Army And Navy Battle for Culinary Superiority at Farm Show Cook-Off

Team Navy claimed victory during the Army vs. Navy Cook-Off on the PA Preferred Culinary Connection Stage at the 107th Pennsylvania Farm Show. Team Navy won with a seared chicken thigh alongside rustic mashed potatoes with quark cheese and sausage and sautéed mushrooms with a maple balsamic reduction.

The seventh annual culinary competition was a highlight of Military Appreciation Day, a full day of events at the PA Farm Show, honoring veterans for their service to our country.

The event honors active, reserve, and retired service members by conducting an "Iron Chef"-style culinary competition, involving Petty Officer James Monoski, United States Navy, and SSG Joe Shandly Malubay, Culinary Specialist at the Army Executive Dining Facility (AREDF), Unites States Army. They were joined by local media personalities, Ali Lanyon and Dan Tomaso from abc27, as well as Jeremy Jenkins and T.J. Springer from WGAL Channel 8.

A four-person judging panel evaluated the final dishes. The judges were, John Moeller, former White House chef and author; Marc Ferraro, Executive Deputy Secretary for the PA Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; Senior Chief Jason T. Rohrs, Special Command Aide Program Manager, Office of the Commandant United States Coast Guard; and Greg Wagner, Senior Manager, Internal Technical Support for Comcast NBCUniversal.

Teams were given 30 minutes to prepare the most appealing dish, utilizing PA Preferred sourced ingredients. Each team received a mystery basket, with ingredients from local farms, including proteins, starches, vegetables, and a common pantry of ingredients including basic grocery items, spices, and herbs to work with. Teams were tasked with preparing four plates, one for each judge.

The Pennsylvania Farm Show is the Pennsylvania State Fair® and the nation's largest indoor agricultural event, featuring 12,000 competitive exhibits, nearly 6,000 animals, and 275 commercial exhibitors. The show runs from Jan, 14. Admission is free and parking is $15 in Farm Show lots.