Hangar 97 Chops It Like It’s Hot

The 97th Force Support Squadron held their quarterly Chopped Challenge competition at the Altus Air Force Base Dinning Facility, Hangar 97, August 8, 2019, at Altus AFB, Okla. During this challenge, five chefs are given one hour to make a dish of their choice using five ingredients provided in their basket. They are given one ingredient from each of the following categories: protein, starch, fruit or vegetable, exotic and a wow or “what on earth do I do with this?” ingredient. During this quarter’s competition, the ingredients required were: ground beef, macaroni noodles, sweet cajun chill sauce, yellow squash and brown sugar Pop Tarts. As long as the chefs use these five ingredients, they are allowed to add whatever else they want from the kitchen.

The competing chefs were given free reign of the Hangar 97 kitchen, allowing them to use their imagination while creating a dish they think will prove them to be Chopped Challenge Champion. After the hour is up, the chefs prepare their meal for three judges who will pick which dish they like the best. Once a winner is determined, the winning chef earns a picture on the Hall of Fame board displayed in Hangar 97. This quarters Chopped Challenge is U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Soon Kwon, a Food Services Apprentice assigned to the 97th Force Support Squadron. His dish was composed of sweet chili pepper beef, fried pasta and brown sugar cinnamon salad. This competition serves as an opportunity for Airmen chefs to use their imagination while sharpening their culinary skills.