Hundreds of hungry breakfast-goers consumed plates full of pancakes, eggs, sausage, potatoes, rice, fresh fruit, pastries, ham and made-to-order omelets at the 22nd annual American Culinary Federation Breakfast at Kaua‘i Community College yesterday. But the KCC breakfast wasn’t just for
Hundreds of hungry breakfast-goers consumed plates full of pancakes, eggs, sausage, potatoes, rice, fresh fruit, pastries, ham and made-to-order omelets at the 22nd annual American Culinary Federation Breakfast at Kaua‘i Community College yesterday.
But the KCC breakfast wasn’t just for those looking for something good to eat, it was a chance for chefs from resorts and restaurants around the island to give back to the culinary arts program.
KCC alumna Turquoise Santos, who now works at the Hilton, helped man the pancake station.
“We help the culinary program every year,” Santos said. “I’ve been here the last 10 years.”
Santos added that sometimes second year students are recruited to work at the Hilton.
Planning for an event this size started two months ago, according to KCC culinary arts instructor Billy Gibson. Volunteers from resorts and hotels, along with community participation help things run smoothly, Gibson said.
“Today we are fortunate enough to have chefs from major hotels and restaurants on the island give support,” Gibson said. “It gives the students a chance to network and it’s a win-win situation for all of us.”
Gibson added that he expected to serve over 2,000 breakfasts.
And one of those breakfasts went to first-time attendant Rep. Jimmy Tokioka.
“(This event) is another source of information for local employers,” Tokioka said. “It gives good insight for accommodating the needs of the community. It says a lot for the program.”
The only thing missing from yesterday’s festivities was the annual Technology Fair. But to make up for its absence, students from the Trade Technology Program from Kaua‘i, Kapa‘a and Waimea high schools built a picnic table in the morning hours to be raffled off during the breakfast.
“It was getting to be the same thing,” Beth Tokioka, tech fair coordinator, said. “We may come back next year; we’re just taking a year off.”
Approximately $20,000 in scholarships from the American Culinary Federation, Kaua‘i Coffee and the Rotary Clubs of Kapa‘a, Poipu, West Kaua‘i was given out to more than 20 culinary students in one of the biggest highlights of the day.
Other highlights of the annual event were a pottery sale, a used book sale and KCC Nursing students who gave free blood pressure screenings.
• Rachel Gehrlein, staff writer, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 225) or rgehrlein@kauaipubco.com.
