Photo By Sgt. Samuel A. Nasso | Col. Douglas A. Denn, commanding officer of Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point,...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. – As the end of the fiscal year approaches so does the final competition that crowns Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point’s most-skilled chef.
Corporal’s Michael P. Gaudin and Derek P. Miller along with Lance Cpl. John S. Tristani faced off, Sept. 23, at the Cherry Point Mess Hall to claim the title for chef of the quarter for the 4th quarter of the year.
The three Marines, food service specialists, began preparation of their meals from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. the day before the competition and came right back to work at 4 a.m. on competition day.
Preparation started even before that. Approximately a month before the competition, the three Marines volunteered to compete and in doing so started to plan. Each Marine chose the dish they would serve and placed the order for the necessary quantities which had to be enough to feed 40 people.
Each Marine had to plan the exact measurements of the servings of their meals which turned out to be a challenge. For each meal the participant is required to prepare a meat, a vegetable, a starch and a dessert dish with the option to add a beverage.
As the big hand of the clock struck 9:50 a.m. the chefs scurried in the kitchen completing their final touches.
“Time management is what makes or breaks it for the chefs,” said Sgt. Joseph V. Mahon Jr., the training non-commissioned officer at the mess hall. “All the way up till 10 a.m. they scrap and claw to get their meals ready for the judges.”
One by one the chefs march to the judges table, explain their dishes and answer questions the judges have about the preparation of the meals.
The guest of honor, Col. Douglas A. Denn, commanding officer of MCAS Cherry Point, then spoke a few words to the competition attendees and proceeded with awarding the chefs.
“I love being here, eating with fellow Marines and tasting the superb meals prepared by these excellent chefs,” Denn said. “But what I don’t like is presenting the awards because each one of these chefs committed so much time preparing these excellent meals and they all deserve recognition.”
Without further ado Denn presented the third place award to Tristani and the second place award to Miller, leaving Gaudin standing by his booth glowing with an undisguised grin on his face.
Gaudin served beef cordon bleu with garlic-parmesan potatoes, asparagus and strawberry cheesecake.
“I spent so much time preparing for today ... for game day,” Gaudin said. “I’ve never cooked this meal before but I’m pretty impressed on how it turned out.”
Gaudin will now compete for the MCAS Cherry Point chef of the year against the winners of the previous three chefs of the quarters of fiscal year 2010.
“The chef of the quarter gives Marines the opportunity to show off their skills and to highlight what food service specialists are all about,” Mahon said.
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 10.01.2010 13:05 |
| Story ID: | 57323 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 5 |
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