National Culinary Review - September 2010

The Air Force chefs took a more conservative approach, choosing, instead, to concentrate on four specific dishes. They started with a seafood soup and ended with a rich chocolate soufflé accented by a berry coulis. The Navy pushed out six incredible courses, including garden-vegetable terrine, Egg in a Nest and smoked yellowfin tuna.

The Marines chose to concentrate their efforts on four courses: a duck appetizer, a seafood course, a composed salad featuring rabbit and an entrée of Asian pheasant. And, finally, the Guardians cranked out six courses, matching the Navy course for course.

In the end, the defending champion, the Army, repeated its victory, just edging out the Navy to be named Freedom Chef Challenge champions once again. Rounding out the close competition, in third place, were the Guardians from the Coast Guard. All the teams should be proud of themselves, because they all cooked incredible food and did their branch of service proud.

trying times. An additional $4,000 was raised by the sale of aprons that New Chef Fashion Inc. donated to the event. All five teams donated their prize money to the cause, totaling, between them, another $2,450. A grand total of $21,450 was given to the Fisher House Foundation.

I thanked each one of the competitors, and I continued to thank the many servicemen and servicewoman I saw during the convention. As cognizant as I try to be of their sacrifices for our country and our safety, the significance of the event still did not fully dawn on me until I was boarding my plane for the flight back to New York.

In line behind me was a man, wearing a Vietnam Veterans hat, who had one arm. I couldn’t help but wonder if there had been anything like a Fisher House for his family, or for him. I said, “Please go ahead, sir.” He

The Navy’s Paul Maloney, left, and Michael Edwards were just edged out of a win by the Army team.

Scott Zabel works on one of four courses produced by the Marines.

gave me an appreciative smile and a quiet thank you and went by.

I whispered a quick thank you to God that I live in the land of the free and the home of the brave, and a thank you to all of our armed forces for keeping it that way.

Thomas Recinella, CEC, AAC, is an associate professor and program director of culinary arts at State University of New York at Delhi, Delhi, N. Y., and a member of ACF Chefs and Cooks of the Catskill Mountains.

GIVING BACK—AND GIVING THANKS As awesome as the event was, the proceeds raised by this event was, in the end, the crown jewel of the day. $15,000 was raised by sponsorship secured through Prows’ efforts, all of which was donated to Fisher House, a not-for-profit organization that houses families of servicemen and servicewoman during