NEW YORK - Petty Officer 2nd Class Bruce Wright adds ceviche to serving plates during the Land and Sea Iron Chef Competition at Staten Island, N.Y., Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. The competition was held between chefs from the Marines Corps and Coast Guard, in which the audience votes for the winning dish. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

NEW YORK - Petty Officer 1st Class Tera Ashmore, Petty Officers 2nd Class Bruce Wright and Niuam Beckett, from left, race against the clock to plate and serve 100 audience members during the Land and Sea Iron Chef Competition at Staten Island, N.Y., Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. Chefs from the Marines Corps and Coast Guard had 15 minutes to serve a meal that their team prepared in advance, based on preselected ingredients and one surprise ingredient -- artichokes. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

NEW YORK - Petty Officer 1st Class Tera Ashmore, Petty Officers 2nd Class Bruce Wright and Niuam Beckett, from left, race against the clock to plate and serve 100 audience members during the Land and Sea Iron Chef Competition at Staten Island, N.Y., Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012. Chefs from the Marines Corps and Coast Guard had 15 minutes to serve a meal their team prepared in advance, based on preselected ingredients and one surprise ingredient -- artichokes. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

There was no yelling or loud banging of pots and pans, nor was there food flying everywhere and tempers flaring. However, there was a dish, influenced by some of the great chefs of the past and present that pleased the palate of some of the toughest judges.

Four food service specialists, Petty Officer 1^st Class Tera Ashmore, Petty Officers 2^nd Class Bruce Wright and Niuam Beckett and Petty Officer 3^rd Class Robert Runn (who wasn’t able to attend the competition due to duty cooking) believed they had the passion and skills to take on the challenge. The petty officers, who work together every day at Sector New York's dining facility, were up against a team from the U.S. Marine Corps, stationed at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn, N.Y in the 2012 Iron Chef-style competition.

“We’ve been working together for two years at sector,” said Ashmore. “In the kitchen setting, you get to know each other pretty well. We are pretty much a family. We really have to communicate and stick together in order to be successful.”

The two teams were presented with a basket of food including fresh shrimp, chicken, onions, carrots, celery tomatoes, potatoes, parsnips, herbs and of course, the mystery ingredient, which would be announced the morning of the competition – artichoke hearts. Using these ingredients, the teams had to create a surf ‘n’ turf dish. Whichever team incorporated the artichoke hearts into their dish would win an additional prize of $500.

The Coast Guard team quickly worked together to come up with a dish that contained the secret ingredient, but would also be easy to prepare, serve and, of course, please the audience.

The real challenge came when the team had to work together to prepare and plate 100 hungry audience members and win them over with a Caribbean-themed dish that was carefully planned to warm the body from the inside out, all within 15 minutes.

As soon as the announcer said go, the Coast Guard team fluidly worked together first layering white rice on the small plastic plate. The next member scooped a spoonful of savory chicken curry, then made room for the last member to add the vital side dish, ceviche, which contained the secret ingredient - artichoke hearts.

In unison, the announcer and audience counted down the last 10 seconds on the clock. The Coast Guard and Marine teams, just feet away from each other, worked swiftly to put out their last dish.

“Stop what you’re doing and put everything down!” the announcer called. “Judging by the amount of plates and food still here, I’d say it looks like the Coast Guard may have won this competition. But, unfortunately it’s not up to me. Audience, by a show of your paper, blue for Coast Guard and red for the Marines, who do you think won this competition? Well, it looks like we’ll release the results tomorrow.”

The audience, a sea of red and blue, cheered for their favorite dish. But, the official winner of the Land and Sea Iron Chef competition will be printed in the local Sunday newspaper.

“I think everything went pretty darn good,” said Beckett, about the competition. 

NEW YORK - Rear Adm. Linda Fagan, center, Commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, smiles as her daughters remove her old shoulder-boards from her uniform after her promotion today to the rank of rear admiral lower half in a ceremony held at Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, N.Y.  The ceremony was presided over by Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard Vice Adm. Sally Brice-O’Hara.  Fagan serves as Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey, which oversees Coast Guard missions in the New York and northern New Jersey region.  The Port of New York and New Jersey is the third largest in the nation, and fully one third of the country - 100 million people - rely on the 175 billion dollars of cargo flowing through the region.  U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1^st Class Thomas McKenzie.

NEW YORK - Rear Adm. Linda Fagan, center, Commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, is congratulated by her daughters after being promoted today to the rank of rear admiral lower half in a ceremony held at Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, N.Y.  The ceremony was presided over by Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard Vice Adm. Sally Brice-O’Hara.  Fagan serves as Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey, which oversees Coast Guard missions in the New York and northern New Jersey region.  The Port of New York and New Jersey is the third largest in the nation, and fully one third of the country - 100 million people - rely on the 175 billion dollars of cargo flowing through the region.  U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1^st Class Thomas McKenzie.

NEW YORK - Rear Adm. Linda Fagan, left, Commander of Coast Guard Sector New York, accepts a one-star flag after being promoted today to the rank of rear admiral lower half in a ceremony held at Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island, N.Y.  The ceremony was presided over by Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard Vice Adm. Sally Brice-O’Hara.  Fagan serves as Captain of the Port of New York and New Jersey, which oversees Coast Guard missions in the New York and northern New Jersey region.  The Port of New York and New Jersey is the third largest in the nation, and fully one third of the country - 100 million people - rely on the 175 billion dollars of cargo flowing through the region.  U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1^st Class Thomas McKenzie.

