MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- As the mixed scents of garlic bread and bacon filled the galley, food service specialists with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron put the finishing touches on their dishes as the Chef of the Quarter competition reached full boil.
On March 12, 2015, three Marines competed inside the R.G. Robinson Mess Hall aboard Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, for the title of Chef of the Quarter for the second quarter of fiscal year 2015.
This event presents the Marines the opportunity to display their culinary expertise by giving them free rein to cook a full meal consisting of: an appetizer, soup, entrée and dessert.
With the presentation and tasting of the meals being the final part of the competition, food service invited some of the stations senior leaders including Col. Robert Boucher, commanding officer of MCAS Iwakuni and Lt. Col. Karl Schmidt, commanding officer of H&HS, to judge the Marines’ hard work.
As the Marines refined their displays and the judges reached their seat, the final evaluation began.
During the evaluation, judges rate the Marines not only on the taste of the food, but also in the presentation of the meal and themselves as each service member is asked to give an explanation on why they chose to make their specific dishes.
The first contestant to step out of the frying pan and into the fire was Lance Cpl. Rebecca Messex, who presented her meal consisting of balsamic bruschetta on toasted French bread as the appetizer, grilled corn chowder, an entrée of grilled Montreal steak with a port wine sauce and a side of sautéed green beans with shallots and bacon alongside roasted herb potatoes. To top off her meal, she presented crème brulee with a tray of strawberry sauce and sparkling strawberry lemonade.
“Growing up, I spent a lot of time cooking and grilling with my family, those are some of my fondest memories,” said Messex. “That’s why I chose this kind of food because I wanted to bring a taste of home to Iwakuni.”
Up next, Lance Cpl. Jaquoise Johnson delivered his Italian inspired cuisine consisting of baked garlic bread covered in mozzarella cheese as the appetizer, a Tuscan white bean soup, fettuccini pasta with a three cheese sauce and baked salmon over grilled asparagus as the entree and for dessert, caramel toffee biscottis.
When Johnson was asked why he made these dishes he explained when he was stationed in Okinawa, Japan, he, along with his fellow Marines, would visit their favorite restaurant where these dishes are served, and as such, challenged himself to recreate his favorite dishes.
Last but not least, Lance Cpl. Arturo Arteaga presented his Mexican themed meal consisting of Mexican red rice as the appetizer, mixed vegetables seasoned with Mexican spices as a substitute for soup and an entrée of roasted fresh pepper stuffed with minced meat and Mexican style chicken with corn. For, Arteaga presented a sponge cake containing a sweet filling to the judges.
Arteaga stated that one thing he rarely sees in japan is authentic Mexican food and he took this opportunity to create something that means a lot to him and his heritage.
As the presentations finished, the judges tallied and discussed their scores while the participants anxiously awaited the results.
“One of the most challenging parts of judging was putting our forks down and moving on to the next meal,” said Schmidt. “These Marines did an amazing job putting all this together.”
Schmidt added that this event is one of his favorites aboard station because it not only shows a Marine’s proficiency in their MOS but also their ability to go above and beyond to create these amazing dishes.
Before announcing the Chef of the Quarter, the judges took the opportunity to talk once more to the Marines and discuss what they did right and what they could improve on.
With a suspense in the air, judges announced Messex as the Chef of the Quarter.
“I wasn’t expecting to win,” said Messex. “I worked really hard and I am ecstatic that in the end it paid off.”
Messex said that now she has her sights set on the upcoming Marine Corps Installations Pacific Chef of the Quarter competition. She thanks her leadership and fellow Marines in food service for providing her with this opportunity and pushing her to do great things.