European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 12, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 14 staff sgt. Edwin Alvarado rear prepares the Chow Hall Standard Quot Savory baked Chicke while a supervising pfc. Anthony Davis who is making German style meatballs. Spec. David Vahle right works with German Cook Peter Stihler at the restaurant Esbach Hof in Kitzinger. A dash of German spice for a amps photos by John Millar spec. Combs right assists Paul Antosz a polish apprentice at the hotel Franzis Kaner in Wurzburg. By John Millar Wurzburg Bureau master chef Michael Ankerbrand would have disapproved of the Way staff sgt. Edwin Alvarado was preparing a traditional German dish in a military dining facility the German chef who oversees the cuisine at the Graf Zeppelin restaurant in Schweinfurt Germany would t mind so much that Alvarado was using ground beef for a dish that normally Calls for liver. But he would have frowned on How clean the military Cooke a White uniform was after preparing the meal Alvarado who has spent eight years cooking in army Chow Halls said military chefs Are required to keep their White uniforms clean while working because they serve As Well As prepare the food such was not the Case recently when he worked under Ankerbrand at the German restaurant. The 36-year-old army Cook spent 16 weeks at the Graf Zeppelin As part of a 3rd inf div program designed to bring a bit of German flavor into army Chow Halls. And chef Ankerbrand made sure Alvarado s clothes As Well As his brain absorbed the curriculum. One Day Alvarado had been working in the Kitchen for hours without getting so much As a smudge on his White uniform. He said the German chef told him that he was too clean Quot he said when you come in you should be clean but you should be dirty by the Middle of the  Ankerbrand then told the Soldier to hold a Large pot of Spaghetti sauce which the master chef proceeded to stir vigorously with a wire Wisk. After splattering sauce on the Soldier s uniform Ankerbrand declared Quot now you look like a German chef Quot through project skill enhancement the army Cooks spend 16 weeks learning the ins and outs of German cooking at local Gas Hauser or inns said division food adviser chief warrant officer 3 Michael Braddock. Quot it s designed to have soldiers come out to the local Community and learn new skills and techniques in food preparation and serving to enhance the Quality of food for soldiers in the division Quot he said. To make sure that a done Braddock said soldiers who participate in the program Are required to teach what they Learned to other Cooks in the Chow Halls for a minimum of six weeks. All three Cooks Are assigned to the same division that in March sent one of its Cooks to a five Day $1,300 gourmet cooking class at the Post Greenbriar hotel in White Sulphur Springs . Staff sgt. Lori Williams an enlisted Aid and personal Cook for the 3rd inf div commander attended the class where International chefs taught How to prepare dishes such As sell d Agneau in Croute de Sel Saddle of Lamb in a Salt crust and Cheddar cheese and Poblano Chili soup. Braddock said dining facility managers were instructed to give the military Gasthaus Cooks full support when they return to the Chow Halls. They want soldiers to be Able to taste the results of the  feel diners in the Chow Halls should see German items on the food lines after his tour of duty at the Graf Zeppelin Alvarado returned to his dining facility at Conn Barracks in Schweinfurt. On his second Day in the Chow Hall he taught soldiers How to prepare a variation of the liver balls served at the restaurant a taking care not to get any of the spicy ground beef on his uniform. Alvarado who is assigned to the 3rd in 64th Armor dining facility said Cooks there welcomed him Back and looked Forward to benefiting from what he had Learned. Quot i told them i did t come Here to change the system i be come to enhance  one thing he plans to enhance is the Way meat is prepared. Quot one of the things that fascinated me is the different ways they have to prepare one kind of meat like liver Quot Alvarado said. A a Quot using different spices creates a different flavor that that in be never tasted before Quot he said adding that his 23 Cooks Are picking that idea up quickly Quot when i teach them they Start to realize that there Are lots of different ways to prepare the same  Quot they German chefs use a lot of spices and a lot of different spices some that we Don t have in the mess Hall Quot said spec. David Vahle who trained at the Esbach Hof in Kitzinger for 16 weeks Quot the biggest thing that hit me first was the amount of Salt they use Quot said the Cook from Btry a 4th in 3rd air defense arty at Larson Barracks in Kitzinger. He. Said the fitness conscious army dictates a. Minimum of Salt in Chow Hall recipes. Quot Here they just spec. Dessure Combs practices the Fine Art of making Hollan Daise sauce. Keep putting it in. I never realized How much it will change the taste of  sait aside Vahle said he could incorporate a lot of. What he Learned into the dining facility menus. Quot if i can get the spices and things to work with it should be no problem. I m definitely going to change the Gravy and make it taste  there were some things done in the Kitchen of the hotel Franzis Kaner in Wurzburg that spec. Dessure Combs said he probably won t take Back to the Marne land inn dining facility at Leighton