Last week, I was honored to be included in an event, "Pasta and Passion," hosted by Hope Chapel Käneohe. My friend Dean Mishima of Dean's Drive Inn ("Local boy, local food") was demonstrating two simple pasta sauces for the 150 or so attendees; another friend, master sommelier Roberto Viernes, was making wine recommendations, and I was doing dessert.

Dean did both a white pasta sauce and a red one. It was the white one that surprised me.

Instead of making his white sauce with milk or cream, Dean used coffee creamer. He said that ingredient stabilizes the sauce, keeps it from "breaking." My mouth dropped open. Never heard that. Of course, coffee creamer is pretty high in bad fats and not the best thing for you — but neither is white sauce made with milk or cream. You can use nonfat powdered milk instead. Bottom line: a dish you should have only on special occasions if you want to keep your hips from outsizing your chairs.

You'll start with cooked, boneless chicken thighs, put the sauce together and then pour the chicken and sauce over cooked fettuccine . (You could also do this dish with shrimp.)

It was clear the audience at Hope Chapel liked the dish. And I certainly did.

DEAN'S PASTA WITH WHITE SAUCE AND CHICKEN

• 4 tablespoons butter

• 2 teaspoons crushed garlic

• 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth

• 1 cup dry coffee cream (a dry creamer such as Coffee-Mate) or powdered milk

• Roux (butter-flour mixture) to thicken or a slurry of 2 tablespoons of cornstarch whisked into 4 tablespoons water

• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

• 8 ounces (dry weight) fettuccine pasta cooked al dente and drained

• Salt and ground black pepper to taste

• 3 cups skinless, boneless chicken thighs, poached in broth or water or sauteed in butter

In a large saute pan, melt butter, add crushed garlic. Then add chicken broth and whisk in dry coffee creamer or powdered milk. Bring to a boil, continue whisking and add in roux or slurry to thicken. Turn the heat down to medium. Add cheese a little at a time and stir until melted. The sauce may take a while to thicken; keep stirring but don't let it boil. Next, add cooked chicken cubes to sauce and pour over pasta. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.