FSAT J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 9 V O L U M E 2

THE COAST GUARD NOW HAS 32 NEW “ICE CARVERS”!

The MLC PAC FSAT just recently hosted its 14th District Food-service Symposium in Honolulu, Hawaii. We would like to per-sonally thank all those Foodservice Specialists whom attended and their commands. Each student received personalized certificates and other great information in a customized bag made specifically for the event. The 5 Day symposium covered topics such as; Ice Carving, Cake Decorating, Cutting Edge/Marketing, Healthy Cooking, Servsafe, and much more. Our Symposiums are now ALL HANDS ON; so no one is getting bored! For future symposium, we will be adopting the cutting edge topic of Induction Cooking. This new type of magnetic heat is taking the industry by surprise and is great for “Action Station” type cooking. In the mean time, if you are in the vicinity of ISC Honolulu and would like to learn how to carve Ice, contact FSCM Dietz. The FSAT Team was kind enough to donate Ice Carving tools to the ISC Galley for this specific reason, so tap into those artistic abili-ties of yours and start carving your first ice creation. We here at FSAT take a great interest in all Foodservice Special-ist throughout the entire Coast Guard and only want the best for them. We all know how hard they work and these types of train-ing venues are very important to them. It provides them with pro-fessional development and will definitely improve attitudes and morale. Commands, we here at FSAT have a favor to ask you? Would you consider sending a FS representative to the Chicago Food show in Chicago this coming May. This is properly the best food show on the planet and I guarantee your Foodservice Spe-cialist will come back with a ton of new ideas to improve your CG Dining Facility. As an extra plus this year, FSCM D’Amico will personally be walking the floor with junior members to provide direction and mentorship. Please let him know if you plan on sending someone from your unit?

Good cooking,

MLC PAC FSAT

C U L I N A R Y C O N N E C T I O N

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CREAM OF THE CROP COOKS

Under normal circumstances, the Cream of the Crop FS each month is one individual, however this month, I felt compelled to recognize a group of Foodservice Specialist on board the Coast Guard Cutter JARVIS. Recently, I visited the CGC Jarvis during a routine FSAT visit and was very impressed with both the cleanliness and management of its Dining Facility. The galley attitude was one of teamwork and confidence, and everyone new exactly what needed to be done! One particular situation that stands out when I think back to my visit is the comment I made to FS3 Lyneice Hagans about using Ricotta Cheese in place of the Cottage Cheese she was using to make lasagna? Do you know that was some of the best lasagna I ever had; goes to show how much I know? In closing, I want to personally thank Senior Chief Brady and the command for taking care of the cooks. This is very important in this day and age with some of the challenges the FS Rating is facing in today’s Coast Guard.

The Following FSs are recognized for outstanding dedication to the foodservice rating:

FSCS David Brady FS1 Dustin Edwards FS1 Peter McAndrew

FS2 Nick Wright FS3 Mike Young

FS3 Christian Rivera FS3 Lokahi Wade

FS3 Christian Santiago FS3 Lyneice Hagans

FS3 David Ocariz Strikers: (awaiting A School)

SN Crystal Williams SN Kinzley Stallings

Thanks for all your hard work CGC JARVIS!

FSCM D’Amico and the entire

FSAT PAC TEAM

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FOODSERVICE TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES!

Commands, below you will find some of the best Foodservice Shows in the Industry today! I ask you to please consider sending an FS Representative. I guarantee that these training ven-ues will improve your Coast Guard Dining Facilities. I will be attending all the show listed below and will personally introduce your Foodservice Specialist to some of the “hottest” Cut-ting Edge Foodservice Trends in the industry. Cooks work hard; why not reward them with a little professional development. FSCM D’Amico – MLCPAC FSAT NAFEM SHOW – Orlando Convention Center -February 5th – 9th 2008 in Orlando, Florida. Catersource Conference – Las Vegas Hilton & Convention Center – February 22nd – 26th 2008 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Chicago’s National Restaurant Association Show (NRA) – May 16th-19th 2008 at the Chi-cago Convention Center, Chicago IL.

MLC PAC FSAT Foodservice Conference – Seattle, WA. – Date under construction. MLC PAC FSAT Foodservice Conference – (Juneau, AK.) – July 20th-24, 2008.

MLC PAC FSAT Foodservice Conference – Alameda, CA. – Date under construction.

MLC PAC FSAT Ice Carving School – Alameda, CA. – Date under construction.

Want ACF Certified Chefs (American Culinary Federation) on board your cutter to train your FS Staff free of charge? Call Senior Chief Frank Ramos the Rodeo King at 510-637-1258 to work out the details. Units currently scheduled— CGC Eagle— January 2009

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Keep networking!

