A food service specialist serves dessert during the Chef of the Quarter cook-off competition at Anderson Hall aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii, August 23, 2017. After a series of evaluations to include a 50-question written test, an oral board and a uniform inspection, the U.S. Marines with top three highest combined scores were selected to be a part of the cook-off. The competitors used chicken, curry, cream cheese and kiwi fruit as items for their appetizer, entrée and desserts. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Zachary Orr)

Photo by Cpl. Zachary Orr

U.S. Marines compete in cook-off competition for Chef of the Quarter

6 Sep 2017 | Cpl. Zachary Orr Marine Corps Base Hawaii

MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII -- While the food is cooking, the aroma spreading throughout Anderson Hall, food service specialists are being judged in the kitchen on sanitation, time management and how well they execute cooking the meals during the Chef of the Quarter cook-off competition aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH), August 23, 2017.
U.S. Marines are giving the opportunity to volunteer to compete for chef of the quarter. Before being selected to be a part the cook-off competition, the chefs must first go through a series of tests. The tests included a culinary based panel, uniform inspection, and a 50-question exam on sanitation, food safety and advanced culinary.
“If you don’t do well on those three things, you won’t make it to the cooking competition,” said Master Sgt. Jose Moram, the mess hall manager with 3rd Marine Regiment. “You want to make it to the cooking competition; that’s where [the fun] is at.”
The three test scores are added and the Marines with the highest combined test scores advance to the cook-off.
“The Marines who advanced to the cooking competition were given 4 hours to create a menu,” said Moram. “In this case, they had mystery items. The mystery items for this competition included chicken, curry, cream cheese and kiwi fruit.”
Moram said the Marines were able to do research online and come up with ideas for their menu.
“They had to instill those mystery items into their menu,” Moram said. “After they create their menus, they are given 24 hours to prep their food. Prepping consisted of chopping, marinating their chicken, and wrapping their pepper poppers with bacon, if they needed to. They were not allowed to cook until 6 a.m.”
By 11 a.m., the judges were ready to taste and rate the meals prepared by the three contestants.
“I liked the fact they had the mystery ingredients,” said Pvt. Courtney Bradley, an administrative clerk with Installation Personnel Administration Center, MCBH. “That was creative because most people cannot do that.”
Bradley said he enjoyed being a judge for the competition because it allows the cooks to showcase theirs skills.
“The food came out good,” Bradley said. “I was surprised by the variety of entrées they came up with due to the limited resources they had. I hope they invite me out to the next one.”
Lance Cpl. Cinthya CruzOrganista, a food service specialist with HQ Bn., MCBH, took home the gold medal for the cooking competition and advances to compete in the chef of the year competition.
“As far as the competition today, it went well,” CruzOrganista said. “There were things I wanted to try differently but at least I got the win.
CruzOrganista said she is looking forward to competing at the end of the year at the Chef of the Year competition.