War On Terror News

Cherry Point Top Chefs Cook Off

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C.-Cpl. Kevin Deandre Lyons shows off his culinary masterpiece after being awarded first place in the Chef of the Quarter competition March 19 at the Cherry Point mess hall. Lyons' winning cuisine consisted of fried pork chops smothered in onions, string beans, potatoes, corn bread and chocolate-frosted yellow cake., Lance Cpl. Rashaun X. James, 3/18/2009 8:36 PM

Face of Defense: NCO Teaches Bistro Cooking in Barracks

Army Sgt. Edmund Perez, an operations noncommissioned officer at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and a professional chef, brings his cooking talents to The Pentagon Channel in a cooking series called, “Microwave 101.” Courtesy photo 

Does your Emergency Preparedness Kit contain recalled or expired items?

Currently the United States is in the midst of one of the largest food recalls in American history. As Americans dig through their cabinets and refrigerators to remove potentially contaminated food associated with the recent peanut recall, we would like to also remind citizens to open and check their Emergency Preparedness Kits to remove any potentially harmful items from these also.

Quartermasters Rebuild, Use Mobile Kitchen Trailer

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE Q-WEST, Iraq - Soldiers from the 574th Quartermaster Co., 30th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 16th Sustainment Brigade cooked out in their newly renovated mobile kitchen trailer at the unit’s change of command ceremony here, Feb. 14.

The 574th Quartermasters Co., from Grafenwoehr, Germany, delpoyed to Q-West in late July, and fell in on an MKT that had not been used for over two years. The MKT was covered with dirt, rust, and numerous parts were broken.

Army Spouse wins Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown

 

Lisa Roman (left), shown with her husband Joe, was the winner of the Food Network's dessert Ultimate Recipe Challenge Feb 8.  Photo credit Spc. Ashley M. Armstrong

Feb 09

By Spc. Ashley M. Armstrong

FORT SHAFTER — Out of 10,000 entries, Lisa Roman, wife of Capt. Joe Roman, strategic plans officer, 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, was chosen as the winner of the ultimate dessert recipe during the Food Network’s Ultimate Recipe Showdown, Sunday.

A Holiday Season Message

Be smart with alcohol this holiday season

12/12/2008  By Lance Cpl. Randall Little

Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C.  —  — 

The holiday season, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, is not only known for family gatherings, but for parties and drinking.

“We want Marines and sailors to be aware of the risks of drinking too much and take precautions to prevent them,” said John Swett, a health educator for the health promotions office on base. “(Service members) need to use common sense to protect themselves and their fellow Marines and sailors.”

One of the biggest issues with alcohol is driving after consuming alcoholic beverages. During 2007, 12,998 people in the U.S. died in alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes. In fiscal year 2007 there were 21 alcohol-related deaths out of 57 personal motor vehicle fatalities in the Marine Corps, according to the Navy Safety Center.

Between fiscal year 2002 and 2008 the Marine Corps has lost 97 of their own, the equivalent of two platoons, to alcohol-related vehicle mishaps.

“Marines should never consider driving drunk,” said Swett. “If they go somewhere and know they will be drinking, they should take a cab or leave their keys with someone and spend the night.”

Another form of transportation service members should use when they have been drinking is the Arrive Alive program.

The program allows Marines and sailors to take a cab back to base where the Headquarters and Support Battalion officer of the day will pay the fare.

Personnel who use this service will repay the OOD for the total cost within three days after use, but the price of a cab is better than poor decisions costing service members their lives or career.

“There are a lot of options for service members other than drunk driving,” said Swett. “There is no excuse for getting behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking.

Although drunk driving is one of the biggest concerns during the holiday season, underage drinking is another issue Marines need to take into consideration.

Under N.C. law, anyone younger than 21 who purchases or attempts to purchase alcohol will face penalties including fines and court costs. Additionally, if someone older than 21 buys alcohol for someone younger than the legal drinking age, they could be fined and face jail time.

Another concern of drinking is the effect alcohol has on service members’ judgment.

“When Marines get drunk, some of them see themselves as ladies men,” said Swett. “As a result, a lot of the sexual assault cases you see in the area involve alcohol.”

To prevent poor decisions, Marines need to have a plan, said Swett. If they plan ahead, they can make their holiday season enjoyable. 

