Cherry pie's good, too.

Wielding a carving knife, Auxiliarist Ralph Scrivano demonstrates his skill at carving a turkey while FS3 Thomas Eli places the turkey slices in the serving pan. Today’s lunch aboard the USCGC KUKUI features roast turkey with dressing, mashed potatoes and gravy, fresh green tossed salad and dessert.

Half an hour later the dining area is crowded with ship’s crew eagerly eating “Ralph’s special of the week.”

“This is great,” commented BM3 Matt Nolty as he attacked the food on his plate. What did he think of Ralph’s cooking in general? “Ralph’s prime rib is AWESOME!”

All around him, fellow crewmembers were absorbed in plates piled high with succulent slices of turkey, dressing and mashed potatoes covered with gravy. It didn’t take them long to clean their plates and head for the dessert – cherry pie or cocoa chews, a chocolate oatmeal drop cookie.

It all started when Scrivano saw an NOAA appeal in the paper to help count whales. Assigned to a team in the Kaneohe area he spent a Sunday afternoon spotting whales and other ocean mammals. While they watched, the team leader, Susan Harper, told him about the Coast Guard Auxiliary; she just happens to work in the D-14 DIRAUX office.

The Crew eating.

Liking what he heard about the Auxiliary, Scrivano soon joined the local flotilla and took a Boating Skills and Seamanship course. Flotilla 1-14 makes a practice of treating their graduating students to a tour of a Coast Guard Cutter. ENS Elaine Eckel conducted the tour on the buoy tender USCGC KUKUI (WLB- 203).

Scrivano became assistant to his flotilla’s Career Counselor and started visiting high schools to interest students in the AIM program. He went to the AIM “C” school at the Coast Guard Academy and immersed himself in his assigned area. But he remembered the KUKUI.

Going through the chain of communications Scrivano offered his services to the ship, to cook for them one day a week. Early this year Scrivano began cooking for the 43-member crew. Most of them eat lunch on the ship, especially since Ralph started cooking once a week. He quickly won their hearts.

Scrivano’s various dishes have been great hits with the crew. So far, he has surprised them with Ralph’s Roast, Italian meat balls, manicotti (secret ingredient, pesto), Cornish game hens, pasta sauces and today’s special – roast turkey with trimmings.

Sampling dessert

He starts each Wednesday by arriving on the ship in time to help with breakfast, which is usually the standard eggs, bacon, ham, sausage, etc. Then, working with FS1 Lionel Apiki (a local Hawaiian with 11 years in the Coast Guard, and glad to be assigned to his home town), FS2 Johnny Hanika, FS3 Brian Mowery and FS3 Thomas Eli, he helps with the menus and ordering the ingredients, loading supplies, carving meats, wherever he is needed.

Scrivano and his wife moved to Hawaii a couple of years ago to help their daughter with her infant triplet daughters. Before coming to Hawaii, Scrivano and his parents ran an Italian restaurant in San Jose, California, where he specialized in family recipes for more than 30 years.

The KUKUI, commanded by CDR Ty Rinoski, is the third Coast Guard ship since 1908 to bear the name of Hawaii’s state tree. Primarily tasked with aids to navigation work, the KUKUI’s state-of-the-art technology allows it to excel in a wide variety of missions throughout the Pacific from Midway to the Big Island of Hawaii. Even farther, depending on the mission.

Scrivano is looking forward to going on patrol with the KUKUI. He and the galley crew are already planning the menus.

The Cook

“We’ll probably be gone a week to 10 days, maybe more,” said Scrivano. “Looks like great fun.”