On an exceptionally cool, breezy evening in Ewa Beach a few weeks ago, well-dressed couples strolled to a lone outdoor lectern to check in for an evening of fine dining. Attendants clad in white collared shirts and black slacks led them to a nearby tent, its decorative strings of festive white lights serving as beacons amid a darkening sky.
Guests were seated at long tables draped in burgundy cloths, where name cards welcomed them. Framed pictures and candles decorated the table, along with napkins folded into roses. A quiet anticipation filled the air. Then impeccably mannered young servers, recognizable from images in the picture frames, arrived with pitchers of iced water. They approached their guests confidently and purposefully, with the occasional shy smile of recognition, and filled cups.
So began a five-course dinner on the campus of Ilima Intermediate School, the culmination of teacher Angie Joseph’s eighth-grade culinary class. Her 19 students worked all semester not just on preparing the meal, but on raising the funds it took to finance the dinner.
The project involved the youths in everything from researching recipes and learning to plate dishes to mastering the etiquette of receiving and seating guests.
Students started by exploring recipes that all class members could execute and that stretched the budget. “The only thing I said is NO pasta. That’s trite,” Joseph said.
Sometimes the class would test recipes on other teachers. Flavor was just one consideration.
“We made chicken cacciatore, but the plating was no good,” she said. “I wanted it to look as gourmet as we could get it. So we ended up deciding on a cheesy chicken dish with curry spice. It’s something I do at home a lot.”
The chicken was served on rice that rested on stalks of asparagus, topped with a drizzle of curry sauce and garnished with a slice of lemon. The plating was one of many that students considered.
The rest of the menu: spinach- artichoke dip with tortilla chips; green salad with homemade vinaigrette; Mexican soup with tortilla, avocado and sour cream; a palate cleanser of raspberries with lemon juice and lemon-lime zest; and Nutella brownie with vanilla ice cream, strawberry drizzle and a smear of chocolate.
How was the meal? Family members nodded their approval through each dish. Their satisfaction extended far beyond the food.
“She’s talked a lot about this class,” said Greg Gunnels of his daughter Olivia Ingram, 13, who now cooks at home. “I think she’s learned a good skill set, even if she doesn’t want to cook so much for a career. She can see what it takes to feed a family.”
Sherlyanne Kentaro said her younger sister, Marlai Torio, 13, had told her months earlier to take the day off so she could attend the dinner. “To learn to cook at this early age, to see how excited she is taking this class — it’s a good thing.”
The evening’s good fare and good cheer came after a semester of long hours, including early- morning kitchen shifts by Joseph, her students and educational aide Maile Gatti, to raise money for the dinner.
Their fundraiser: breakfast selections for Ilima faculty and staff. Students prepped ingredients in class, then rotated 6:30 a.m. shifts to help Joseph and Gatti serve up such items as $1 Spam musubi, $2 pancakes, $3 bentos, $5 loco mocos and desserts, and more. (Because Ilima does not have a certified kitchen, food could not be served to students.)
“We had a rocky beginning. I learned you can’t sell and make bentos at the same time,” said Joseph, who has no culinary experience. She came to rely on Gatti, who does have a culinary background.“There was a learning curve for sure. But you only get better with time, right?”
If customer response was any indication, she’s right.
“We’d sell out most of the time. The teachers have been really supportive,” she said.
All of this work has had a real- life impact on the students. Many, if not all, are now cooking at home.
“Ever since the class began, I’d try new things at home — I recreated and added new things to a gluten-free cake we made at school. It’s fun,” said Marlai, diner Kentaro’s sister.
Alexandra Zita, 13, said the class is a refreshing change from most of her other courses.
“It’s more hands-on. We can get away from the paperwork,” she said. “I cook at home now. I try out the stuff we make here. My mom likes the mac and cheese.”
Ilima Principal Christopher Bonilla said elective classes like Joseph’s allow students to explore their interests as they make decisions on selecting an academy — courses of study targeted to various career paths — when they attend Campbell High School.
“What we’re trying to do with these electives is recognize the value of the whole child and their skills and talents,” said Bonilla, a former counselor at Campbell. “These classes align with what’s at Campbell. It’s a neat idea, giving students a taste of what is offered at the high school.”
Caleb Galdeira-Hose, 13, said he’s interested in continuing his culinary instruction at Campbell.
“I’m well prepared,” he said.
As for the dinner, he found the evening “pretty heartwarming.”
“Serving our parents in a formal manner, seeing their expressions — it was a lot to take in,” he said. “Before the dinner started, we were really nervous about serving them, but we stomped on our fears.”
Malia Martin, 13, who supervised the proceedings, agreed.
“We were excited but nervous at the same time — we didn’t want to drop anything on our parents,” she said. “We’ve been talking about this dinner since the beginning of the year. We never stopped training for this day.”
At the end of the night, Joseph looked a bit weary and a lot happy.
“I’m really impressed with these kids. Some of them didn’t even know how to cook rice before coming in,” she said. “It just shows that when you set high expectations, students can meet them.”
But the youths’ effort no doubt was also inspired by their teacher.
“I’m just a home cook, but I have a love for cooking. Here, at the intermediate school — I love it,” she said. “So this job brings together my two loves. I think I’m a very happy person, and my joy, my excitement, makes them want to do it, too.”
And there’s more to look forward to: Next year, Joseph’s class will expand from a semester to the entire year.
“Imagine what we can do in a whole year.”