I recall one of my first days sitting in Chef Tom's lectures. He asked us what sounded like a simple question. "Think of something you ate and liked at a restaurant. Why was it good?"

Sounds like a simple enough question, right? Wrong! None of us could really answer the question. We couldn't find the right words to describe what gave us so much pleasure. I was boggled. What was going on with my brain? I always have an answer, (or at least that's what I am told). It took some pondering, but if finally came to me. I did not know the language of cuisine or at least not well enough to speak it. After a few lectures, it started to sink in and I was learning a new language. The language spoken by culinarians. The language of cuisine. The sweet yet sour, spicy yet cool, tender yet crisp components in a dish that contradict each other yet go so well together that they leave you speechless. The way flavors can be layered so when you take a bite of something your taste buds start standing in sequence doing the wave in your mouth as if cheering for a favorite team. I was finally able to describe to a Chef what it was about a dish that was so good, my brain created a memory of it. Chef Tom taught me this language; a new language that I have heard before, but never really understood much less spoke. Maui Culinary Academy will be loosing a great instructor as Chef Tom leaves the Class Act kitchen to move on to his next adventure. Chef Tom, you will be missed by many, and many will miss out not having you as an instructor. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your language.