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Yes, Chef!

Photo By Airman 1st Class Zachary Jakel | Competitors and judges for the Iron Chef competition take a group photo at Aviano Air...... read more read more

AVIANO AIR BASE, ITALY

09.19.2024

Story by Airman 1st Class Zachary Jakel

31st Fighter Wing

AVIANO AIR BASE, Italy -- There’s an Air Force instruction for almost everything; how to wear your uniform, what order your ribbons go in, how to fix an aircraft and even how to write paperwork. But did you know, the people preparing your food at a dining facility are also following an AFI?

“Unfortunately, at the dining facility, we just have the recipes we are given, and we have no way to deviate,” said U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Hangie De Los Santos, 31st Force Support Squadron dining facility manager. “We have to cook our food a certain way and use pre-chosen ingredients.”

The La Dolce dining facility hosted their quarterly Iron Chef competition at Aviano Air Base, Italy, Sept. 20, 2024. This is one of the few ways the 31st FSS dining facility crew can flex their culinary expertise and be put to the test.

This year, four teams of two competed head-to-head to create a meal with two random ingredients in just one hour. This year’s random ingredients included mushrooms, steak, potatoes and chicken.

“Every other squadron has their own training programs and competitions, and the Iron Chef is our version of that,” said De Los Santos. “This is how we improve our individuals, to get them to think on their feet with what they are given. When we go on TDY’s to other countries, we may not have the ingredients to make our recipes. So, sometimes we call an audible and have our chefs make their own dishes with the local produce.”

While this competition is normally held in-house, the DFAC opened its kitchen doors to allow members from other units around Aviano Air Base to share their knowledge. For this quarter, members from the 31st Security Forces and FSS joined as new challengers.

“By having members outside of the DFAC, it not only helps our competitors improve skills, but it also creates a sense of pride within them and to win the trophy,” said De Los Santos.

The judges, U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Latrise Rusell, 31st FSS senior enlisted leader, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ryan Williams, 31st Communications Squadron commander, and U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Traveller Hill, 31st CS SEL, critiqued the dishes on both presentation and taste. After discussing their thoughts with each other, they announced the winners: team “Bravo Berserkers,” from the 31st SFS.

“This competition was super fun to put together,” said De Los Santos. “And even though our chefs didn’t take home the gold today, I’m very proud of the dishes they all came up with and I’m sure we’ll get them next time.”