NEW YORK - Coast Guard Captain Joseph Vojvodich, Commander of Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, Conn., awards a certificate of appreciation to Liberty Landing dockmaster Michelle Boggs for her dedicated support of Coast Guard Cutter Ridley by providing fuel and additional resources from her Jersey City, N.J., facility to the crew prior to Tropical Storm Irene impacting the port of New York and New Jersey in 2011.  U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas McKenzie

NEW YORK - Liberty Landing dockmaster Michelle Boggs holds a challenge coin presented to her by Coast Guard Captain Joseph Vojvodich, Commander of Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, Conn., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012.  Boggs also received a certificate of appreciation for her dedicated support of Coast Guard Cutter Ridley by providing fuel and additional resources from her Jersey City, N.J., facility to the crew prior to Tropical Storm Irene impacting the port of New York and New Jersey in 2011. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas McKenzie

EATON’S NECK, N.Y., - Crewmembers from Coast Guard Station Eaton’s Neck stand in formation next to seated guests during the unit’s boathouse ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony, Wednesday, December 14, 2011. The new boathouse replaces the previous building, which was destroyed by a fire on Christmas Eve 2008. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

EATON’S NECK, N.Y., - (from left) Capt. George Bonner, Brad Slappey, Chief Warrant Officer Stephen Pollock and Rear Adm. Daniel Neptun cut the ribbon of Coast Guard Station Eaton’s Neck’s newly constructed boathouse, Wednesday, December 14, 2011. The new boathouse replaces the previous building, which was destroyed by a fire on Christmas Eve 2008. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

EATON’S NECK, N.Y., The dedication plaque for Coast Guard Station Eaton’s Neck’s new boathouse rest on a stand during the ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony Wednesday, December 14, 2011. The new boathouse replaces the previous building, which was destroyed by a fire on Christmas Eve 2008. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

NEW YORK – The Coast Guard presented Unionwear a Certificate of Appreciation at their Newark, N.J., factory today, for providing on-time delivery of the Coast Guard’s new standard uniform ball cap.

Members of the Coast Guard Personnel Service Center, Coast Guard Community Service Command and the Coast Guard Exchange, including Rear Adm. Daniel R. May, Commander of Personnel Service Center, met with Mitch Cahn, the President of Unionwear, to commend him and his team for a job well done.

Unionwear produced a total of 60,000 ball caps on time and met the needs of the Coast Guard’s active duty and reserve personnel to transition to the new standard ball cap by Oct. 1, 2011.

“The Coast Guard takes pride in supporting its local businesses,” said Capt. Robert Mckenna, Commander of Coast Guard Community Services Command. “We hope the business generated has left a positive impact on the Newark community and economy.”

NEW YORK – Lt. Cmdr. Jon Bartel, from Coast Guard Sector San Diego, signs his autograph for fans at the NBC Today Show in New York, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. Bartel is a rescue helicopter pilot who is featured in the new reality series “Coast Guard Alaska,” which highlights search and rescue cases that occurred off the coast of Alaska. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

NEW YORK – Chief Petty Officer Charley Fowler and Capt. Bill Deal, of Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, are interviewed by Natalie Morales of the Today Show, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. The Coast Guard members appear in the new reality series “Coast Guard Alaska,” which highlights search and rescue cases that occurred off the coast of Alaska. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

NEW YORK – Al Roker, President and CEO of Al Roker Entertainment, and Chief Petty Officer Charley Fowler, of Air Station Kodiak, Alaska, answer questions from local news affiliates about the Coast Guard missions in Alaska, Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2011. Fowler appears in the new reality series “Coast Guard Alaska,” which highlights search and rescue cases that occurred off the coast of Alaska. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

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NEW YORK - Thousands of runners participating in the New York City Marathon stream out of Coast Guard Sector New York, located on Fort Wadsworth National Recreation Area on Staten Island, N.Y., and onto Interstate 78 in preparation for the 26-mile race, November 6, 2011. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Robert Laura.

NEW YORK – Lt. Cmdr. Jon Bartel, Capt. Bill Deal, Al Roker and Petty Officer 3rd Class Devin Lloyd, from left, stand in front of an HH-52 helicopter on the flight deck of the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. The Coast Guard members appear in the new reality series, “Coast Guard Alaska,” which highlights search and rescue cases that occurred off the coast of Alaska. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

NEW YORK – Al Roker, President and CEO of Al Roker Entertainment, introduces a new reality series, “Coast Guard Alaska,” to an audience aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. The series features Coast Guard members who respond to search and rescue missions on the waters off Alaska. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

NEW YORK - Capt. Bill Deal, Lt. Cmdr. Jon Bartel and Petty Officer 3rd Class Devin Lloyd, from left, attend a reception following the premier of “Coast Guard Alaska” aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in New York, Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011. The Coast Guard members appear in the new reality series “Coast Guard Alaska,” which highlights search and rescue cases that occurred off the coast of Alaska. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jetta H. Disco.

NEW YORK - Coast Guard Seaman Apprentice Isaac Souchak, of Coast Guard Station Eaton's Neck, assists a small child aboard the station's 41-foot utility boat. The boat was on display during Oyster Fest, in Oyster Bay, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2011. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas McKenzie.

NEW YORK – Coast Guard Seaman Thomas Decroteau, stationed aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Bollard, describes some of the Coast Guard’s missions to a visitor.  The Bollard, homeported in New Haven, Conn., was open to the public during Oyster Fest, in Oyster Bay, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2011.  Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas McKenzie.

 

NEW YORK – Coast Guard Fireman Jose Barreto (right) and Petty Officer Second Class Caleb Loftstrom, both from Coast Guard Station Eaton’s Neck, assist a child down from the station’s response boat after he was given a tour. The boat was open to the public during Oyster Fest, in Oyster Bay, N.Y., Oct. 15, 2011.  Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Thomas McKenzie.