After a delay of more than a decade, chef Kusuma Cooray of the Culinary Institute of the Pacific has finally realized a dream: releasing a new line of curry mixtures made to her specifications and fabricated at First Commercial Kitchen in Waipahu.

Urged by colleagues and students who have enjoyed her cooking, Cooray first began to package her curry powders in 1996, but the death of her husband, Ranjit, 10 years ago, put the project on the back burner.
The Chef Cooray's Spice Products line encompasses four different spice blends in both hot and mild: shrimp, chicken, beef and vegetable. The spices come in one-quarter-ounce cellophane packets with a recipe on the back and each one flavors sufficient ingredients for four servings.
Cooray, author of "Burst of Flavor" (2001, UH Press), is in the process of placing the curry mixtures in stores. Information: 371-8909.