thedrifter
08-30-09, 09:11 AM
Mott Community College chef lifts Marines' spirits from the galley
by Beata Mostafavi| Flint Journal
Saturday August 29, 2009, 2:00 PM
FLINT, Michigan -- They were simple moments of comfort in a long, 12-hour day of pumping iron, practicing military drills and training for deployment while out on sea: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Everyday, the 500 Marines and 300 U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS Cleveland looked forward to meals that included salads topped with fresh mango, papaya and smoked tenderloin.
Also on the menu -- salsa-drizzled chicken breasts stuffed with chorizo and lemon bars grazed with kiwis.
And leading the crew of 30 culinarians in the galley of the Navy's second oldest ship off the San Diego coast was Mott Community College executive chef Bill Crawford.
For four years, the area's onetime chef of the year and Vietnam veteran, has volunteered training culinary teams who prepare food for the Navy -- and he has become a favorite among some crews.
"I do it because it's a love I have," said Crawford, 62, sitting in an office lined with walls of cookbooks tucked behind the kitchen of MCC's Prahl Center.
"You gain a respect for Navy personnel a lot of people don't understand. You're living in a confined environment working 12 hour shifts. You're out at sea and away from families. All you see is ocean.
"A good meal is something they can look forward to everyday. It's a way to give back to these guys out there putting their lives on the line."
Crawford, of Linden, has trained more than 150 sailors during tours that have included the NATO headquarters in Naples, Italy and the USS Shiloh on a trek from Australia to Japan. Trips are sponsored by The American Culinary Federation and the US Naval Supply Operations Command.
"The crew and culinary specialist community have a real appreciation for the voluntary work the chefs do with them," said Chef Michael Harants, of the Adopt a Ship program, which helps chefs support the Navy.
"Food is a big part of morale for the sailor under way or in port."
Harants said Crawford, who receives a temporary rank of lieutenant commander on ships, has been requested.
"Chef Crawford is a real asset to the Adopt a ship program and the culinary specialist community," he said. " He is generous with his time, skills and knowledge."
Menus for the ships are sometimes planned as far as a year in advance. So Crawford helps the cooks get creative with what they have to work with.
It can mean small tweaks, such as marinating meat hours longer or using different seasoning. And there was the time canned apples substituted raisins in rice pudding because that's all that was available.
The simple twist in the traditional dessert was a hit.
The chef's training is meant to help culinarians on Navy ships prepare for a career in the food industry and get certified.
And service members are getting a seasoned instructor.
Crawford's resume includes hosting a local cooking show called "Cooking with Coupons" in Rochester, N.Y. where Burt Reynolds and other celebrities sometimes joined him.
"My forte is in the kitchen," the 1965 Central High School graduate said of his food ardor that started as a child helping prepare tuna casseroles and other family dishes.
His "veal prince orloff," also helped him earn "chef of the year" in 1995 with the American Culinary Federation-Flint/Saginaw Valley Chapter.
And out of 27,000 chefs in the country, he is among roughly 700 and a handful in
Michigan inducted into the Academy of Chefs, a prestigious honor society. The award was presented to him by a chef who cooked for the Queen of England.
"It doesn't matter if it's the military or regular life," said Crawford, a graduate of New York-based Culinary Institute of America. "Poor food can affect your attitude.
"Celebrating food is so important."
The eastside Flint native and father of three daughters has moved around the country 14 times while working for hotel culinary teams before starting at MCC 23 years ago.
Crawford, whose culinary arts program at MCC has jumped from 80 to 150 students in four years, has also given the Navy a sample of MCC's Applewood Cafe menu for ideas.
Of course, volunteering at sea for long stretches of time means surrendering nearly $1,000 a week in pay working summer hours in MCC's advising department -- something wife Connie is supportive of.
Colleagues, such as MCC culinary instructor Matt Cooper, are also supportive.
"He's always been a mentor," said Cooper, who volunteered with Adopt-a -Ship one year ago and owned the former Cafe Panache in Flint Township. "Over the years, he's taught me a lot of great things, most of all his integrity and his passion toward culinarians and the food service industry. I wish I had his energy."
