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CIA program trains armed forces food personnel

CIA program trains armed forces food personnel

ST. HELENA Calif. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

It’s an old-world skill of carving a decorative pattern on mushrooms as a garnish for dishes like steak Diane. CIA chef-educators teach it to build knife-control skills—though it’s not likely something Williams will put into practice in his work. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

Most of the year, the 23-year-old Marine is part of a team that feeds thousands every day at Camp Pendleton in Southern California. However, in early October, Williams was one of 25 outstanding military foodservice workers selected to attend an all-expenses-paid week at the CIA in a program called the Armed Forces Forum for Culinary Excellence. The goal of the program is to improve Williams’ kitchen skills on the base, but also, perhaps, to some day lure him into the restaurant industry. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

In its third year, the program is an extension of the annual awards honoring the best foodservice operations on military bases, including the John L. Hennessy Award for the U.S. Air Force; the Major General W.P.T Hill award for the Marines; and the Kenneth Disney award for the Air National Guard. The awards are typically bestowed at the National Restaurant Association Restaurant Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

The teams of foodservice industry executives and military personnel who travel the world to evaluate feeding operations at the bases for those awards also select individuals who stand out as “the best of the best.” —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

Among them is Williams, who is keen on a career in foodservice and plans to attend the CIA’s ProChef classes in New York. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

In the week at Greystone, Williams said he was thrilled at the opportunity to soak in knowledge, learning about everything from barbecuing to salt to how to correct flavors. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

This year the program–sponsored in part by the Society for Foodservice Management and the International Food Service Executives Association–has attracted additional industry support. The National Restaurant Association and the NRA Educational Foundation, as primary sponsors, have donated $50,000 to help fund the forum. It’s funding that NRA chairman Mike Gibbons said he hopes will continue. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

To Gibbons, who attended the forum, enhancing the foodservice training for those in the military is not only a way to support your country, it’s also a way to potentially recruit top candidates into the foodservice industry, which he contends will be short by about 2 million people over the next decade. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

“There’s such a void going forward in jobs,” said Gibbons. “It’s as much about giving back to them as they do for us. But we have to remember that these people coming out of the military are a valuable resource.” —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

Gibbons, who is also president and chief executive of multiconcept Mainstreet Ventures Inc. in Ann Arbor, Mich., wasn’t the only restaurant operator to mentor the military participants during the week. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

Others included Linda Bacin, past chair of the NRAEF and vice president of Bella! Bacino’s in Chicago; Ted Burke, co-owner of the Shadowbrook and Crow’s Nest restaurants in Capitola, Calif.; Pete Mihajlov, founding partner of Parasole Restaurant Holdings in Minneapolis; and Russell Adams, owner of the Strongbow Inn in Valparaiso, Ind. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

Also attending were Art Myers, principal director of military community and family policy for the Office of Under Secretary of Defense; Horace Larry, deputy director of Air Force Services; and Lt. Col. Carlos Sanabria, head of food service and subsistence for the U.S. Marine Corps. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

Myers told attendees that he got his start in the Air Force washing dishes. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

“The key to my success was doing the job to the best of my ability and getting an education,” he said. “The hardest part of going to school is going to school.” —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

Larry recommended “hard work, dedication, teamwork and stick-with-it-ness,” and quoted the singer James Brown, who said: “I don’t want nobody to give me nothing. Open the door and I’ll get it myself.” —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

Gibbons, who shared his story about starting out as a fry cook at a Long John Silver’s in high school, told the group, “None of us started at the top.” —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

With the message that a career in foodservice is not only found in the kitchen, the industry panel also included suppliers, such as Steve Geske, senior vice president of Ventura Foods, and John McDonough, president of ITW Food Equipment Group North America, and Ralph Goldbeck, a partner in Carlin Manufacturing LLC and Kitchens To Go LLC. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

During the week, the group took advantage of the wine-country destination by riding the “wine train” through Napa Valley and tasting the local products, learning about the region’s cheeses, and sniffing their way through the CIA’s bountiful herb garden. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

Every afternoon, the students prepared a dinner, and then endured the critique of their chef-instructors. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

The participants have “incredible energy and they absorb so much,” said Lars Kronmark, CIA chef-instructor. “It makes you realize it’s a big world out there. We had people in the group who have never seen fresh figs or tasted sparkling wine.” —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

For Eunice Mims, a 38-year-old who serves at Duke Field Air Reserve Base in Florida, the experience was unforgettable. —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

Mims said she plans to stay in the Air Force Reserves for 20 years or more. But after a week at the CIA, she said, “what I really want to do is open my own restaurant some day.”— [email protected] —In the cathedral-like, state-of-the-art kitchens at the Culinary Institute of America’s Greystone campus in the heart of Napa Valley wine country recently, Marine Cpl. Michael Williams learned how to flute mushrooms.

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