Grilling rookie named ‘Top Chef’

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Mike Tryon
  • 90th Missile Wing Public Affairs
F. E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, Wyo. --  With summer ending, the 90th Operations Group senior leaders held a Top Chef competition to see which missile squadron has the best chef.

Each missile squadron had a chef compete in the barbecue challenge Sept. 18. The winner, Senior Airman Evelyn Widomski, 321st Missile Squadron chef, walked away with $100 worth of gift certificates for the commissary.

"We allowed each contestant to spend $30 on food for the competition," said Senior Master Sgt. Shawn Swidecki, 90th Operations Group first sergeant. "We provided the charcoal, grills and any spices that could've been found in a kitchen."

The competitors were given 90 minutes to create their best barbecue dish for the three judges.

Senior Airman Jamall St. Rose, 320th Missile Squadron chef, prepared a chicken dish with baked beans, which earned him third place in the competition and a $25 gift certificate to the commissary.

Second place was awarded to Senior Airman Yang Vang, 319th Missile Squadron chef. Vang created an Asian dish -- Korean barbecue short-ribs, orange chicken and a Thai omelet. For coming in second place, Vang was awarded with a $25 gift certificate to the commissary.

The winning dish, prepared by Widomski, consisted of chicken with a homemade barbecue sauce, jalapeno poppers, a summer salad and red potatoes cooked with butter and rosemary.

"It was great to represent the 321st in this competition and to come out winning," Widomski said after being awarded her first place prize. "This was honestly the first time I've ever grilled anything."