Nuclear Sub Cooks Get High-End Chef Tips


(L-R) U.S. Navy Culinary Specialist 1st Class Evan Melton, U.S. Navy Culinary Specialist 1st Class Joseph White, and Union League Club of Chicago Executive Chef Michael GarbinU.S. Navy Culinary Specialists, 28-year-old Joseph White and 30-year-old Evan Melton, have spent their military careers cooking for hungry shipmates, mostly in the cramped quarters of submarines. But, for a few days recently, they spent time in the relatively open kitchen space at the Union League Club of Chicago working with its Executive Chef, Michael Garbin. The goal: to learn some new recipes focusing on healthy foods and a more enticing presentation of the dishes they serve.

With navy submarines sometimes spending months at sea and underwater, the three meals crew members get per day are frequently the highlight of their day. The sub's culinary specialists are also the chefs who prepare the food when VIPs come aboard the vessels--usually in foreign ports--and are tasked with impressing the guests.

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We follow Chef Garbin and his two Navy men during one cooking session at the Union League Club and see firsthand some of the new dishes and skills the men will serve up on the Navy's soon-to-be christened nuclear submarine, the USS Illinois, which has First Lady Michelle Obama as its sponsor.

View a slideshow of a meal designed and prepared by Melton and White after spending two weeks working with Garbin.

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