NETWORK AVENUE

NETWORK YOUR OWN ADOPT A CHEF PROGRAM

Did you ever wonder how FSAT and other military branches get Certified ACF Chefs to conduct “free training” at their units? Well the answer easy; it’s through networking. Almost all your major foodservice corporations (Nestle, Unilever, Tyson, etc.) have certi-fied chefs on staff creating recipes to better market whatever it is they’re selling. This is the resource you want to tap into. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s about pre-made products and a sales pitch; this is entirely untrue! Yes, they may spend a little time talking about the products they represent, but they spend more time training your staff on better ways to prepare the items on your menu. The way FSAT works it’s “adopt a chef” program is we have the sponsoring unit send their menus to the chef two weeks in advance. This then allows the chef ample time to evaluate the menus and be prepared to make suggestion and work up his training criteria. Whether you are using Prime Vendor or Commercial, all you have to do is ask and I guar-antee your have a chef knocking at your door. If you need any help, don’t hesitate to give me a call. Now get on the phone and start net-working for an ACF Chef to come train your staff. Take care, FSCM Chuck D’Amico

This month’s recipe Mustard’s Grill Sweet Onion Jam comes to us from FS2 Hans Storrer and Mustard’s Grill Cookbook. At Mustard’s the jam is served with grilled hanger steak. We hear it’s also great served with grilled pork chops too! Mustard’s Grill is located in California’s Napa Valley region. Considered an American Grill that features flavors from around the globe, it has been a local gathering spot for over 20 years.

We‘ve been contemplating adding a recipe feature to the newsletter for sometime now. We’ve had many requests to add one . So we figured it what a great way to start off the new year. We’ve come a long way from just using the Armed Forces recipe cards. Many of you have probably adopted other recipes from areas you have been stationed or even family and ethnic recipes into your galleys. So here’s your chance to be a part of the newsletter. If you would like to see your favorite recipe featured here ,send it to us along with a brief description of where it originated from . Starting next month we would like to publish at least 2 new recipes.

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MUSTARD’S GRILL SWEET ONION JAM

1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cups sliced onions 2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons red wine 2 tablespoons water

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for five to eight minuets, until tender and translucent. Add sugar

and cook, stirring occasionally, for fifteen to twenty minuets, until golden brown. Add all the remaining ingredients and cook, stirring

often to avoid scorching, for twenty minuets or so, until thick and jam like. The slower you cook it, the richer the jam will become.

I personally add 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce for what I

think is a little more rounded flavor. I have also played around with the recipe and added curry (good), wasabi (not so good) and other

random spices with varying success. FS2 Hans.J.Storrer

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FSAT

Words of Wisdom by FSC Matt Mercilliott ADJUSTMENTS When you hear “Adjustment”, what do you think of? There are two different types of adjust-

ments. One is an adjustment that gets documented on a CG-3114 (such as an inventory gain or loss), and the other is an adjustment to your purchases that gets documented in the ad-justment section of Block G of the CG-2576 report. One thing to remember when completing a CG-3114 is that the Dining Facility will be either

paying for it or getting money back from it. There are several things that can get adjusted on a CG-3114. Some of these include.

Fuel surcharges on an invoice/receipt Surcharge from commissaries Inventory adjustments due to a physical count Inventory adjustments due to breakage

A CG-3114 adjustment does not get listed in the adjustment section of Block G on the CG-2576 operating statement. An example of an adjustment that would be listed in block G would be if you received an invoice for $100.00 worth of eggs, post these to your inventory, then find out half of the eggs are past their due date. If the vendor agrees to credit you for the eggs that are bad ($50.00), you would list the original invoice for $100.00 under pur-

chases section in block G, and the credit ($50.00) would be listed the adjustment section in block G. The reason for this is that the USCG did not have to pay the $50.00. When you do a CG-3114, the CG has paid for whatever it is that you adjusting. If you have other questions about FSAT or if there is anything else you would like to ask us, please feel free to give us a ring.

FS PAPERWORK MANAGEMENT

TRAINING!

Supervisors, this is a great opportunity for your FS Personnel to learn or refresh themselves on the Coast Guard’s Purchases vs. Allowance management system in a

classroom environment under a Foodservice Specialist that used to teach the class back in the day! By subjecting students to a classroom environment, the end results will always be positive when someone understands the basic fundamentals of what it is they’re learning. This also will prepare them when that old reliable computer decides to act up? If you plan on attending, please contact FSCS Gooch or FSC Mercilliott. The class will be hosted on the 19th of February 2009, at ISC Seattle. The location is the Bear Room and class kick’s off at 0800, don’t be late!

