MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- The first-ever MacDill Iron Chef competition was hosted by the 6th Force Support Squadron at the Diner’s Reef dining facility, March 28, 2017 at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla.
FSS Airmen coordinated the event to show that food service specialists have many talents beyond their day to day tasks.
Four food service Airmen competed by creating a meal with mystery ingredients in one hour for the chance to become the MacDill Iron Chef Master.
The contestants were Senior Airman Samantha Bryan, Airman 1st Class Antigone Faulkner, Staff Sgt. Vinsetta Buford and Senior Airman Hector Rivas.
Each Airman was given a basket full of unknown ingredients along with one key ingredient - mango juice, and told to create a meal for five judges in just one hour.
With the time ticking, each Airman rushed to create a unique and flavorful dish in hopes of winning the grand prize.
“Despite having only one hour to prepare their creations, most were finished with a few minutes to spare,” said Lt. Col. Sergio Rios, commander of the 6th FSS. “During the whole process they were as calm as cucumbers, and I am extremely proud of my team.”
Along with the time constraint, the Airmen had to work under the pressure of leadership’s watchful eyes.
“Airmen are constantly surprising us with their ingenuity, innovative mindset, and how well they handle every day stressors,” said Rios. “Today at the Iron Chef Competition, the Airmen demonstrated these skills by creating culinary delights with ingredients they had no prior knowledge of.”
With time almost up, the Airmen began plating their dishes and preparing themselves to present it to the judges.
One by one, the Airmen served their dishes, explaining the ingredients and preparation that went into each meal for the judges
After each meal, the judges gave constructive criticism and scored the Airmen on overall meal presentation and taste. Finally, the judges tallied up the scores and declared a winner.
Col. Patrick Miller, commander of the 6th Mission Support Group and lead judge, crowned Staff Sgt. Vinsetta Buford, as the first ever MacDill Iron Chef Winner, and presented her with the award of a cooking knife set which had her name engraved in it.
“Cooking has just always been my passion,” said Buford. “I am thankful for the opportunity to compete and for the wonderful knife set I received.”