Ellie
by Beata Mostafavi| Flint Journal
Saturday August 29, 2009, 2:00 PM
FLINT, Michigan -- They were simple moments of comfort in a long, 12-hour day of pumping iron, practicing military drills and training for deployment while out on sea: Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Everyday, the 500 Marines and 300 U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS Cleveland looked forward to meals that included salads topped with fresh mango, papaya and smoked tenderloin.
Also on the menu -- salsa-drizzled chicken breasts stuffed with chorizo and lemon bars grazed with kiwis.
And leading the crew of 30 culinarians in the galley of the Navy's second oldest ship off the San Diego coast was Mott Community College executive chef Bill Crawford.
For four years, the area's onetime chef of the year and Vietnam veteran, has volunteered training culinary teams who prepare food for the Navy -- and he has become a favorite among some crews.
"I do it because it's a love I have," said Crawford, 62, sitting in an office lined with walls of cookbooks tucked behind the kitchen of MCC's Prahl Center.
"You gain a respect for Navy personnel a lot of people don't understand. You're living in a confined environment working 12 hour shifts. You're out at sea and away from families. All you see is ocean.
"A good meal is something they can look forward to everyday. It's a way to give back to these guys out there putting their lives on the line."
Crawford, of Linden, has trained more than 150 sailors during tours that have included the NATO headquarters in Naples, Italy and the USS Shiloh on a trek from Australia to Japan. Trips are sponsored by The American Culinary Federation and the US Naval Supply Operations Command.
"The crew and culinary specialist community have a real appreciation for the voluntary work the chefs do with them," said Chef Michael Harants, of the Adopt a Ship program, which helps chefs support the Navy.
"Food is a big part of morale for the sailor under way or in port."
Harants said Crawford, who receives a temporary rank of lieutenant commander on ships, has been requested.
"Chef Crawford is a real asset to the Adopt a ship program and the culinary specialist community," he said. " He is generous with his time, skills and knowledge."
Menus for the ships are sometimes planned as far as a year in advance. So Crawford helps the cooks get creative with what they have to work with.
It can mean small tweaks, such as marinating meat hours longer or using different seasoning. And there was the time canned apples substituted raisins in rice pudding because that's all that was available.
The simple twist in the traditional dessert was a hit.
The chef's training is meant to help culinarians on Navy ships prepare for a career in the food industry and get certified.
And service members are getting a seasoned instructor.
Crawford's resume includes hosting a local cooking show called "Cooking with Coupons" in Rochester, N.Y. where Burt Reynolds and other celebrities sometimes joined him.
"My forte is in the kitchen," the 1965 Central High School graduate said of his food ardor that started as a child helping prepare tuna casseroles and other family dishes.
His "veal prince orloff," also helped him earn "chef of the year" in 1995 with the American Culinary Federation-Flint/Saginaw Valley Chapter.
And out of 27,000 chefs in the country, he is among roughly 700 and a handful in
Michigan inducted into the Academy of Chefs, a prestigious honor society. The award was presented to him by a chef who cooked for the Queen of England.
"It doesn't matter if it's the military or regular life," said Crawford, a graduate of New York-based Culinary Institute of America. "Poor food can affect your attitude.
"Celebrating food is so important."
The eastside Flint native and father of three daughters has moved around the country 14 times while working for hotel culinary teams before starting at MCC 23 years ago.
Crawford, whose culinary arts program at MCC has jumped from 80 to 150 students in four years, has also given the Navy a sample of MCC's Applewood Cafe menu for ideas.
Of course, volunteering at sea for long stretches of time means surrendering nearly $1,000 a week in pay working summer hours in MCC's advising department -- something wife Connie is supportive of.
Colleagues, such as MCC culinary instructor Matt Cooper, are also supportive.
"He's always been a mentor," said Cooper, who volunteered with Adopt-a -Ship one year ago and owned the former Cafe Panache in Flint Township. "Over the years, he's taught me a lot of great things, most of all his integrity and his passion toward culinarians and the food service industry. I wish I had his energy."
Ellie