Adopt-A-Ship Program Visits San Diego Navy Base
A little education and a little competition were on the deck last month at Naval Base San Diego (NBSD), when Chef Adam Weiner visited to provide training to culinary specialists at the NBSD galley and help them improve in their career field. Weiner’s stint was part of the 16-year-old Adopt-A-Ship program, which is a partnership between the American Culinary Federation and the Naval Supply Systems Command.
During Weiner’s time at the base galley he pitted the culinary specialists against each other in a best burger competition, giving them a chance to showcase their cooking abilities. “One of the things sailors look forward to the most while deployed is the next meal, and it’s important to make sure that the meals are prepared well to keep everyone’s morale high,” says Weiner, a culinary arts instructor who is active in the Center for the Advancement of Foodservice Education.
Chief Warrant Officer Robert Favela, the base’s food service officer, says his team was excited to have their skills reviewed by an outside chef. “It’s great having these experienced chefs, who have been around the industry, take a look at how we run our business and teach ours the skills that they need to have to prepare the best meals possible and succeed in the industry,” Favela says. He adds that the burger competition was a “great opportunity” for junior personnel to show veteran sailors what they can do.
Bill Would Give Certified Dietary Managers Props
The House Ways & Means Committee is currently considering legislation that would require skilled nursing facilities to employ at least a certified dietary manager in order to be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid funding.
In part, the bill states: “In the case that [a nursing] facility does not employ a full-time qualified dietitian ... the director of food services shall be a certified dietary manager meeting the applicable requirements published by the Certifying Board for Dietary Managers [or] a dietetic technician, registered, meeting the applicable requirements published by the Commission on Dietetic Registration ...”
The Association of Nutrition and Foodservice Professionals (ANFP), which administers the CDM certification, has lobbied for the drafting of the bill.