6 November 2024
Australian Army cook Lance Corporal Raberd Touch demonstrated his passion for pasta with his award-winning Mediterranean chorizo and prawn capellini dish at the recent Army cook competition at Gallipoli Barracks.
In its fourth iteration, held in Brisbane last month, Exercise Golden Plate combined culinary competence with military fitness.
Lance Corporal Touch, of 5th Combat Service Support Battalion, said the exercise was about team building.
“The camaraderie was the best part of the exercise for me, having good banter and coming together as a team,” Lance Corporal Touch said.
“I’ve learnt a lot from working with other Army cooks.”
Growing up in Cambodia, Lance Corporal Touch was curious about other nations’ food. Whether French, Italian or Malaysian, Lance Corporal Touch loves to learn different cooking techniques from other cultures.
He won the fresh pasta challenge with his capellini dish.
“Pasta is my specialty. I love Italian cuisine; the food is really well balanced,” he said.
The exercise was a culinary delight for the judges, with multicultural influences resonating across all food categories.
Teams of five competed in three individual challenges. The dishes were assessed by nine judges, some of whom were from other countries, including New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and France.
“I’m grateful I was able to be part of this exercise. It was well put together with plenty of fresh produce available to support a diverse range of dishes,” Lance Corporal Touch said.
The icing on the cake for many part-time soldiers was the military skills competition, with activities such as an overwater obstacle course and weapon shoots.
“As a reservist, I hadn’t done an overwater obstacle course before this exercise,” he said.
“It was a lot of fun and great to see everyone work together and encouraging each other.”
Exercise Golden Plate was open to all cooks in 2nd (Australian) Division and 17th Sustainment Brigade.
