Cooking in Hawaii Imagine cooking lunch and preparing nutritious breaks for 100 plus people every day for three weeks on the side of a mountain, 10,000 feet above sea level, in the middle of the South Pacific. Now add to that mental image a kitchen set up in a military-style tent with limited access to basic cooking needs combined with high altitude issues such as freezing pipes in the early morning. The reddish soil under your feet is very dry and dusty, the temperatures fluctuate from freezing to tropical, your guests come from all over the world, and your food supply is 1.5 hours away. It’s hard to believe that this location is on the Big Island of Hawaii! The purpose of this culinary assignment was to provide meal service to a joint scientific expedition led by NORCAT in partnership with the Canadian Space Agency, NASA and others. Using the varied terrain on the lower slopes of Hawaii’s tallest mountain to conduct soil, solar, robotic and other field tests for future space explorations this expedition was not only a challenge but a privilege as well. The menu planning’s focus was to “go local” as much as possible. In theory this idea made perfect sense, the reality was that this was not going to be an easy task. The real challenge was to find local butchers, bakers, merchants that could sell enough products to plan a proper menu for 100 each day. Even in a town the size of of Hilo (population 40,000) this proved to be quite challenging. After convincing local shop owners that we were serious about purchasing 100 buns, steaks or cuts of local fish daily, we were on our way! What started out as the ultimate challenge in menu planning eventually turned into very rewarding and satisfying experiences. Knowing that we were contributing to the local economy and picking up some humorous stories and jokes along the way, made the daily chore of shopping for fresh ingredients very rewarding. Cooking daily for an international group of 100 engineers and scientists in any environment is tough. Frozen plumbing, dust and a dizzy head from the altitude can take a toll. Not to mention that water takes forever to boil and our little propane stove could pass as an Easy Bake oven. Like any chef will tell any apprentice, it is all about being able to adapt. A special thank you to Cambrian College for providing the perfect apprentice for this project! James Thomson, a culinary arts student, came along for the experience and challenge. He proved to be an indispensable side kick. A strong work ethic, flexibility and a sense of humour are essential in a normal professional kitchen; it is absolutely necessary in a remote tent kitchen on top of a mountain. Aloha Michael Cullen Y.U.M.™ Culinary Academy