A team of six Fort Sill Soldiers is preparing for a battle of sorts. Instead of guns, they'll be wielding knives. And forks and spoons.
This hand-picked cadre of chefs from 75th Field Artillery Brigade's Staff Sgt. Juan Garcia Dining Facility (DFAC) has been in training for the 41st Military Culinary Arts Competitive Training Event to be held at Fort Lee, Va. March 3-11. As part of that training, they served a three-course meal to Maj. Gen. John Rossi, Fires Center of Excellence and Fort Sill commanding general, his wife, Liz, and 10 other visitors at the former Guns and Rockets Dining Facility, Feb. 17.
The team's captain, Staff Sgt. David Bernier, said they prepped for the meal the same way that they would at the competition. The day before the lunch event they washed and trimmed the vegetables, and thawed the meat. The luncheon was part of the presentation category, which is judged on the overall presentation of a three-course meal. During the competition, this meal will need to serve 45 guests and five judges, said Bernier.
Invited guests were seated in the front dining room, where a tallow sculpture of St. Barbara, patron saint of artillerymen, held court, and glasses of fresh-squeezed lime mojito and ice water lined the table. Red cloth napkins were arranged as artfully as they would have been in an upscale restaurant.
When Rossi arrived, the meal was served. While the appetizers of pan-seared scallops on handmade angel hair pasta were brought in, the chefs back in the kitchen were laser-focused on preparing the next course. Volunteer helpers washed the pots and pans; Bernier and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Karena Apodaca browned the crostini and arranged the barbecue tenderloin on top. Minton carefully measured the crust for the hot apple turnovers, put a scoop of chopped apples on the squares, and crimped them into triangles.
To replicate the conditions of the competition as much as possible, the hot portions of the meal were prepared in the mobile kitchen trailer (MKT). "It sets a new standard for what can be cooked on a MKT," said Bernier. Finished fare was kept hot under heat lamps in the dining hall's kitchen while garnishes and sauces were added to the entrée.
The tenderloin was served exactly medium rare and very tender, over a swirl of garlic mashed potatoes. It snuggled next to a dollop of creamy espagnole sauce. Caramelized red and cipollini onions garnished the steamed broccoli, adding not only visual interest, but also a variety of textures, colors and tastes.
The apple turnovers arrived hot, with homemade vanilla anglaise ice cream, and a dab of raspberry coulis sauce painted onto the plate as an edible decoration. Not the usual DFAC fare.
Bernier said what they learned as elite members of the culinary team will pay off in the dining halls when they return to their normal duties. He will transfer in a few months to be an Advanced Individual Training instructor for the 92G food service specialist military occupational specialty at Fort Lee.
Rossi praised the hand-picked culinary team, saying, "Cooks are a unique breed. They do important work. The Army runs on its stomach."
At the meal's end, the chefs stood in front of the guests, looking sharp in their white double-breasted chef's coats, and Rossi asked questions about the competition. He told them, "Your product has a huge impact on morale. Hopefully the rest of the cooks in DFAC will look at this as aspirational. You are the best of the best on post. The Army is sending a message to you that there's an element of appreciation in letting you do this (competition)."
The Fort Lee competition is sponsored by the American Culinary Federation, whose members will judge the entries.
Apodaca said the next competitive event will be the Phillip A. Connelly competition in preparing meals in the mobile kitchen trailer in the field. The local event will be held at Fort Sill in May, with Fort Hood, Texas, food service specialists grading their efforts.
Rossi complimented the team on its second place win in the three-course meal event last year, and added, "Good luck. Bring home the gold." He concluded, "This was fantastic. We really appreciate you doing this."
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