Barracks. Quot a lot of things he Cooks Are cooked with wine Quot Combs said about his German teacher Gunther Wohlfahrt. Quot i Don t know if they la let me do that in the mess Hall Quot. Quot it s disappointing in a Way Quot Alvarado said of the Lack of cooking wine in army dining facilities. A it s the wine that gives food that cuisine taste Quot he said however that wine can be replaced with things such As vinegar something he plans to do. Quot it does t have that  but you can come As close to it As possible with substitutes Quot Quot we Cook Gross amounts and they Cook for each order Quot Combs said comparing his Chow Hall with the Franzis Kaner Quot it s very difficult coming Down Here after cooking for the army because you have to do things quickly. Sometimes i get in the Way and i get a brain cramp because everyone s going this Way and that  still he said he d be Able to transform some of Quot Wohlfahrt s traditional franconian recipes into meals for his 400 or More diners Quot it s not difficult at All you just add More ingredients a Combs assigned to he service 103rd military intelligence in earned the name a Spatz Leman while making the German Noodle specially spaetzle in the hectic Franzis Kaner Kitchen Wohlfahrt said. Quot because every time he made it it s up Here or Over Here Quot he said while pointing to Combs shoulders. Alvarado has already added a. Bit of traditional German cooking to his Schweinfurt dining facility a a Large Kettle on a stove that a continually at a slow boil he said German chefs constantly throw meat and vegetable scraps in such a pot to have a constant soup Stock. Water can be taken from the pot to boil vegetables adding extra flavor. Quot you can use it to make soup out of leftovers if rehashed potatoes and it tastes great Quot he said. Soldiers Aren t always on the learning end a they also teach German Cooks some of their own tricks. Bernd Hartner head chef at the Esbach Hof in Kitzinger said Vahle taught him How to make Strawberry Shortcake Quot he also taught me How to make a Good hamburger. It s not so easy to  he said germans tend to Cook a hamburger until its Quot Well done and its hard Quot he said the american taught him that a hamburger Quot is a kind of Steak and is Best made medium  Wohlfahrt said he received a crash course in English with Combs in the Kitchen. Quot a lot of times we were talking with each other and there would be a word i did t know so we would write it in English and German on a blackboard sometimes it helped sometimes it did  Vahle said he thought the program really could improve the Quality of army food. Quot i think it could change Quot he explained Quot but i can t do it by myself. I can teach the other Cooks but its got to come from them too. Its personal Pride. No matter How Good a Cook is if he does t care the food s not going to be  said he relayed the same message to his Cooks Quot i told them if you Don t know Well teach you. If you done to care Well try to teach you to care or Send you someplace where you la be  and while he won t teach his Cooks to smear fish with red wine sauce or cheese Melet on their uniforms As Ankerbrand taught him at the Graf Zeppelin he said he will teach them Quot there s not All work and no play. You can have a sense of humor in the Kitchen  schnitzel a la Graf Zeppelin a pork chops preferably Boneless 1 cup flour 1 cup milk 1 egg 1 cup bread crumbs Salt and paprika season meat with Salt and paprika. This helps Seal juices in seasoning the flour simply makes the breading taste Salty. Set out three bowls or deep dishes. Place flour in the first bowl egg mixed with milk in the next and bread crumbs in the last. Cover one chop at a Lime with hour then dip into milk and egg mixture. Use Palm of hand to press both sides of each chop into bread crumbs then place chop on table and press both sides again. Deep Fry or pan Fry until Golden Brown note Alvarado said there a no need to beat or Quot tenderize Quot the chops. Quot the Only reason to smash them is to make them look bigger Quot he said. Quot if you want bigger chops at Home add another pork chop Quot planning on entertaining a crowd the following recipe which serves 20 is Ideal a tasty and easy to prepare it can be made ahead and reheated. Veal goulash a la hotel Franzis Kaner 4 kilograms 8.8 pounds diced veal 6 whole medium onions 3 Tablespoons paprika 2 Tablespoons Tomato paste 6 Bay leaves 4 minced garlic cloves or More to taste 1 Tablespoon Caraway seed 3 liners 6.1 pints beef Stock a liter approximately v2 cup White wine Viz after approximately 1 cup Cream 200 Grams 7 ounces Cut mushrooms crushed Peppercorns to taste Cut onions into strips. Put Large pot on stove and add enough Oil or Margarine to saute onions. Let onions Brown. Add garlic and saute briefly a do not let garlic Brown. Take pot off stove. Add paprika and Tomato paste and put pot Back on stove. Add a Little of the Bee Stock. Stir six times this is important since paprika will taste bitter if cooked Loo Long. Add dash of Salt Caraway seed Bay leaves crushed Peppercorns and rest of beef Stock and bring to a boil. Add meat to Stock cover and simmer for one hour. Stir occasionally. Alter an hour Check meat for oneness if done Odd wine and mushrooms and Cook for 15 minutes. Season to a taste remove from stove. Ii making ahead Stop Here. Just before serving add Cream. Serves 20. The stars and stripes Friday july 12, 1991 the stars and stripes a Page 15