• Four stars for future chefs, restaurateurs at KCC • Mahalo, Coach Morgado • Council should fight traffic, infrastructure battles • Charging per garbage can: • No place like home Four stars for future chefs, restaurateurs at KCC A dear
• Four stars for future chefs, restaurateurs at KCC
• Mahalo, Coach Morgado
• Council should fight traffic, infrastructure battles
• Charging per garbage can:
• No place like home
Four stars for future chefs, restaurateurs at KCC
A dear friend of mine took several of us to lunch Thursday, March 22, to Kaua‘i Community College’s Fine Dining Room.
It’s hard to describe the expertise with which these future chefs and restaurateurs in the Culinary Arts Department showed. From the moment we entered the room and were greeted by the hostess, shown to our table and presented with the colorful menu of the day ‘til the time we left, we were shown the type of courtesy one would expect from the finest of restaurants.
We were never rushed having explained to our waiter that we were there to enjoy a leisurely lunch and enjoy lots of conversation. Our water glasses were filled, iced tea and coffee wer served and we were told to let the waiter know when we were ready to order.
In the meantime we were asked if we had any questions about the menu. We all had a different question which was answered directly and I had a request concerning sugared walnuts in the salad. Since sugar is currently off my diet I asked if they could be left off the salad and my waiter said that he would certainly try. There was not a single walnut in my salad.
He quietly remarked that the crust on the wedge of Gorgonzola cheese had finely ground nuts on it, thinking that I was allergic to nuts. Very few professional waiters would have thought about that. This young man is going to be an asset to any restaurant, not just in Hawai‘i but anywhere in the world.
Every order was perfectly prepared as requested and was artfully arranged on the plate. The presentation was excellent as was the service in the room. These young future professionals wearing white shirts, black ties and black trousers moved about the room quietly, spoke when spoken to and occasionally asked if everything was to our satisfaction.
Certainly one of the highlights of the luncheon was when the dessert waitress wheeled a cart near our table to prepare the orders of flambéed pineapples served over vanilla ice cream. With all the skill of a professional she lit her burner, never got flustered when the flame went out, smiled sweetly and relit it and began to explain each ingredient as it went into her sauté pan. When she tilted the pan in order for the rum to ignite we all praised her but she had one final trick up her sleeve. As the flame began to die down she quickly tossed something into it which she described as fireworks. It made the flame sparkle from top to bottom and that’s when she said she had tossed cinnamon into it. Beautifully done!
The culinary department’s dining room instructor and manager, Billy Gibson, stopped at each table to ask about everyone’s experience. He received high praise all around. Before everyone left the student cooks entered the room, introduced themselves and told which item they had prepared. They were greeted with thunderous applause.
Martina Hilldorfer, culinary arts dept. head and her staff are to be congratulated. Not just Kaua‘i Community College but the entire state of Hawai‘i are fortunate to have a class of students such as these. From all of us at our table, they deserve Four Stars.
Gini Stoddard
Wailua Homesteads
Mahalo, Coach Morgado
I am a recent Kaua‘i High graduate and played football for the Red Raiders for all four years of high school. Now I’m at a small university in Washington furthering my education and playing collegiate football as a free safety.
When I entered Kaua‘i High, the Menehunes were football on Kaua‘i. Coach Morgado and the rest of his staff singlehandedly changed that with an exciting, explosive offense that brought KIF football into the 21st century. Four years after that first KIF championship, Coach Morgado has always been able to stay one step ahead of the competition and I’ve always been proud to say that I was a member of the KIF champion Red Raiders.
Even in Washington I bragged to the other football players that my high school team was the runners-up in the State football tournament.
My only hope is that Kaua‘i High’s next head coach will keep building the dynasty that Coach Morgado started and I believe that I speak for all of the players who played under Coach Morgado that we thank him for what he taught us on the field as he tried to change us from boys to young men.
Frank Speetjens
Kalaheo
Council should fight traffic, infrastructure battles
I wish the County Council would spend more time addressing the horrendous traffic/infrastructure issues instead of debating the big box controversy and the Kealia walk/bike path debacle.
I try to stay abreast of the happenings on the island and I fail to recall any mentioning of a traffic/infrastructure plan by our County government. I may be wrong, but whenever I pick up the paper it’s usually the big box issue or how the County failed to get permits for the Kealia pavilions.
It has been said before, but it really seems to me that the County Council hears only what they choose to hear. We the residents of Kauai have been SCREAMING at a selectively deaf County government.
Mary Kealoha
Kapa‘a
Charging per garbage can:
My children and grandchildren are longtime residents of your beautiful Island and we enjoy our visits with them so very much!
As a grandma I read your newspaper on line almost every day and could not resist responding to the latest suggestion to charge residents a fee for trash collection per container. I agree with one writer that this will increase trash dumping in diverse areas of your beautiful island, but most of all I fear that this would unfortunately bring a financial burden on those who can least afford it: large, hardworking families!
The financially fortunate would not be burdened by this, but the average Kauaian family would.
Historically, taxes have provided for this, keep it that way!
Thank you for your Aloha whenever we visit our family.
Anika Magwood
Jacksonville, Fla.
No place like home
In response to “Kansans for Superferry”…
I suggest Mary slip on her ruby red slippers, click her heels together and repeat after me, there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home. I send you much aloha on your trip back home.
Alice Monaghan
Princeville