Stirring the pot

Stirring the pot

By PA1 Danielle DeMarino, PADET St. Petersburg

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - There is definitely something cooking in the galley at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Fla., but it’s not what a seasoned "Coastie" would normally expect to find.

Once lured in by the appealing aroma wafting from the modest kitchen, you’d see a training evolution in progress as unique as the scent it emanated and you’d have to agree - this cooking class is cooking with class.

At least once a quarter, the galley’s staff enthusiastically creates flavorful dishes under the direction of some local ‘celebrity chefs’. And, as the record books show, galley patrons have been enthusiastically enjoying these creations.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Petty Officer 1st Class Derek Knudson and Chef Domenico Cannavacciuolo prepare a presentation plate to display the work of the cooking crew and entice the galley patrons. U.S. Coast Guard Photo by PA1 Danielle DeMarino

As a matter of fact, meal attendance at the galley has been steadily increasing since the inception of the ‘celebrity chef program’. Petty Officer 1st Class Derek Knudson, brought the program to the table several months ago.

Knudson, second in charge at the St. Petersburg galley, has already met both of his goals behind the chef program. One goal was to increase patron attendance by pleasing their pallets with tempting tastes such as Indian, Cajun, Mexican and Asian-influenced entrees. It worked. It worked so well that patron attendance usually doubled on days these ethnic foods were featured.

The secret to success was that these specialty choices were not lucky shots in the dark. Knudson polled his customer base to find out what kind of food they’d like to be served. But in order to cook up such savory specialties and attract the patrons, he needed to diversify his staff’s culinary skills – his other goal.

Knudson achieved this by asking his customers at what local restaurants they enjoyed eating their aforementioned preferences and called the head chefs at those establishments and asked them to come cook in the galley and train his staff.

"They are normally very receptive to the concept and are eager to participate. This is also a good way for them to reach people that dine in the Sector St. Petersburg galley that may have never heard of their restaurant, so it is a good program for both sides," explained Knudson.

Past participants include Chef Michael Crippin from The Moon Under Water, Chef James Allen Graham from Clancy's of New Orleans, Chefs Domenico Cannavacciuolo and Noelle Chik of SYSCO Food Services of Central Florida, Inc. and Scott Bebell from Guppy's.

Next on Knudson's wish list are Italian and German specialty chefs. He also hopes to make the 'celebrity chef' appearance a monthly occurrence. He thinks it would work perfectly with his philosophy of bringing training to his staff as opposed to sending them out.

Knudson points out that food service specialists have a minimal amount of Coast Guard sponsored training available. Furthermore, limited galley staffing allows him to send just one member at a time to any openings, putting a strain on the unit during their absence, and only giving that one person the hands-on experience. He admits the 'celebrity chef' training is shorter than conventional Coast Guard training, but it is specific to the style of food they want to prepare. He believes his staff has increased their ability to temp taste buds tremendously as a result, and he's not alone.

"We have received rave reviews from our customers for our 'celebrity chef' program as well as the overall quality of our meals," said Knudson.

Although the 'celebrity chefs' greatly contributed to the popularity of the galley's meals, one person is certainly not responsible for feeding swarms of people. Knudson points out that the real credit goes to the rest of the galley's studious staff - leading man Chief Brain Boyd, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jana Kapantais, Petty Officers 3rd Class Megan Keeley and Thomas Gualke - who enthusiastically embraced the knowledge given to them by their guest trainers and it on a plate for all to enjoy.

So with all these satisfied stomachs, it appears Knudson has indeed created a recipe for success. His creativity in bringing more culinary skills to his staff is certainly food for thought, but if you are still hungry, come see what they've cooked up.

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