But I was here for the recipe contests — and I was ready!

The first contest featured dishes by chefs who work in Maui.

Here’s the dish by Jared Krausen: onion-crusted ahi with an onion jam and a succotash featuring sweet onions, sweet corn, chives and more.

Here’s one of four components made by Joey Macadangdang: a Maui onion consommé with foie gras.

His savory onion bread pudding with pickled Maui onions was my hands-down favorite dish.

Here’s the willing dish by Ryan Luckey: a South American-inspired dish with local yuma root steamed down in Maui onions and milk with yellow aji chile and a Maui onion cilantro chimichurri on flat iron steak.

It was a gorgeous day on the Kaanapali Coast — and I managed to squeeze in a surf session between judging.

We grabbed some freshly deep-fried Maui onions made by the students of the Maui Culinary Academy.

There were food booths everywhere at Whalers Village. We sampled the kalua pig tacos.

I got back just in time to judge the cocktail contests. These Maui bartenders — Robin Blumer, Dennis Day and Ross Steidel — were preparing interesting drinks using Maui onions.

Here’s the winning cocktail by Day. It uses sugar cane juice, tequila and ginger beer with locally grown oranges, mint and, of course, Maui onions.

Then there was the finale: the recipe contest featuring top chefs from all over the state. Here’s Gooch preparing his dish, which were all top secret to the judges. (I snuck in this photo!)

And here’s Simeon putting the final touches on his plates.

Here’s the first dish by Jojo Vasquez of The Plantation House Restaurant: Maui onion flan with balsamic onion, Kumu Farms organic beets, onion powder, rye-cumin soil and an edible flower garden. Truly loved this flan and presentation.

Up next was the dish by Nick Mastrascusa of Kuki’o: pan-roasted Maui onions with braised oxtail and Maui onion hearts of palm puree. The oxtail was dynamite.

The third dish was by Simeon: funn noodles made with Maui onions. Props for creativity. Loved this, too.

The fourth — and winning — dish was by James McDonald of Aina Gourmet Market: smoked oysters with Maui onions, cucumber “noodles” and a soft egg with curry oil. Eggs and curry oil — a winning combo!

And the final dish was by Gooch — a take on what he served earlier.

And here’s the winner, accepting his onion trophy. But to be honest, we were all winners. I got to try every single dish, every single cocktail — and I didn’t even need to brush my teeth in between! Can’t wait for next year!