Hats off to budding chefs
June 21, 2012 8:46PM
Updated: July 23, 2012 6:45AM
On May 11, I attended the students practical final for the Friday Night Out series at the Renaissance Center in Joliet because my son, Timothy Baran, a Joliet Junior College culinary arts student, was allowed to invite four guest patrons.
However, because of numerous food allergies, I was more than a little nervous about sampling six courses of unknown ingredients, so I offered to give up my place for another family member. That’s where Timothy and his teammates, Aleah Schippits and Oswaldo Arechiga, got busy.
Timothy asked me for a list of prohibited foods and he, Aleah and Oswaldo custom modified and designed each course, including a one-of-a kind dessert.
Although my family members have adjusted to my dietary limitations, I was impressed that Aleah and Oswaldo would assume the additional challenge of creating unfamiliar recipes for an event that would conclude with an academic grade for each of them.
Chef’s hat off to their instructor, Chef Timothy Bucci, who allowed that team to experiment and to Aleah and Oswaldo who delivered an exquisite dining experience along with phenomenal customer service. Keep an eye on these two. They’re on their way to superstar status in the culinary industry.
Denise M. Baran-Unland
Channahon
Seniors deserve rewards
Regarding the letter by Joseph Gutierrez (“Shame on seniors,” May 31), I am a senior citizen and do not agree with your letter. I worked for 41 years, and I, along with the rest of senior citizens, truly deserve whatever we get from the years we’ve worked.
Most of us did not get help for anyone and made it on our own. We had a job and worked to get what we have now. I came from a family of 12, and we all struggled but made it by working.
My father came here to America and made sure he learned to speak English, worked as a janitor for 35 years and raised 12 kids. He never complained about having a janitor job. He did it because it was a job, and we always had food to eat.
I and the rest of senior citizens paid our share into Medicare and unemployment and never made noise about it. We are living to be 100, and enjoying it because we paid into it all these years.
As youngsters, we were told to respect our elders, and we are not whiners. So, Mr. Gutierrez, maybe you should follow in the footsteps of us senior citizens.
Barbara Kurecki
Morris
Slow down on neighborhood streets
I live on Morgan Street off Interstate 80. For years, people have been flying up and down my street and many cross streets. This is not an extension of the highway, this is a neighborhood with tons of children.
(Recently) on Comstock Street, a small child got hit by a car. I’m not sure of the outcome, but it didn’t look good. I’m not saying it was someone that just came off the highway. It’s summer time now; people are out and kids are playing. Even with parental supervision they sometimes run in the street. In the blink of an eye, a family’s life can be forever changed.
It didn’t look like the police had anyone in custody, so it very well may have been a hit and run, and with Interstate 80 only four blocks away, that person could be anywhere by now.
Loud auto music has to be stopped. I can’t stand hearing it all day long. I don’t care what you are listening to, I don’t want to hear it, and I don’t think you are cool for having spent so much money on your sound system.
There has to be a way to give those people tickets for noise pollution. It is so bothersome at 2 a.m. when people are sleeping, but if you were to call the police by the time they got there the car would be gone or parked. I bet a $100 ticket would fix most craving for loud music.
I know there are more serious crimes to keep the police busy, but this, along with curfew tickets, could bring in a lot of money for the city.
Rosemary Yoshi
Joliet
