CAMP PENDLETON, California -- Three teams of two competed for the title of Culinary Team of the Quarter at the 31 Area Mess Hall on Edson Range here June 11. The winners for this quarter were Team 1, Dustin Delmar and Anthony Stewart.
The competition is a two-day event. On the first day, 12 teams competed in a book test and a Jeopardy-style quiz. Four teams qualified to move on to the cooking portion of the competition the following day, however one team was disqualified because they did not arrive on time the following day.
The theme of the cooking competition this quarter was barbecue. Each team was instructed to make a protein dish using chicken or pork, cornbread and a salad. This quarter the competition included 45 minutes of assistance to each team from guest chef Rahm Fama.
The teams were judged by four judges in a variety of areas including cooking fundamentals like temperature, timing and flavor, as well as kitchen conduct which included use of space and cleanliness.
This competition is used not only as a training tool, but also to build camaraderie among the food service community, said Donovan Brown, Marine Corps Installations West Regional Executive Chef.