For more information about alcohol abuse prevention, visit the Web site at www-nmcphc.med.navy.mil or www.thatguy.com.

Iron Chef gets creative with MREs

Iron Chef gets creative with MREs

Bon Appetito!

Chef Roberto Donna encourages Sgt. 1st Class Randy Randolph and Sgt. Ashleigh Torres to enjoy his

Mission: MRE creations.

Photo by C. Todd Lopez

Nov 18, 2008
BY Elizabeth M. Collins

WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Nov. 17, 2008) - Can a celebrity chef, restaurant owner, cookbook author and winner of the Food Network's "Iron Chef," create five-star, restaurant-quality dishes out of two Meals Ready to Eat?

"Mission: MRE" assigned Chef Roberto Donna and Sous Chef Claudio Sandri only 30 minutes to create at least two dishes out of two MREs. They were allowed to use only five ingredients total, in addition to unlimited herbs and spices, in Donna's Arlington, Va., restaurant "Bebo Trattoria."

The mission was assigned by Soldiers Radio and Television's Ana Allen, who produced it as a segment for "Army Newswatch," now airing on the Pentagon Channel, American Forces Networks overseas and almost 1,000 cable channels nationwide.

"It's for our guys in the Army, so anything that makes them feel good and (helps them) do their job is a pleasure," said the Italian Donna, admitting that he wasn't sure about the idea at first. "I say, 'What? What are you talking about?' I was kind of surprised, but then, talking to Ana, she explained it. It's challenging and it's for a good cause. If you can make people feel better and laugh a little bit, it's good."

Given a list of MRE flavors ahead of time, Donna picked vegetable manicotti and grilled chicken, but he couldn't open the packages until the clock started, so he didn't know exactly what he was getting.

He said that as a chef, the MREs were a little scary, but that it's amazing that Soldiers can carry full meals with them. The manicotti and chicken weren't that bad, either. According to Donna, they were very similar to what can be found in many supermarkets. They just needed a little help.

Donna added some pork sausage, tomato puree, basil, onion and garlic to the manicotti, topping it with the ubiquitous cracker found in almost any MRE. The pasta wasn't very al dente, so he wanted to add some firmness and texture with the cracker. The whole mixture then went into the oven.

He added some of the same tomato puree to the grilled chicken and melted some mozzarella on top to make chicken parmesan. Then Donna toasted some flatbread he found in the MRE and rubbed garlic on it, serving it alongside the chicken.

Desserts were more of a challenge. First, Donna cut out a circle from a poppy-seed cake and sliced it in half, layering the pieces with homemade fig preserves and adding an orange sauce.

For the second dessert, Donna used only MRE ingredients, topping a caramel-apple Ranger bar with peanut butter, M&Ms and a sauce he made from a hazelnut-chocolate drink mix.

This was the least favorite of Army taste-testers Sgt. 1st Class Randy Randolph and Sgt. Ashleigh Torres of SRTV. They gave it two stars, Torres saying it tasted like medicine.

The other dishes were a much bigger hit, especially the chicken parmesan, which earned four stars.

"It's delicious," said Randolph, adding that he thought it deserved five stars. "This is definitely a five-star meal. It beats throwing water into a bag."

The poppy-seed cake also received four stars, while the manicotti earned three, although the Soldiers still said it was fantastic.

"A little bit of olive oil and garlic, they taste good," said Donna. "It's just a little bit of imagination. This is Italian style. I think any cuisine can fix them their own way.

"I'm very happy with the two main dishes. I agree with the chocolate-and-apple cracker and peanut butter was a little strange-tasting, but if you like those tastes, it's good. I think all together I'm pretty happy with the job that we did. I added ingredients that were pretty good and easy to work with."

Vegetable manicotti in a tomato and sausage ragout with breaded topping: three Army stars

Ingredients:
1 vegetable manicotti in tomato sauce (MRE item)
1 cup pork sausage
½ cup tomato puree
½ cup wine
¼ of an onion
1 clove garlic
1 white cracker (MRE item)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Fresh basil
Tabasco sauce (MRE item)

Method:
Finely chop onion and garlic. Pour olive oil in a medium sized skillet and sauté onion, garlic and pork sausage over medium heat. Add wine, tomato puree, salt, pepper, fresh basil and Tobasco to taste. Add vegetable manicotti and warm it all the way through. Coarsely chop a white cracker and set aside for topping.

