PEARLRIDGE OPENS FOOD-TRUCK SPOT

Food trucks now have an all-day permanent parking spot at Pearlridge Center.

Neon – A Food Truck Marketplace opened Friday, featuring Da Spot, Blue Water Shrimp & Seafood Market, The Filipino Shack and Honolulu Pineapple Co.

The marketplace, in the T.J. Maxx parking lot, is open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays.

There’s plenty of covered seating, and a stage for weekend entertainment. Plans are eventually to expand the marketplace to a larger space on the mall property, a spokeswoman said.

Also new at Pearlridge: 8 Half Desserts Kwik Bite Express has opened next to Longs Drugs. The food stand offers plate lunches, smoked meat and ice cream in unique flavors such as shoyu mango.

MAUI CHEF GOES TO ‘WAR’ FOR HOLIDAYS

A Maui pastry chef goes up for her fifth Food Network competition, this time in “Holiday Wars,” beginning Sunday.

Teresa Shurilla, program coordinator for the culinary department at the University of Hawaii Maui College, worked as a pastry chef for nearly 20 years, with a particular interest in sugar decorations and chocolate.

Shurilla is a veteran competitor, appearing first in “Sugar Dome” in 2012. She has also competed three times in “Halloween Wars” as part of a team that included a cake artist, pumpkin carver and sugar artist (that was her role).

In 2013 she almost made the finals in “Halloween Wars,” but after that, Shurilla says, “I was kicked off after the first episode!”

Better luck this time, perhaps: Shurilla will be on a team with three cake experts, working again as sugar artist.

“Holiday Wars” launches its season at 7 p.m. Sunday and repeats through the night. The show is hosted by actor Jonathan Bennett.

KAILUA MARKET MARKS GRAND OPENING

The Lokahi Kailua Market has been open for a few months now, but has decided to make things official with a grand opening Sunday designed to launch the holiday season.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 340 Ulunui St., featuring a free wreath-making workshop (bring your own materials), kids activities, music and a martial arts demonstration. In addition, Toys for Tots volunteers will collect donations of new, unwrapped toys.

The market, which normally includes farm stands and food vendors, runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Sundays. Details: lokahikailuamarket.com.

KABOCHA NOW AVAILABLE IN NOODLE FORM

Squash is traditional at the Thanksgiving table, but enjoying it by way of noodles is something unique.

Adela’s Country Eatery in Kaneohe has introduced pasta made from kabocha squash grown on Kahuku farms, to be available through the holiday season.

Adela’s has already earned a reputation for made-from-scratch noodles in flavors such as breadfruit, Okinawan sweet potatoes, taro and moringa. Like all Adela’s noodles, the kabocha may be ordered with a variety of pasta sauces and toppings, or with a stir-fry.

Orders are still being taken for pickup on Thursday; call 236-2366.

WIN CHANCE TO STUDY IN ITALY

Airbnb is launching a global search for 100 top home cooks and treating them to a trip to Italy to learn how to refine their recipes with teachers including David Chang and his mom.

The lucky chosen will travel to the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, Italy, for a week’s worth of workshops and tastings to take their food “to the next level.” Their recipes will also feature in Airbnb’s first cookbook.

Applications opened Monday and close Dec. 23. Airbnb users who are residents of one of 30 or so eligible countries can nominate their favorite home cooks and complete an essay.

Winners will be selected by judges from representatives from Airbnb, the Slow Food organization and the University of Gastronomic Sciences.

The contest is part of a larger push into food by Airbnb, which also is launching a new program, Cooking Experiences, which connects users with intimate workshops hosted by families, cooks and farmers across more than 75 countries.

Local hosts will gather and describe how to use ingredients, welcome users to their homes and show them how they put together traditional dishes, from making enchiladas in Ciudad de Mexico, to Uzbek dishes in New York City.

Quickbites is a weekly listing of dining events. Email items to crave@staradvertiser.com