Gourmet chow
April 17th, 2012 | Amphibious operations Chow Cooking Gator Navy Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek - Fort Story | Posted by Charles Hoskinson
Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Anthony Catabay prepares a dish Monday for Sea-Air-Space symposium attendees. (Staff photo by Charles Hoskinson)
There was no mistaking the scent of fine food that drew a crowd Monday to the Naval Supply Systems Command booth at the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Space symposium outside Washington, D.C.
Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Anthony Catabay was putting the finishing touches on something that wasn’t the usual Navy fare: chicken saltimbocca with morel asparagus and herb linguine in marsala sauce. It was the same dish that won him a silver medal last month in the annual Military Culinary Arts Competition at Fort Lee, Va.
Catabay — who normally works in the galley at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Va. — made his own pasta from scratch, something Navy cooks are doing more of, not just to improve the food sailors eat but also to hone their cooking talents, said Senior Chief Culinary Specialist Katherine Thompson.
“The junior sailors are excited because now they get to own their skills,” she said.
After Catabay finished cooking, spectators were invited to sample his dish. The verdict? Delicious.
Navy cooks vie to be region’s `Top Chef’
January 24th, 2012 | Chow Competition Cooking Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek - Fort Story Navy Navy Region Mid-Atlantic | Posted by Bill McMichael
At least seven teams of Navy culinary specialists from Mid-Atlantic Region are sharpening their knives for Wednesday’s big 2012 “Top Chef” galley cook-off at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek – Fort Story.
(Blog entry aside: Isn’t that the most ungainly possible name for a military base? Sure hard to fit on the front of an HQ, much less say.)
The competition, which is not affiliated with the Bravo TV show, has a great angle going. Each team, consisting of two military chefs ranging in rank from E-1 to E-6, will have a variety of ingredients to choose from — the same stuff for each team. Then, before they begin, each team will be given a secret ingredient — which, we presume, will be something a bit more exotic than garlic salt yet at the same time, compatible with the base ingredients.
Armed with this intel, each team will have 30 minutes to figure out what it will create and get the judges’ approval for their menu. They’ll have to make two main dishes, and use every ingredient available — in two hours. No crock pots, please.
The judges will verify that the cooks have correctly prepared the meals. Then, the cooks will spoon it out, giving judges two plates from each dish to be judged on presentation and taste, respectively.
This will be the 4th annual Mid-Atlantic Regional Galley Culinary Competition, according to Spence Layne, assistant public affairs officer for the [ungainly-named] base. Winners get trophies and bragging rights.
If you were a judge, what secret ingredients would you impose upon the teams?