"And the secret ingredient is..."

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Wesley Wright
  • Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs
MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  They say competition brings out the best in people. Well, the best people came out for the competition as some of the best missile chefs from each of the three missile squadrons here battled it out for top-chef bragging rights during a Warrior Chef Competition at the Dakota Inn Dining Facility here Dec. 8.

The Warrior Chef Competition was formatted similarly to an Iron Chef Competition.

Each chef was paired up with a "sous-chef," a culinary arts student from the Quentin Burdick Job Corps Center in Minot.

The 740th Missile Squadron's warrior chef was Airman 1st Class Amanda Kovalcin and her sous-chef was Sam O'Donnell. The 741st MS sent Senior Airman Bryant Whittaker, who was paired up with Jeffrey Packard. Not to be outclassed, the 742nd MS sent renowned chef, Senior Airman Travis Keele, who paired up with Jenna Seaboy.

As things got under way, the nervous energy emanating from the chefs was almost palpable. They were given 15 minutes to prep their stations, which were piled high with all sorts of vegetables, spices and canned goods. They were itching to go as Airman 1st Class Valerie Walcott led the "studio crowd" back to the kitchen and began the announcements.

"And the secret ingredient is...GROUND BEEF," she exclaimed as she unveiled a monstrous pile of packaged beef. "Chefs, you have sixty minutes to prepare two entrees of your choice. Good luck!"

"At first I was worried it was going to be something weird like Tofu or something," Airman Keele said. "I was glad it was beef. I can work with that."

Airman Kovalcin and her sous-chef used their 15 minutes to formulate a plan.

"My chef (Airman Kovalcin) and I had some idea from the ingredients already laid out what we were going to make," said Sam O'Donnell. "If chicken was revealed then we were going to make barbecue chicken, and if hamburger was unveiled, then chili."

A flurry of activity followed as the chefs snatched up their ground beef and scurried back to their stations.

Airman Keele and his sous-chef went with a classic Italian approach combined with some old fashioned American cuisine: Spaghetti with sautéed mushrooms and sloppy joes. Airman Kovalcin and her sous-chef made chili with cheese and a beef macaroni dish. Airman Whittaker and his sous-chef initially started with spaghetti in similar fashion to Airman Keele, but changed their minds midway through the competition.

"We decided we wanted a Mexican theme, as we went from spaghetti and meatballs, and changed halfway to Mexican soup, beef fidello because it was taking longer than suspected for the noodles," said Airman Whittaker. "So we used the water from the noodles for the soup, not wasting time."

The crowd of friends, family, co-workers and other supporters cheered on their favorite chefs as the competition continued.

"I wanted to jump in on the action and lend a hand," said Loren Keele, wife of Airman Keele, herself a proficient cook at the Jimmy Doolittle Center here.

Each of the chefs faced their own unique challenges during the competion.

Airman Keele, for example, had to find an alternate way to open a can of tomato paste, as a working can opener was nowhere to be found.

"I finally just had to stick a knife through the top of the can," he said.

Airman Whittaker's challenge was a bit different.

"I was competing against my girlfriend," he said. "I just wanted it to be a close completion. I was nervous how the standings would affect my home life," he added with a laugh.

"Chefs, you have 15 minutes remaining!"

The announcement sent a new wave of energy through the kitchen as the chefs scrambled even faster to put the finishing touches on their meals.

"I've watched these competitions before, but it's a totally different experience when you're the one on the hot seat," Airman Kovalcin said.

The crowd began to file out to await the chef's presentation.

The chefs lined up in front of the judges and one by one gave an explanation as to why they chose to cook the two entrees they were serving. After serving the judges and members of the studio crowd, the chefs anxiously awaited the judges' decision.

Col. Robert Critchlow, 91st Operations Group commander, made the announcements. 

"It was a great competition," he said. "And it was very close, but in the end only one team can win. And the winner is the 741st Missile Squadron!"

Applause thundered throughout the dining facility as friends and family began congratulating Airman Whittaker and sous-chef Jeffrey Packard.

"It feels awesome to win," said Airman Whittaker. "At times it almost felt like celebrity status when we live in such a small town. I actually had civilians asking me in the mall about the competition. Its fun and I don't mind talking."

Packard said it was a neat experience taking part in the competition and showed him what it was really like cooking in the workplace.

"It was hard doing things because you were told to do something, but you weren't sure how to chop up something because some ask you one way (to do it) and others want it another way," Packard added. "It was fun, but you had to be quick."

Airman Whittaker said he plans on putting his personal trophy in his living room, but plans on putting the "big one" at his squadron.