A little bit of confidence and know-how goes a long way in supporting a person trekking a new path. Just ask home cook Keith Okazaki, who is blind.

"The strange thing about being blind is that before, I made Hamburger Helper," he says. "Now, I feel more comfortable making everything from scratch."

Okazaki, 45, who began losing his sight in his late 30s, says he used to be "an everyday guy."

"I enjoyed reading, I enjoyed art, I drove," recalls the former bank marketing vice president.

Okazaki left his job in 2007 and the next year enrolled at Ho‘opono Services for the Blind, a state vocational rehabilitation agency under the Department of Human Services.

During a nine-month course, he learned Braille and how to get around with a cane, took woodshop and developed skills for running a household. The home classes included navigating the kitchen.

"At Ho‘opono, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, and it clicked. I realized I was decent at cooking," Okazaki says. "Making cinnamon rolls was one of my ‘aha!’ moments. Everything seemed doable."

Since Ho‘opono must teach without visual aids, participants learn to use their other senses to cook. Also vital to success is organization.

Okazaki says he starts in the kitchen with a clear, clean counter and gathers his ingredients on a mat or tray. "That way, I know I put everything there, that it’s not something someone else put there," he explains.

Containers of items such as baking powder and salt come in familiar shapes, making them easy to find. Plus, he stores often-used items in a basket. Okazaki has memorized the measurements of each measuring cup and spoon, and finds the one he needs with little trouble because they’re attached on rings.

Neatness counts. No clutter allowed.

"As I use the ingredients, I put them away. If I need two eggs, I get them and put the rest away," he says.

From there, Okazaki keeps it relatively simple.

"Recipes can have tedious steps sometimes, but I basically have two bowls. I put all the dry ingredients in one bowl and all the wet ingredients in another. Then I mix them together," he says.

Microwave and oven touch pads are equipped with rubber "bumps" that help him set times and temperatures.

"If the recipe says cook for 2 1/2 minutes, I press 2:22. I’m approximate rather than exact," Okazaki says. "I basically work with the four standard oven settings: 325 degrees, 350, 425 and 450."

Okazaki uses an audible timer but also relies on his senses to figure out when his dishes are done.

"I use my sense of smell, I listen to the sizzle," he says. "I touch the food with a spatula or spoon and taste it."

Ho‘opono’s program starts at the most basic level by having students feel their way to the refrigerator, sink and stove. One introduction to cooking is frying Spam and eggs. Along with the actual stove time are practical tips that help cooks keep their bearings.

"If you or I were making hamburger patties, we would probably try to fit as many patties in the frying pan as possible. But for a blind person, we teach that they should put in just a few, positioned north, south, east and west," says Gavan Abe, Ho‘opono community services coordinator. "The reference points help them keep track of what they put in the pan. If they’re systematic, it makes it easier."

Students also learn to walk to the market and shop. Abe says they request customer service to help them gather what’s on their list. But it’s up to students to ensure they’re getting specifically what they want.

"They might smell the fruit to make sure it’s fresh, or feel a tomato to make sure it’s firm. When they need a canned good, generics are cheaper so they need to ask to make sure that’s what they’re getting," Abe says.

The point of it all isn’t to create culinary wizards; rather, the classes build confidence and independence.

"Everyone has different skill sets, but they all leave 100 times more confident," Abe says. "They’re given experiences so that they can say, ‘Even though I’m blind, it won’t limit me.’"

Okazaki cooks dinner several times a week at his Mililani home, and his lucky family — daughter Emi, 6, son Kai, 8, and wife, Lisa —enjoys fresh-baked goods two or three times weekly.

His dinner repertoire is typical fare: Portuguese bean soup, beef stew, pizza, pot roast and beef curry. He often uses a slow cooker, which he calls "magic for a blind person." (See "

Okazaki collects recipes using screen-reading software and a tape recorder. He says cooking from scratch allows him to provide more nutritious fare.

"The kids like cookies, and I can reduce the amount of sugar if I want or use healthier ingredients. I feel better about what’s in my food," he explains.

The road to proficiency in the kitchen wasn’t easy, but it was worthwhile, according to Okazaki.

"I always say it’s like a Shaolin temple: At first you get all beat up. Next thing you know, you’re baking brownies, frying chicken and rising yeast," he says.

"With skill comes confidence, and it gives you the energy to try other recipes. There is a transformation that takes place. It’s an almost spiritual experience."

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Call Ho‘opono Services for the Blind at 586-5273 or visit www.hawaiivr.org/hoopono.

HOMEMADE PIZZA

1 packet active dry yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 cup warm water
2-1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
Desired pizza toppings

In small bowl, dissolve yeast and sugar in water. Make sure water is not too hot — this will kill the yeast and prevent the dough from rising.

In mixing bowl, combine flour and salt and mix thoroughly. Make well in middle of mixture and pour in yeast and olive oil. Combine ingredients until dough is formed.

Place dough on lightly floured work surface and knead about 5 minutes. Dough should be smooth and elastic but also slightly sticky.

Place dough ball in lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Roll dough out on lightly floured surface into one 13-inch or two 9-inch pizzas.

Place on baking sheet or pizza pan and partially bake about 5 minutes (this will make it easier to place toppings).

Remove pizza from oven, cover with desired toppings. (Suggestions: pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, pepperoni)

Return to oven for another 15 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Remove pizza from oven and let cool about 5 minutes. Makes one 13-inch or two 9-inch pizzas.

Nutritional information unavailable.

CINNAMON ROLLS

>> Dough:

2 packets dry yeast
1/3 cup lukewarm water
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1-7/8 cups milk, scalded
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
6 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten

>> Cinnamon filling:

3/4 cup sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
4 tablespoons melted butter, divided

Dissolve yeast in warm water and sugar.

In mixing bowl, combine milk, butter, sugar and salt; cool to lukewarm.

Add 1 cup flour; mix well.

Mix in eggs and yeast. Gradually add remaining flour.

Place dough into large, greased bowl. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugar and cinnamon for filling.

When dough has doubled, punch down. Turn out on lightly floured surface and divide dough in half, then in halves again.

Working with one hunk at a time, flatten into 8-by-12-inch rectangle and brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle with 1/4 of cinnamon/sugar mixture.

Roll up and seal edge. Cut roll into 10 equal slices and place in half of a 9-by-13-inch pan. Repeat with 3 other hunks of dough, filling 2 pans.

Let rise a second time, 30 to 60 minutes.

Place rolls on middle rack of oven and bake until lightly brown, about 30 minutes. Makes 40 rolls.

Optional caramel topping: Before placing rolls in pans, melt 1 stick butter and blend in 1 cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoon light corn syrup. Spread evenly in pan, then place rolls.

Approximate nutritional information, per roll (without optional caramel topping): 130 calories, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 20 mg cholesterol, 150 mg sodium, 21 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 6 g sugar, 3 g protein

Approximate nutritional information, per roll (with optional caramel topping): 200 calories, 7 g fat, 3.5 g saturated fat, 25 mg cholesterol, 170 mg sodium, 32 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 17 g sugar, 3 g protein