vRIKKA continued from page 25 salmon, so his mother made him Saffron salmon with Jasmine Rice and asparagus. Did I mention he is seven?! As his Aunt, all I can say is I pity the young lady he selects as I am not sure anyone will compare to his Mother’s cooking! By the way, if you are wondering what is meant by someone being a “foodie”? As Chef Rikka indicates “A ‘foodie’ is someone I want to cook for because they aren’t afraid to try new things and be adventurous with flavors, ingredients, preparations, and costs.” Of course, with any profession there are positives and negatives. Like any artist Chef Rikka has her share of pet peeves. “When someone asks for substitutions it changes how the dish was concepted and meant to be enjoyed. Or when someone asks, ‘is it good?’ which is a slap in the Chef ’s face, basically asking them if they know what they are doing.” “Another frustration” she says “is when people do not RSVP on time. When you have an RSVP that means we have a limited number of seats or need to prepare to shop for special ingredients. If you RSVP late you cause the kitchen to have to reconfigure their plans to make sure that all guests for the event can be served the same dish.” Chef Rikka says “It’s one of the hardest businesses you can be involved in. You are working a lot of hours, on your feet most of the time and constantly multi-tasking: knowing when to fire dishes, being able to read ten tickets and get it out at the same time. Each table that comes in is a unique experience that you have to be in tune with and assure your staff is meeting guest expectations at all times.” Overall, the positives outweigh the negatives. “It’s a unique industry because no matter how tough it can be, we form close relationships and friendships with our patrons. We have met people in the community we would have never known had it not been for opening Willa B’s.” What’s next for Chef Rikka and the business? “We are working really hard to build our catering business. n Think Spring! Call today to start planning this years landscaping projects! NatureScaping Designs llc Design | Build | Maintain Holiday Lighting Got tion? Inspira 605.661.1205 www.naturescapingdesigns.com We would love to hear about who and what inspires you. Do you know someone that should be featured in hervoice? Submit to: hervoiceonline.com HERVOICEvMARCH/APRIL 2019v27