[C320-list] 2008 Chef of the year Nominee

[esquirecatering at rcn.com]

To all regarding the inquiries of the PROCEEDINGS article and my Navy duties.  (Everyone else please just delete this immediately.)

1.    I don't believe I sent out the PROCEEDINGS article on the list.  If I did, please forgive me.  It would be inappropriate to send on the list because it doesn't relate to C320's.  I am really surprised you noticed the Chef of the Year thing.  It was buried in the bio part of the article and not really the key part of the article.  
 
2.    Regarding what I do for the Navy:  The Navy has an Adopt A Ship Program where it has selected about 75 volunteer chefs nationwide.  The Navy prides itself on having the best food of all of the services.  On occasion they send civilian chefs, like me, to ships at sea, bases, and ships in port.  The stated purpose of the program is to "take Navy food to the next level."  When doing this I travel under Dept. of Defense orders as a quasi-officer.  I have no military background.  I have done two previous gigs, one at the Panama City Beach NSA and one on board the HIGGINS between Pearl Harbor and San Diego.  I really enjoy doing this, the food is far better than one would expect, and I can't wait to be asked again.  The only downside is it does cut into my sailing (I lost four weekends last year to the program) but hey we all have to make sacrifices.  
 
3.    I don't really drink much, and although there will be some sightseeing and shore time, I am there to teach cooking with pride and passion and to improve the food and the service on board ship so shore leave restrictions aren't really a concern to me.
 
4.    Our own Dick Walker was instrumental in me joining the program.  Ironically, the first I heard of the program was reading an article in The National Culinary Review at San Diego airport while flying back from the last regatta.  I had never heard of the program before and when I arrived home there was an e-mail from the person in charge asking if I would consider joining the program.  I contacted Dick Walker about this amazing coincidence and, as they say, the rest is history.