesday to Friday

Maui Taro Burgers

Paniolo Grill, Tuesday to Friday

Creative Hawaiian Cuisine

World Plate, Mondays

Key Ingredients is part of Museum on Main Street, a collaboration between the Smithsonian Institution and the Hawai'i Council for the Humanities.

We are what we eat.

That's the idea behind a new culinary exhibit that explores the unique traditions and culture attached to the food we consume. The public is invited to get a taste of the Smithsonian Institution traveling exhibition, "Key Ingredients: America by Food," on display now through April 12 at Maui Community College's Ka'a'ike building.

You don't have to be a seasoned foodie or top chef to appreciate the history and factual tidbits found in the show. Its easy-to-follow floor plan includes artifacts, photographs and illustrations that tell the story of America's ever-changing relationship with food.

"Everybody can relate to food in some respect," says chef instructor and exhibit Co-chairman Dean Louie. "It's something has touched so many different cultures and generations of people, so our hope is that the conversations will continue beyond this

exhibit."

Visitors will be transported from the early origins of Native American and colonial cooking to the sparkling kitchens of the 21st century - complete with a few cheese heads and a Doughboy.

"This exhibit really brings back that nostalgia of growing up and remembering things like eating around grandma's kitchen or having these big Thanksgiving dinners around the dining room table," says instructor and exhibit Co-chairwoman Juli Umetsu.

The exhibition, which opened Feb. 14, is already cooking up conversations and sparking memories, Umetsu says.

"I had so much fun (during the opening celebration) because I heard all these people sharing their stories and memories," she says. "That's really what this exhibit is all about - inspiring those kinds of conversations.

In addition to the national show, island tastes are featured in the accompanying "Hawaii by Food: A Celebration of Hawaii's Food Culture" that covers everything from plantation origins to Hawaii Regional Cuisine.

Locals and visitors alike will appreciate the archival black-and-white photos of Portuguese ovens, old-fashioned lunch shops and bygone cooking utensils. Not to be missed is a charming image of legendary waterman Duke Kahanamoku perched on the grass sharing a pineapple with Amelia Earhart. Talk about a Kodak moment.

Also included are fun facts like how the Pioneer Advertising Co. of Honolulu used poi as an adhesive to paste up billboards throughout the city - only to later stop that practice because the workers persisted in eating up all the materials. Find out how one of Hawaii's favorite treats, shave ice, made its way to the islands. Hint: We can thank this ethnic group for mochi, too.

Reading about malasadas, mochi and manapua is sure to push most appetites into overdrive. Fortunately, the nearby Campus Cafe is dishing out meals that highlight local

produce and businesses like Maui Cattle Co. and Haleakala Ranch.

Using homegrown ingredients is just one way the MCC culinary team is proving it's serious about sustainability and environmental stewardship. The department has also replaced Styrofoam products with eco-friendly materials and uses food byproducts to create jams and jellies. Louie hopes the exhibit and related activities will encourage people to think about how our food goes from the ground to the table.

"We want people to recognize and to think about what they put into their mouth and how it got there," Louie says.

The exhibit has inspired dozens of other food related-events throughout the campus, including a partnership with the Fashion Technology program that challenged students to create a dress using food as inspiration. The result is a

purple eggplant-themed frock; a white "Lobster of the Sea" creation adorned with blue straps and a life-sized starfish; and a clever interpretation of a sushi roll.

Other departments are bringing their own flare to the table. Fine arts students' work is on display in the campus library; the English department is holding an essay contest about food memories; and the agriculture department is hosting talk story sessions on taro.

"The campus really embraced this exhibit and various departments have really stepped up," Umetsu raves.

The exhibit was developed by Museum on Main Street, a cultural project that brings quality cultural exhibits to small towns across America. The show began its journey in 2003 and will continue through 2013, arriving in more than 200 rural venues across the country.

"It became so much more than I expected," admits Umetsu. "I look at it now and it's this living, breathing, exciting exhibit."

"And as we speak it's still evolving," adds Louie. "I'm hoping we can continue to add more cultures into this mix of America's food history."

Lehia Apana can be reached at lehia@mauinews. com.