Cooking half the fun with "Iron Chef"

(Airman 1st Class Sydney Sullivan is a food service journeyman with the 35th Force Support Squadron at Misawa Air Base, Japan. He recently competed in an "Iron Chef" competition.)

Only a week after one of the biggest cooking holidays of the year, chefs from across Misawa Air Base took to the cutting boards yet again Dec. 4. This time, they competed for the title of "Iron Chef."

Based on a hit reality television show in Japan and the U.S., the competition was held at Grissom Dining Facility's kitchen. The two competing teams were provided a food services journeyman as a "sous-chef" and given a limited time frame to prepare and cook a savory, two-course meal based on a key ingredient -- egg.

Doing the Iron Chef competition was an eye-opening experience. Even though I work as a culinary chef in the Air Force, collaborating with other cooking styles and cooking experiences gave me an opportunity to learn a variety of things in such a short time period. The diversity of my team brought more to the table than just food.

I'm glad I chose the fire fighters, Tech. Sgts. Timothy Walsh and Andres Steevens, to work with because the level of comfort and ability they already had with each other left room in the kitchen for both fun and excitement. This competition posed a unique opportunity to showcase culinary creativity and skills. I would definitely do this event again and recommend others to try. Even if you are not culinary genius, you will take an experience and memories that will last a lifetime.