I spent a nice Easter Sunday at Hilo Bay Cafe, enjoying the brunch festivities. It was The Help's idea to go there. He figured all the Beautiful People would be on the other side of the island, celebrating the day at one of the fancy-schmancy hotels. I missed them terribly. not. Hilo Bay Cafe brunch was probably the best kept secret. There was a steady stream of people, but it wasn't so crowded that it was difficult to get food. The buffet had enough selection, and the spicy ahi sushi was possibly the best I ever had. I am not a fan of ahi, so this is definitely a compliment. If the Ds had come, there would've been plenty of suitable options for them. I need to have The Help call tomorrow to find out if they are planning a buffet brunch for Mother's Day. I think Kikukat Mom would love it.
The long weekend was much appreciated. I always say that a short work/school week forces kids (students) to squeeze all their bad behavior into 4, rather than 5, days. That's why they seem so awful during a short week. This was certainly true of this past week.
My favorite student charlie has a major case of senioritis. Too bad he's had it all year. He threw a tantrum when I told him his grade. Can you believe that??? High school senior throwing a tantrum? Oh wait, my mom told me my dad threw a tantrum once when I took his car. Anyway, back to charlie. . .buggah should be thankful he is passing! Never mind trying to bargain for a higher grade. This is not Patpong Night Market...no such thing as bargaining for a grade!
What I find interesting is that other students are beginning to diss charlie behind his back. These are people he considers friends. One of them said, "I do my work. I not like some people." and nodded towards charlie, who was facing another direction. Another student refused to work as charlie's partner and yet another refused to even help him. I'm sad for charlie because if these "friends" can turn on him in school, once they are out of school, they will likely not even bother with him. Charlie prides himself on being the star attraction, so this will certainly make for an interesting adjustment.
In a few months, most of charlie's classmates will be matriculating at institutes of higher education. Not charlie. He has no plans for any education. Says he doesn't need it for what he plans to do for a career. He may be right, but as an educator, I'm very sad. Part of successful "teaching" is instilling a thirst for knowledge, and given charlie's attitude and words, I was not successful. But I am happy for charlie's classmates. They will soon be knocking on the door to the rest of their lives. . .college!I often think about my days in college. College was a great time for me. Many good memories come from my years in Seattle. I was fortunate that my parents had the means to send me to the mainland. I hope to provide the same opportunity for my own children. While exploring the Pacific Northwest was fun, it was also nice to return home on vacations and share stories with high school friends. On my first vacation home, we got together and exchanged Christmas gifts.
One of the gifts I received was a local boys (not nekkid kine) calendar for Christmas. I had the calendar hanging in my dorm room. The boys who garnered the most ooohhs and aaahhs were January boy and February boy. Some of my friends would even flip backwards to stare at them long after January (and February) was over. Maybe I did that too. Perhaps that's why I can still remember their names.
Fast forward nearly several thousand years. . .I was flipping through one of my gazillion cookbooks and came across a recipe submitted by January (or it might have been February) boy. . .or someone with his same name. Actually, I'm quite sure it is his recipe. . .the graduation year is about right. I was hesitant to try the recipe because I didn't think others would like it, but I finally decided to go for it. The directions for the recipe were fairly loose, so I ended up doing my own thing, changing a little here and a little there. What resulted was phenomenal. No complaints from anyone here and a whole lotta ooohhs and aaahhs from the Facebook set. I guess January (or February) boy still has his mojo, albeit as a cook instead of beefcake!
click on recipe title for printable recipe
1 lb strand pasta (nothing smaller than vermicelli; nothing thicker than fettucine)
1 flat can anchovies
half head of garlic, coarsely chopped
1/4 c olive oil
3 tbsp butter (may replace with vegetable oil)
1 onion, sliced from pole to pole
2 cans of clams, drained
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 c shredded parmesan cheese
flat leaf parsley, chopped
lemon wedges
Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain and set aside. Drain anchovy oil into wok. Add olive oil and butter. Heat on medium. Process anchovy fillets and garlic with a food processor or immersion blender until garlic is chopped and anchovies are minced (you can actually do all of this by hand, but its oily). Add to oil in pan. Add onions. Cook 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add drained pasta, clams, and tomatoes. Toss gently. Place on platter and garnish with cheese and parsley. Have lemon wedges on hand for diners to add a squeeze of lemon juice.