Plate manicotti and ragout sauce in an oven-proof dish. Add cracker topping and bake in the oven at 350 ° for 15 minutes. Serve hot.

Chicken parmesan in a tomato sauce over garlic bread: four Army stars

Ingredients:
1 grilled-chicken breast (MRE item)
Two large slices of mozzarella cheese
2 slices of flatbread (MRE item)
¾ cup tomato puree
2 cloves of garlic
A pinch each of salt, pepper and oregano
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sprig of rosemary

Method:
Coat pan with olive oil over medium heat. Chop one clove of garlic and sauté until golden. Pour in tomato puree. Add salt, pepper and oregano to taste. Place grilled-chicken breast into sauce and then place mozzarella cheese on top of chicken to melt over medium-low heat.

Coat another pan with olive oil and toast flatbread until golden brown. Remove bread from pan. Cut a clove of garlic in half and rub it over the flatbread. Place bread on a plate and scoop finished chicken parmesan on top. Decorate with a sprig of rosemary.

Lemon poppy-seed cake with fig marmalade and orange sauce: four Army stars

Ingredients:
1 lemon poppy-seed cake (MRE item)
¼ cup fig marmalade
½ cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon orange rind
1 cookie cutter

Method:
Take lemon poppy-seed cake and cut it into a circle with a cookie cutter. Carefully slice dessert horizontally into two cakes with a knife and place on a dessert plate. Spoon a generous amount of fig marmalade between the cake slices. Place a dollop of marmalade on top of the cake.

Caramelize ½ cup sugar over low heat. Once the sugar has a golden-brown color, pour 1 cup orange juice and 1 table spoon orange rind and reduce sauce over medium heat. Place left over poppy seed cake pieces around the dessert and dribble reduced orange sauce all over cake.

Caramel-apple Ranger bar in a chocolate hazelnut sauce with M&Ms and a crunchy peanut butter topping: two Army stars

Ingredients:
1 caramel-apple Ranger bar (MRE item)
1 packet of chocolate-hazelnut cocoa powder (MRE item)
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon peanut butter (MRE item)
1 packet of M&Ms (MRE item)

Method:
Slice the caramel-apple ranger bar into 1 inch slices and save the crumbs for topping.
To make chocolate sauce, mix chocolate-hazelnut powder with a couple of tablespoons of water in a separate bowl. Pour sauce into a shallow dish. Place the sliced ranger bar on top of the chocolate sauce and decorate with M&Ms around the dessert. Take a tablespoon of peanut butter and mix in crumbs left over from ranger bar. Place dollop of peanut butter topping on top of dessert and enjoy.

(Editor's Note: SRTV's Ana Allen provided the recipes for this report. This is the first in a series about chefs making over MREs.)

Early Shoppers At Participating AAFES Can Win Gift Cards The Day After Thanksgiving!!

AAFES to offer Thanksgiving weekend feast of deals

11/21/2008 - DALLAS (AFNS) -- Military shoppers looking to dig in to tasty holiday shopping better bring a big appetite to base exchanges or post exchanges the weekend after Thanksgiving as the Army & Air Force Exchange Service is serving up three days of great deals, gift card giveaways and scratch off cards.

The smorgasbord begins as early as 4 a.m. as the first 100 shoppers entering the BX/PX on Nov. 28 through 30 will receive a $20 gift card. 

Those that aren't early risers won't miss out on the feast of savings as scratch off cards will be handed out throughout the day all Nov. 28 through 30 from 4 p.m. until closing. Every scratch off ticket will be a winner with prizes including $100, $50 and $25 gift cards, complimentary items at the food court, $5 restaurant gift cards and more. Additionally, military shoppers can enter to win one of five "Gas for a Year" giveaways.

In addition to the giveaways, AAFES will have deals on clothing, electronics, jewelry and everything in between.

"Although the fourth quarter is looking very challenging for retailers, the BX/PX is going to be ready with great assortments and prices, both in our stores and online," said AAFES' Senior Vice President of Sales Maggie Burgess. "Our team has been preparing these sizzling deals for nearly a half year now. We're excited about the menu of value and excitement we've put together to help make this holiday season truly special for military families."