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The Assignment season is very dynamic and this year is unlike anything we have seen before. There have been many changes to the

USCG due to modernization. With that said it is important that FS personnel continue to be patient. The deadlines in the normal assignment process were extended this year, which should tell you that the AO's have less time to do the same job as in previous

years. I keep getting the same questions and phone calls, so let's put some of this to rest. I want to maximize my time with the slating and orders issuing processes for the benefit of the people transferring. It is always nice to have as much time as possible when you

PCS.

#1 When will I be advanced?

I don't know, I don't control advancements and I see the revisions, cuts, appointments etc. the same time as you when they are re-leased via message.

#2 when will I see orders?

You will receive orders much faster if I am not answering phone calls asking when you will receive orders. In short I must work the Senior Account slate from the top down. When E-9's are complete, I will start with E-8's etc. The slating process must be completed

first and this takes time. The only personnel receiving orders in December are the FSCM's, most FSCS's, some priority 1's and 2's from the FSC/FS1 slate, and personnel coming back from Iraq.

#3 Why are some of my buddies at my unit receiving orders and not me?

Each detailer operates under the same PERSMAN guidelines but some rates are larger than other and this may take more time than

other rates to slate and issue orders. Rest assured you will receive orders within the allotted time frame which ends at the end of March. It is my wish to be done with 90% of orders by early February. We are a critical rate and having the revised cuts to CWO and

May 2008 is important in the process; this may be a potential hold-up.

#4 When is a good time to call Mr. Carpenter?

I am extremely busy during this time frame and there is no really good time to call. Career counseling is long over. E-resume sub-mission is long over. If you are an FS1, you shouldn't be calling at all. Express your concerns to your FSC/FSCS, Command Chief,

or XO and they will call me if it is deemed appropriate. The same goes with email. I'd say 70% of the questions I get can be an-swered by your Chief or XO, so please do not hold up the slating/orders issuing processes by calling or emailing me without first

going through your chain of command.

#5 Can I still submit a package for the SCA program or is it too late?

Yes. Please do. AlCGENL 096/08, 152/08, and 184/08 have the necessary information for SCA package submission. The last dead-line published was 15Dec2008, however I will continue to accept packages as we start the selection process in January. We do need a

more robust candidate pool. If you have the culinary skills, maturity, good marks, and are interested, then by all means submit.

#6 what date will I be transferred? Can I get a specific report date?

99% of all orders issued in the FS account during the normal assignment year are for 01July. Your actual report date is going to be worked out between your present command and the receiving command. This negotiation can be for up to 30 day prior to July 1st or

30 beyond July 1st. Any deviation from the 30/30 rule will require me to reissue orders with a different report date. I will do this upon confirmation via email from both commands stating the agreed upon report date.

CWO2 Michael V. Carpenter

Coast Guard Personnel Command Enlisted Personnel Management Branch 2

Food Service Assignments FSCM/FSCS/FSC/FS1/SCA

(202) 493-1297 office (703) 217-8051 cell

*

RANDY’S PLACE

Greetings Fellow Food Service Specialist, As we begin the New Year, let’s focus on retaining the great people that we have in our rating. We have the best rating in the Coast Guard and yet we still are losing way too many good people. Let's make it a point to do all we can to develop our people professionally and personally in this New Year. Take an inter-est in how your people are being developed by making challenging and healthy menus. At the same time, train your staff in all aspects of the rating, while being a proactive and competent supervisor. For those of you on Independent duty, use your resources at FSAT when needed. Stay in contact with your mentors and fellow FS , so you feel comfortable in case you have questions and concerns. For those up and coming junior FS out there, take on as much as you can handle, learn as much as possi-ble, and take those end of course tests while remaining positive. Find a mentor/role model and use them to advise and provide counsel when things are getting tough. We need you to strengthen and better our rating! You are all the future leaders and the backbone of the FS rating, and what you do makes a differ-ence in every single crew member's day. We Foodservice Specialist are vital to the Coast Guard’s daily missions, so please take your job seriously. I will get off my "soap box" now and wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year filled with advance-ments and professional development. Keep on doing the great work that you do and remember that you are essential to the Coast Guard's mission. Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns and keep sending your articles and pictures for the website. FSC Randy A. Spainhour FS Subject Matter Specialist Phone: 707-765-7142

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With the economic recession loaming upon us many foodservice professionals feel it will color food trends in 2009 . Cost is out and thrift is in. Simplicity, value and comfort is predicted to be one of the top culinary trends for 2009. In theses uncertain times, people will be returning to more home-style cooking with an em-phasis on comfort foods. Let’s face it with the sinking economy, comfort foods boost our spirits.

