3rd HBCT Takes The Cake For Iron Chef

Sgt. Keyona Thoma, a member of 3rd HBCT’s cooking team, prepares crab and lobster salad during the Iron Chef competition Aug. 16.
Judges grade food prepared for the Iron Chef Competition Aug. 16.

Sgt. Natalie Rostek

SGT. NATALIE ROSTEK
3RD HBCT, 3RD INF. DIV.

FOB HAMMER — Food service personnel of the 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team took part in the Sledgehammer version of the Iron Chef competition Aug. 16 at FOB Hammer. The idea came from the 3rd HBCT Food Service offi cer-in-charge, Chief Warrant Officer Ellen Magras, a Virgin Islands native, to honor Food Service Appreciation Day for 3rd HBCT. “I wanted to honor all the food service professionals, past, present, and future,” she said. “I also wanted to give the opportunity to these food service professionals to show their extreme talent.”

The rules for original Iron Chef competition, which airs on cable’s Food Network, are simple. There are four professional Iron Chefs all specializing in one type of cuisine: Chinese, Japanese, French, and Italian. Before the battle, the contender chooses one of the experts to face in a cook-off. Neither chef knows the key ingredient they must incorporate into their three-course meal until the unveiling, moments before the race begins.

Sgt. 1st Class Ed Stewart, of Deridder, La., NCO in charge of Food Service, said the Hammer Iron Chef competition was intended to closely resemble the original, yet still allow for full participation from everyone involved.

“Chief Magras spent a lot of time on every detail of this competition,” he said. “She fine-tuned everything.” The magic number was three for the Hammer competition. Three teams of three chefs each battled it out in the Hammer Dining Facility’s version of “Kitchen Stadium.” The teams were from the Kellogg, Brown, and Root contracting company, the Timimi contracting
company, and 3rd HBCT.

Each team prepared three dishes, including a salad, a sandwich, and a desert. They could use any ingredient found in the dining facility. When the hour cooking limit was complete, the teams displayed their masterpieces to the judges. According to Capt. Jeff Crawford, of Enterprise, Ala., commander, Company D, 203rd Brigade Support Battalion, the judges took every aspect of the meals into consideration before making their final decision on the winners.

“We judges were actually looking at the taste and texture,” he said. “But me personally, I was also looking at the food.” The 3rd HBCT chefs were declared winners. Their dishes included a shrimp and lobster salad with vegetable crackers, a shrimp po’ boy sandwich with corn relish, and for desert, a pretzel delight with whipped topping and strawberries. The Kellogg, Brown, and Root team placed second with a Mexican salad, a Philadelphia cheesesteak sub, and crepe suzette for desert.

The Timimi chefs prepared a mixed salad with beef and seafood, Hollywood sandwiches, and a dessert called “Orange Supreme.” Stewart believed the Timimi cooks, mostly from the Middle East, had trouble with American cuisine. “We gave the judges something they could recognize,” Stewart said. “Almost every American loves seafood. I don’t think the Timimi team catered to their audience.”

Despite the outcome, Stewart believed everyone enjoyed themselves. “It was a great competition that brought camaraderie between the civilians and the Soldiers,” Stewart said.

Sledgehammer Iron Chef Video