Authorized customers are encouraged to log onto the store locator link at AAFES.com to verify their PX or BX's Thanksgiving hours in addition to specifics regarding local specials and drawings. 

Army culinary team savors success with culinary olympics silver

Army culinary team savors success with culinary olympics

Oct 27, 2008
BY Sarah Trier, Fort Lee Public Affairs

The food isn't the only way to win at culinary competitions. This dish shows the U. S Army Culinary Arts Team's attention to detail and creative license required to bring home a good medal count. Photo by Sarah Trier, Fort Lee Public Affairs

ERFURT, GERMANY (Oct. 27, 2008) -- After earning two gold medals in the hot and cold food competitions, the U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team was presented the silver medal overall Oct. 23 at the World Culinary Olympics award ceremony.

The overall gold medal is calculated by combining the team scores from both the hot and cold food events, according to Chief Warrant Officer 4 Robert Sparks, USACAT team manager. While more than one team can achieve gold in the two events of the competition, the team with the highest number of points wins overall.

The USACAT received 92.711 points in the cold food competition and 90.660 in the hot food competition, according to the World Culinary Olympics results.

With a combined score of 183.371, USACAT fell behind Switzerland by six points. USACAT competitors felt both disappointment and excitement.

“We were very fortunate to have great leaders,” said Spc. Valine Vukich, USACAT competitor. “Now we know how to push ourselves that extra mile.”

USACAT learned they had achieved gold in the cold food competition the night before the awards ceremony. That announcement meant the team was on the front burner for the gold medal overall.

“The team made these dishes hot and I wanted to sit down and eat them. There were some small technical things working against them, but overall this is a very nice cold food table,” said Connie Anderson, Culinary Olympics military judge.

The USACAT serves as the U.S. National Military Culinary Team and competes at local, national and international culinary competitions. Team members are selected through military competitions and qualifying events.

“The team is young, energetic and committed,” said Master Sgt. David Turcotte, USACAT advisor. “That’s all you can ask for.”

USACAT trains at the Army Center of Excellence, Subsistence, Fort Lee, Va. The school trains cooks throughout their career. Soldiers attend the school for advanced individual training as well as refresher and advanced culinary training. USACAT represents the finest-trained culinarians and the elite of military chefs.

“My hat goes off to the USACAT for what they bring to the Army,” said Col. Alexander Davis, Quartermaster Center and School assistant commandant.

USACAT will return to international competition in 2010 when they compete in the Culinary World Cup.

Sumptuous Skills
Another winning menu from the U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team included Herb Crusted Rabbit Tenderloin,Tomato/Spinach/ Herbed Quenelles,Thyme Cream Sauce, Garlic Custard, Paysanne Vegetables, Wild Mushrooms, Duck Breast Stuffed with Leeks, Pan Sauce, Soft Polenta, Braised Red Cabbage and Glazed Root Vegetables, Pear Strudel, Walnut Crunch, Vanilla Gelato, Dried Pear Chip, Dark Rum and Vanilla Sauce.
Photo by Sarah Trier, Fort Lee Public Affairs        October 27, 2008

Silver Success

(Left to Right) Representing the U.S. Army Culinary Arts Team, Spc. Valine Vukich, Staff Sgt. Joshua Spiess, Senior Chief Petty Officer Justin Reed, German Chefs Association President Ctefan Wohlfeil, Staff Sgt. Steven Broome, Sgt. Matthew Flemister and Spc. Michelle Carville, receive a Gold Medal on the Olympic Stage Oct. 23 for their performance in the Hot Food Competition. Photo by Sarah Trier, Fort Lee Public Affairs    Photo by Sarah Trier, Fort Lee Public Affairs     October 27, 2008

Face of Defense: MP Spices Up Life for Marines at Remote Outpost

Officer Spices Up Chow Hall

By Marine Corps Capt. Paul Greenberg
Special to American Forces Press Service

COMBAT OUTPOST TREBIL, Iraq, Oct. 23, 2008 – When you step into the chow hall here, the first thing you notice is the smell of gourmet coffee. Next, you notice an orderly array of shelf-stable meals displayed in cubbies along the plywood walls, available to the post’s Marines 24 hours a day.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jennifer Shell, a military policewoman who is currently serving as the chow hall manager at a combat outpost near the Port of Trebil in western Iraq, enjoys a visit with children at an Iranian Kurd refugee camp, May 15, 2008. Shell is with Military Police Company B, 4th Marine Logistics Group, based in North Versailles, Pa. Photo by Dhurgham Takleef Abdulzahra   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.