Culinary trend tidbit

HEALTHY COOKING Spice of life controversy

V O L U M E 2 I S S U E 1 P A G E 9

We have come to know salt as being the spice of life. Salt is one of the oldest spices used and is a key component to humans, animals, and plants. Its flavor is unique and versatile, salt has been a staple throughout time. Salt enhances almost every dish, It is added to breads, meats, fruits and vegetables to sauces and desserts. Additionally, salt aids foods in a variety of ways like: Preservation – helps protect against microorganisms, bacteria through dehydration and preventing growth of bacteria, which slows or prevents spoil-age. Texture Aid – in bread making, allows the dough to rise by giving helping the gluten hold more water and carbon dioxide. In meats it improves tenderness and in cheeses it aids in consistency of the cheese and the hardness of the rind. Binder – in proc-essed meats it helps retain water which reduces the loss of meat when cooking. Color Developer – in ham, bacon, and other processed meats it helps obtain the desired color. It also helps create a golden crust for breads. Fermentation Control – slows and controls the fermentation process in Cheese production.

While researching the bad effects salt has on the human body, it stirred up some controversy. Isn’t the Morton Salt logo WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS? No kidding! Well we know that too much sodium in the diet can lead to health prob-lems. One of the risk factors that contribute towards high blood pressure (hypertension), which substantially increases the risk of developing heart disease or stroke. Osteoporosis or bone demineralisation (thinning of the bones) is another condition associated with a high salt intake. By lowering our salt intake we our lowering these risks. Yet there are some out there arguing that low sodium intake can harm us. The reason for this is our body needs sodium to maintain the blood's water content, to balance the acids and bases in the blood, and is necessary for the movement of electrical charges in the nerves that move our muscles. What’s a body to do? How much sodium is too high and too low? The current recommendation for salt in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans from the U.S. Department of Health and Hu-man Services as well as the American Heart Association is 2,400 milligrams (mg) daily for adults. This is the amount in 1 teaspoon of salt (2,300 mg to be exact). The average American consumes 5,000 mg of salt daily -- twice the necessary amount. Normal salt balance can be maintained with 500 mg daily (or a little more than one-fourth teaspoon of salt), so Americans are eating ten times as much as they really need. So if we only need 500mg daily to maintain a normal bal-ance, aren’t we putting ourselves at risk ? Some will argue it depends on each individual’s body (i.e. physical conditions such as weight and health). But think about this as you age your body changes putting you into these health risk catego-ries. The average person is responsible for and about 15 % of their daily intake of sodium to food. The rest comes from packaged & prepared foods , snacks, beverages , food preservatives & enhancers. The FDA has been pressured to re-move salt from the "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) list by many organizations for years. This year alone they could be pressured to reduced the maximum amount deemed safe by 50%. The major struggle they are having is many of the food manufacturers are complaining about the costs and the quality of products if they remove the salt. So while the officials argue it out put down the salt shaker. You are already getting way more than your body needs.

Omit the salt when cooking .If it’s flavor your looking for use fresh herbs, spices and fruit juices. Try a new seasoning as a substitute! Savory flavors, and flavors with "bite," such as black pepper, garlic powder, curry powder, cumin, dill seeds, basil, ginger, coriander and onion, are the most effective in replacing the taste of salt. Remember fresh is always better. Meats can be marinated in fresh fruit juices along with herbs and spices Beef: Bay leaf, marjoram, nutmeg, onion, pepper, sage, thyme Lamb: Curry powder, garlic, rosemary, mint Pork: Garlic, onion, sage, pepper, oregano Veal: Bay leaf, curry powder, ginger, marjoram, oregano Chicken: Ginger, marjoram, oregano, paprika, poultry seasoning, rosemary, sage, tarra-gon, thyme Fish: Curry powder, dill, dry mustard, marjoram, paprika, pepper When seasoning vegetables for Carrots try: Cinnamon, cloves, dill, ginger, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary, sage Corn: Cumin, curry powder, onion, paprika, parsley Green Beans: Dill, curry powder, marjoram, oregano, tarragon, thyme Greens: Onion, pepper Potatoes: Dill, garlic, onion, paprika, parsley, sage Summer Squash: Cloves, curry powder, marjo-ram, nutmeg, rosemary, sage Winter Squash: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, onion Tomatoes: Basil, bay leaf, dill, marjoram, onion, oregano, parsley, pepper. Read labels opt for products with no or low sodium content.

Does your unit have any excess foodservice equipment they no longer want? Please contact MLC PAC FSAT TEAM with

item information and we'll list it in our monthly news letter.

