The annual Commander Navy Installations Command (CNIC) culinary arts competition held at Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois, concluded on July 14. This year, seven teams consisting of three members from Navy Galleys across the U.S. and overseas participated. This is the eleventh year of the CNIC competition, and the seventh year Naval Station Great Lakes was able to host the event. The Goodwill Great Lakes team is the only civilian team that competed.
Congratulations to the first-place winners, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic! Navy Region Southwest took second place, Navy Region Northwest placed third, and the Goodwill Great Lakes team placed fourth. All competitors went home with new cookbooks, recipes to share with their home bases, and a variety of skills they learned during a three-day workshop.
During the competition, the Goodwill Great Lakes team prepared two courses. The appetizer consisted of chicken potato cakes with Boom Boom sauce, and the main course was stuffed salmon, Mediterranean freekeh, and succotash with green beans and corn. While it may feel like a high-pressure situation for some, Goodwill Great Lakes competitor Cynthia said she wasn’t nervous or stressed at all. “It was no different from being in my own kitchen. Just more people! When you’re doing something that you love to do, it’s not stressful.”
Before the competition, all teams participated in a three-day workshop that included team-building exercises, mock competitions, and a variety of demos on topics like basic knife cuts, plate presentations, nutrition lectures, and much more. Cynthia learned how to cut a whole salmon and debone and fabricate a chicken. Another Goodwill Great Lakes competitor, Ralph, enjoyed learning new recipes and adding a variety of sauces to his repertoire.
As for their biggest takeaways from the competition, Cynthia noted, “I learned a lot of skills I can take with me into the future. This is a great experience for anyone who is passionate about becoming a chef.” Ralph enjoyed watching his teammate Cynthia compete and grow her confidence throughout the week. “At first, Cynthia wasn’t sure she wanted to participate in the competition because it is a lot of work and a time commitment. She decided to take a chance and did such a great job. When I tasted the food she cooked, it was amazing. “