If you come during morning or evening chow hours, you will find home-cooked meals, made mostly from scratch.

These amenities were made possible, in large part, by the knowledge, skills and experience of one of the post’s most junior Marines, Lance Cpl. Jennifer Shell, who serves as the chow hall manager here.

Shell, a 31-year-old military police officer and reserve Marine from Uniontown, Pa., joined the Corps at 27 after graduating from culinary school in New York in 2003 and from Pennsylvania State University in 2005 with a bachelor’s degree in hotel and restaurant management.

Shell said she enlisted in the Marine Corps “because of the pride associated with it, and more importantly because of my dad, who served on [Marine Security Guard] detail in Singapore during the Vietnam War.”

Although she was well qualified, Shell said, she was not interested in Marine Corps Officer Candidate School.

“I love the camaraderie of being an enlisted Marine,” she said. “You can’t find this anywhere else. Sitting on post, staring out into the desert for hours on end, you learn a lot about each others’ lives.”

The first five months of Shell’s tour here were spent serving in the role of military police officer, responsible for the outpost’s security and supporting the various U.S. military advisor training teams and convoy escort personnel that the base houses when they aren’t out on missions in this remote and barren region.

The military police officers describe their seven-month tour here as “one long Groundhog Day.” The standard routine is six hours on guard post, followed by six hours on patrol. After returning from foot or vehicle patrols, the MPs have six hours on stand-by as a quick reactionary force. They then have six hours to sleep, and then they begin the schedule all over again.

A member of Military Police Company B, 4th Marine Logistics Group, based in North Versailles, Pa., Shell and four other reserve Marines from her unit deployed as individual augmentees to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment’s Task Force MP.

Five months into her unit’s tour, Shell’s squad leader, Cpl. Kristyn Stewart, from Pittsburgh, recommended that Shell be appointed to take over management of the chow hall from a more senior Marine.

“She’s a restaurant manager and graduate of culinary school,” said Stewart, 26, who is on her third mobilization and tour in Iraq. “I identified a need, and [Shell] was a perfect fit for the job.”

Cpl. Nathan Dahlheimer, 28, is a military policeman and squad leader from Monticello, Minn., attached to 3rd Battalion, 10th Marines. “The menu became really monotonous after five months, and everything was boiled, usually in a bag,” he said. “Lance Corporal Shell prepared real meals from scratch. She helped improve morale, as her meals gave us something to look forward to every night.”

Shell’s experience not only created better meals, but also enhanced the overall service of the chow hall in a number of ways.

“The difference in the organization of the chow hall was amazing,” said Gunnery Sgt. Jason Stephens of San Diego. Stephens, 35, arrived here in mid-August and is serving as team chief for the Port of Entry Transition Team.

“She’s kept the shelves restocked every day,” Stephens said. “The overall cleanliness of the chow hall is excellent. People actually want to sit down and eat there now, as it is a nice place to hang out. I think she brought here everything she learned in the civilian community and applied it to the chow hall. Her experience in managing restaurants in the civilian world was key to this success.”

Stephens explained that because of the aesthetic transformation in the atmosphere of the chow hall, it became the outpost’s social hub, where Marines congregate in the evening to play cards and watch satellite TV.

“I thought it was outstanding,” he said. “I was very impressed with Shell, as a junior Marine, taking over the job and running with it.”

Shell is scheduled to return to her home town later this month. After demobilization, she will go back to her career as a restaurant manager in western Pennsylvania.

Although she will arrive in time for her favorite time of the year -- the Pittsburgh Penguins’ hockey season -- she said she will miss the camaraderie she feels with her fellow Marines here in Iraq.

“Cooking for people here is much more fulfilling than cooking in the civilian world,” Shell said with an ear-to-ear smile. “The Marines simply appreciate it more.”

(Marine Corps Capt. Paul Greenberg serves with Multinational Force West.)

Related Sites:
Multinational Force West