V O L U M E 2 I S S U E 1 P A G E 1 0

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION STATIONS

If you haven’t yet received a copy of the PAC FSAT Resource CD, contact your FSAT Advisor and get one! Our CD contains Recipes, Panini Recipes, Action Station Reci-pes, Futuristic Foodservice Concepts, and much more. Today, I would like to remind all of you on how useful Action Stations are, and how they can really entice your CG Dining Facility’s Atmosphere. All you need to pur-chase to get started are a couple “Induction Cookers”, a few sign holders, props, and you’re ready to rock! Our Resource CD also contains information on how to set up an Action Station. For the Christmas holidays, I set-up a Pasta/Pesto Station at my home and it was awesome! My sauces include: Green Pesto and Pine Nuts, Mushroom Pesto, Sun Dried Tomato Pesto, Chipotle Pesto, Alfredo Sauce, and Marinara. The sauces were served with tri-color bowties and rigatoni and each serving was made to order. You can get some of the best Pestos available through Carla Pasta; they’re by far, the best on the market! As we go forward, I will now be providing Action Station Recipes in our monthly newsletters. If you need any help getting a station up and running, just give me a call; I want to be part of your team! In Closing: If you really want to see how these stations operate and you’re close to Sector San Diego, stop in and check out all the cutting edge equipment they’re get-ting ready to put to work; Induction Cookers, Panini Presses, and Impinger ovens are just a few items they’re getting ready to fire up!

Take Care, FSCM D’AMICO

Beginning May 2009, DFAM will be hosting road shows on how to operate the DFAM system at land units. The following information below is a sched-ule in which the units will be visited: 01 road show for the remaining D11 units 02 road shows for the D13 units 01 road show for the D14 units. (They may also be rolling out the program to the small afloat units during this timeframe as well). 01 road show for the D17 units. The road show training team will be providing laptops to conduct the train-ing, so no worries on the training resources side of the house! The road show will be 5 days in length and training materials will be pro-vided in advance, so the software should not be foreign to the users when they arrive for training. The first 3 days will be training in a separate training environment, running through many different scenarios, much like the old "C" school. The next 2 days will be walking through setting up your unit within the system with CG-1111 and OSC there to help you. When you leave the training, your unit will no longer be authorized to use any form of book keeping other than DFAM.

FS1 Ian Weiss Dining Facility Automation Management Program Specialist

COMDT CG-1111 Phone (202) 475-5152 Cell (202) 494-5152

Fax (202) 475-5907

CULINARY

MLC PAC FSAT now has all types of free items to assist you with your Job!

Currently available:

2009

• Hawaii Foodservice Symposium - Picture CD

MLC PAC FSAT “Cutting Edge” Resource Booklet - CD

Soup Recipe - CD

Techniques of Healthy Cooking CD

Panini Recipes - CD

Armed Forces Recipes - CD

110 Foodservice Training

PowerPoint Presentations CD

Air Force Leadership School Study Guide CD

Contact FSC Mercilliott

at 510-637-1263

DFAM TEST PILOT PROGRAM

DFAM ROAD SHOW IS HEADING OUT TO THE WEST COAST!

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Here at MLC PACAREA SAT we look forward to serving you with future publications of Culinary Connection . We value your input. Submit your ideas and suggestions to

Charles.F.Damico@uscg.mil. FSCM Charles D’Amico

13 YEARS AGO

WE WERE SUBSISTANCE SPECIALISTS!

PICTURES TAKEN FROM USCGC GLACIER DEEP FREEZE CRUISE BOOK 1986.

The Glacier was decommissioned in 1987.

At that time we were known as Subsistence

Specialists. In 1996 , we evolved into

Food Service Specialists.

Food Services Specialist (FS): All Grades 1996 - Pre-sent Subsistence Specialist (SS): All Grades 1974 - 1996 created from merger of Commissaryman and Steward Commissaryman: All Grades 1948 - 1974 Commissary Steward (CS) Chief : 1920 - 1948 Ships Cook : 1st, 2nd, 3rd Class 1920 - 1948 Steward: Chief , 1st, 2nd, 3rd Class 1944 - 1974 The crescent designated as the Specialty mark till 1964 then changed Started wearing the standard Petty Officer Rating Badge in June 1944 Officers Stewards & Cooks 1920 - 1944 Distinguishing Mark worn on the left sleeve of the jacket. The horizontal bars beneath the crescent desig-nated the grade , Second class illustrated. 1944 shifted to the standard petty officer rating badge. Wore a C.P.O. uniform until 1950. Mess Attendants / Stewards Mates 1st Class, 2nd Class , 3rd Class ( non rated)

TIMELINE OF OUR RATING

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