Photo By Staff Sgt. Kelly Carlton | Pfc. Richard Houston, food specialist and native of Spartanburg, S.C., assigned to...... read more read more
FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. – Who asked if whipping up a marinade for Swiss steak, chopping cauliflower and broccoli, all on field cooking equipment in 70 plus degree weather with the heating element temperatures reaching 350 degrees and adding to the humidity would be fun? Five food service specialists assigned to 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade competing for Chef of the Quarter, June 27, 2014.
There were five cooks who began the competition but only two were honored for their food preparation skills as well as their basic Soldiering knowledge.
“I came to the brigade about nine months ago and didn’t see that the unit was holding food service competitions or boards,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Naomi Caraway, senior food advisor, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, 1st Infantry Division. “Typically all Forces Command units across the Army host a Chef of the Quarter and Year Board with the best of the best competing annually at the Divisional level.”
Today’s winners for the third quarter board are Sgt. April Vasquez, food specialist, assigned to Forward Support Company, 5th “Fighter” Engineer Battalion, native of Toledo, Ohio, and Pfc. Richard Houston, food specialist and native of Spartanburg, S.C., assigned to Forward Support Company, 94th “Wolverine” Engineer Battalion.
Vasquez, who mentioned she has been cooking for the Army for nearly 12 years, took top honors in the senior chef category while Houston won at the Soldier level.
“I have been cooking all of my life with my biggest influence being my mom,” said Houston. “She got me interested so during high school I took a career training course in culinary arts and that’s where I found my passion.”
Sgt. 1st Class Anthony Brooks, senior food specialist and native of Shreveport, La., assigned to 13th Military Police Company, 92nd Military Police Battalion, provided most of the coordination for this cook off and says moving the operation outside offered the cooks more space than they would have inside the dining facility. Brooks also says the television show “Iron Chef” was a big inspiration.
“Each Soldier will have a box of mystery ingredients - fresh potatoes, orzo, Swiss steak, mushrooms, broccoli and some fresh herbs. They will have a set time to use all of these ingredients in whatever they decide to make,” Brooks said. “The judges will taste each dish when time is up.”
While outside the cooks used equipment normally reserved for a field environment and Brooks talked about the two-fold goal.
Brooks said that in addition to giving the cooks some “elbow room”, some of these junior Soldiers haven’t cooked in a remote-feeding set-up so this outside venue familiarizes them with the burners and other equipment not used in dining facilities.
“We are sharpening their remote-feeding skills while letting them have some fun in an “Iron Chef” type of cook off,” said Brooks.
The next board is slated to be held in late September.
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2014 16:59 |
| Story ID: | 134999 |
| Location: | FORT LEONARD WOOD, MISSOURI, US |
| Hometown: | SPARTANBURG, SOUTH CAROLINA, US |
| Hometown: | TOLEDO, OHIO, US |
| Web Views: | 126 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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