GW CSs compete in culinary culture contest

WATERS NEAR GUAM, USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, AT SEA

06.08.2015

Courtesy Story

USS GEORGE WASHINGTON (CVN 73)

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Apprentice Shayla D. Hamilton

WATERS NEAR GUAM (June 8, 2015) – Two culinary specialists turned up the heat aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) while competing in George Washington’s edition of Iron Chef in the chief’s petty officer mess, June 6.

Culinary Specialist Seaman Cynthia Gonzalez, from Phoenix, and Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Marquis Cook-Clark, from Atlanta, were tasked with creating an appetizer, main course and dessert for a panel of eight judges: Rear Adm. John Alexander, commander, Battle Force 7th Fleet; Capt. Timothy Kuehhas, George Washington’s commanding officer; Capt. William Koyama, commander, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5; Capt. Christopher Sweeney, deputy commodore, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15; CTF 70’s Command Master Chief Jason Eckard; George Washington’s Command Master Chief Jason Haka; CVW-5’s Command Master Chief Todd Wende; and DESRON 15’s Command Master Chief Jason Dunn.

“We give all of the CSs the opportunity to show us what they’ve got,” said Chief Aviation’s Boatswains Mate (Equipment) Andrew Thomasson, caterer for George Washington’s chief petty officer mess. “The point of this competition is to give young Sailors a chance to put their skills to the test, take the chains off and unleash the beast.”

Two Sailors, from very diverse backgrounds, competed against one another for the title.

“My culture inspired my dishes,” said Gonzalez, June 2015 Iron Chef winner. “I’m Puerto Rican and Mexican. It felt good to put a part of my identity into the dishes. The Admiral actually wants my recipe.”

Unlike Food Network’s version of Iron Chef, Sailors were not given specific ingredients or instructions to work with. Both Sailors simply used a touch of their cultures to spice up their dishes with ingredients that were available on the ship.

“It took knowledge and thorough preparation to get through it,” said Cook-Clark. “We prepped from about 1 p.m. and had to have our meals prepared by about 5:30 p.m. Ironically, both of our dishes were from our native backgrounds. I’m Jamaican and Haitian.”

George Washington’s Iron Chef coordinators expressed their gratitude and admiration for those who competed.

“Culinary Specialists are hardworking and underappreciated in the Navy,” said Thomasson. “They work around the clock daily to feed the crew. So we’re glad to give them a means of breaking the monotony, give recognition and assist with building confidence. I’m very proud of them.”

George Washington has held its own edition of the Iron Chef competition once a month, while underway, since 2013.

George Washington and CVW 5 are on patrol in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. George Washington will conduct a hull-swap with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) later this year after serving seven years as the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Yokosuka, Japan.

• Date Taken: 06.08.2015
• Date Posted: 06.27.2015 04:44
• Story ID: 165827
• Location: WATERS NEAR GUAM, USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, AT SEA
• Hometown: ATLANTA, GA, US
• Hometown: PHOENIX, AZ, US