The ArmyChef was born in Valladolid

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Number: 59

The 61st Group of Logistic Support organized the first edition of Updated Catering Days in Campaing of the Logistical Support ("Jornadas de Actualización de Alimentación" in Spanish). The specialists in Hotel and Catering of the Spanish Army competed for being the best ones with their menus.

Time changes so people does; the same happens with the habits. Concerning cooking and catering, maybe now, they have evolved like never before. For that reason, the 61st Group of Logistical Support (AALOG) organized, in December, the first edition of the Updated Catering Days in Campaing of the Logistic Brigade (BRILOG), as a bet in order to update the specialists in Hotel and Catering (HAM in Spanish) and as a place of knowledge's exchange, based of the experience of the attending people.

In these days campaing's means were used

In these days campaing's means were used. Photo MADOC

The celebration had shape of competition

Seafood soup elaboration

Seafood soup elaboration. Photo MADOC

Desert elaboration. Photo: MADOC

Moment of the deliberation. Photo:MADOC

The chosen way for the celebration of both occasions was a competition, a kind of Armychef, which made the delights of all. The main objectives were to update the HAM's personnel in the developed activities in the campaing's diet (in manoeuvres and international missions), to normalize the procedures for the production of menus, to prepare the elaboration of balanced diets (adapting to the different nutriotional necessities) to acquire the skill for the management of the units' means, to improve the techniques of bread-making, to prepare for the different dietary necessities (coeliac disease, intolerances to certain foods, denominational menus, etc.) and to elaborate a catalogue of menus for its expansion in the area of the BRILOG. For that reason, six teams were met in Valladolid, where the organizing Group is placed. Those teams were formed by two members each of them, coming from each of the logistical groups of the Spanish Army -Madrid, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Seville, Valladolid and Zaragoza-, apart from a Logistical Group of the 61st AALOG in Vitoria.

The jury was formed by members of the Real Academy of Gastronomy and its Friends Association, with whom the General Inspection of the Army has an agreement of collaboration for the development of joint activities which improve the quality of the service. Who knows if this idea is not the beginning of a revolution in the army's diet...

THREE DISHES, A CHALLENGE

"The six teams were asked to prepare a menu formed by seafood soup, lamb stew and desert, with similar ingredients, at the same time and an estimated budget of 260 euros in order to feed 30 people", explains the director of the days, Brigade Briz.

Afterwards, the jury had to decide which dishes were the best ones. Elena Rodríguez, Director of the Gastronomy Academy, Teresa Valero, from the Spanish Foundation of Nutrition, Lieutenant Trejo, recognized chef, and Brigade Briz tasted the elaborations and they gave their verdict.

The 11th AALOG was considered the best one in the seafood soup; the 81st AALOG triumphed with the lamb; and the 61st AALOG standed out with the sweetest dish. Furthermore, Corporal Baena from the 81st AALOG was distinguised as the most relevant HAM specialist of the days, because of his interest and innovation in the elaboration of his dishes. "With this competition I discovered how much I like to compete and to win. It was a challenge and I felt very satisfied when I found out that I was able to make it. The thing that I liked the most, even though it is a competition, is that the people faced it with a fellow feeling and we helped each other all the time", assures Corporal G.Bayón.

In order to mark his participation, the organization gave to the HAM a woodcut spoon. All of them hope to repeat this experience.

Tasting the menus

Tasting the menus. Photo: MADOC

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