NAVY LEAGUE NEWS / COUNCIL DIGEST
Two Navy culinary specialists from the Virginia-class attack
submarine Pre-Commissioning
Unit (PCU) Colorado (SSN 788)
and an Air Force chef from North
American Aerospace Defense Com-
mand and U.S. Northern Command
recently were able expand their
professional culinary skills by
working with professional chefs
around the state of Colorado.
As part of a week-long learning
experience, Seaman Oyedolapo
Oworu and Seaman Thomas
Carswell apprenticed at six fine
restaurants. Their enthusiastic
hosts instructed the Sailors on preparing practical dishes and meals
with a Colorado theme, which they
can later prepare for the crew.
The visit was sponsored
by the USS Colorado (SSN 788)
Commissioning Committee and
actively supported by members of
the Colorado Springs and Denver
Councils, according to a report from
Deborah L. Zeller, the Colorado
Springs Council vice president of
Public Relations. Committee members Candice Green and Shauna
King were instrumental in coordinating the crew’s Colorado visit
with so many remarkable chefs.
On their first stop, the culinary specialists traveled to Vail
and trained under Four Seasons’
Executive Chef Marcus Stewart
and sous chefs in preparing three
meals and learning how to do a
spice rub.
The next day, they were accompanied by Air Force Tech. Sgt.
Patricia Harvey and toured all
of The Broadmoor’s kitchens in
Colorado Springs. This five-star
resort’s Executive Chef Bertrand
Bouquin, a former French Navy
Sailor, and his team guided the three
military chefs in preparing regional
foods and menus from the 1858, La
Taverne and Golf Club restaurants.
They developed new skills in cooking with chilies, western seasonings
and specialty foods like wild boar.
During their time at The Broadmoor,
complete menus, menu guides and
recipes were provided that encompassed the resort’s diverse offerings.
The next experience for the
PCU Colorado Sailors was working
at The Brown Palace and Tom’s
Urban in Denver. They rotated
through the restaurants’ kitchens
and gained added food prepa-
ration skills thanks to the head
chefs. Chef Michael Wright of The
Brown Palace provided them with
150 original Colorado recipes.
Chefs Renzo Freitas and Irwyn
Marquez of Tom’s Urban taught the
culinary specialists how to modify
their recipes to adapt to the submarine’s kitchen equipment and
needs of the crew. The military
chefs found their creative hands-on experiences to be extremely
valuable in supporting the morale
and well-being of those they serve.
Aboard the submarine, a team of
seven culinary specialists led by a
chief petty officer will prepare 400
meals per day, 24 hours a day, seven
days a week in a galley measuring
roughly 10 by 20 feet. The future
USS Colorado is scheduled to be
commissioned next summer.
PCU Colorado Culinary Specialists
Get Chance to Learn from Top Chefs
By PETER ATKINSON, Deputy Editor
Seaman Oyedolapo Oworu and Seaman Thomas Carswell, culinary specialists with the Pre-Commissioning Unit Colorado, receive some pointers from
Executive Chef Marcus Stewart at the Four Seasons Resort and Residences in
Vail, Colo. The Sailors apprenticed at six fine restaurants around Colorado during
a visit sponsored by the USS Colorado (SSN 788) Commissioning Committee
and supported by members of the Colorado Springs and Denver Councils.
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