CERTIFICATION military style
CERTIFICATION: MILITARY STYLE
By Nicholas Zaricor, CSC®
I REMEMBER when I was young being in the kitchen, smelling
the aromas of whatever was on the stove and watching the
orchestra that was my dad cooking. The patience, care and love he
has for food resonated with me, and I knew I wanted to be a chef.
With that deep-seated passion and desire, I entered a culinary
program at Fort Vancouver High School, Vancouver, Wash.,
where I had the good fortune to receive a strong culinary
foundation with which to build my passion from three talented
chef-instructors: David Angell, Rebecca Angell and David Finnie.
“MY FATHER OFTEN
SAID, ‘GIVE IT YOUR ALL,
AND NO ONE CAN ASK
MORE OF YOU.’”
Joining the Navy brought me to U.S. Pacific Command, Hawaii,
where I have the privilege of serving with Brandon Parry, CEC®,
senior chief petty officer. On his arrival in Hawaii, Parry set about
providing culinary training and certification to the servicemen and
servicewomen stationed at Oahu.
I was excited to expand my skill set and prove myself as a
Certified Sous Chef®, so I immediately jumped onboard with the
program. I quickly discovered that becoming certified is not an
endeavor to be taken lightly. It will push you to your limits and
then some. It will bring out the best in you, and make you realize
that what you thought was your end is really just the beginning.
Recognizing my drive and ambition, Parry tasked me with
assisting our military members through the certification process
and navigating the Navy’s Credentialing Opportunities Online
(COOL) funding process. At times it was frustrating, but each
obstacle created a clearer pathway to a standard operating
procedure for the next candidate. Our group certified eight
executive chefs and one sous chef.
Seizing another great opportunity, I competed as a member of
Joint Culinary Arts Team Hawaii at the 38th Annual Military
Culinary Arts Competition in Fort Lee, Va. Our team was
diverse, with varying skill levels. Nevertheless, everyone
brought something to the table, and we were never short on
enthusiasm. Although we were all different, we had two things
in common: a passion for cooking and a hunger for knowledge.
With guidance from Parry, Joint Culinary Arts Team Hawaii
trained hard for the competition. As soon as we arrived at Fort
Lee, we made sure that everyone knew we were there and meant
Joint Culinary Arts Team Hawaii following the 38th Annual Military Culinary Arts
Competition’s award ceremony.
58 THE NATIONAL CULINARY REVIEW • JUNE 2013
business, often chanting “aloha” as a group, whether in support
of our competitors or to rouse the crowd.
Preparing for the competition was one thing, but competing
was truly something that cannot be easily explained. No matter
how I felt during the competition, I stayed focused and pushed
for my best. Good, bad or ugly, I knew my team was there to
support me. I earned a silver medal and a bronze medal, and
I walked away with an experience that I will never forget. I
am proud of our team. The Joint Culinary Arts Team Hawaii
received third place for Installation of the Year and earned 33
medals and two team trophies.
My father often said, “Give it your all, and no one can ask more
of you.” I love what I do but without the continued training and
encouragement I received, I would not have achieved my goals.
I believe that certification is about making our military better. I
hope to pass what I’ve learned on to others. I know it’s just the
beginning, but I’m excited about the journey.
NICHOLAS ZARICOR, CSC ®, PETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASS, U.S. NAVY, HONOLULU