Cooking class teaches art of healthy meal preparation Published May 15, 2009 By Wayne Crenshaw 78 ABW/PA ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- When Master Sgt. Jeffery Gombos was an Airman living in a dorm and wanted to do a little cooking, ramen noodles were the go-to dish. It wasn't because he didn't know how to cook; he just didn't have a kitchen. Airmen in the dorms at Robins today have a kitchen, but ramen noodles, that classic dish of easy and ultra low-budget cooking, remain a staple. That's why Sergeant Gombos, who is the enlisted aide and cook for Maj. Gen. Polly Peyer, Warner Robins Air Logistics Center commander, has started teaching a monthly cooking class for Airmen. The class came about from a discussion with Chief Master Sgt. Harold "Buddy" Hutchison on how to get Airmen to eat better. "I don't know anybody who really cooks," said Airman 1st Class Tonya Daigle, a dorm resident who took the first cooking class. The class was held April 30 in the Airmen Ministry Center, where eight Airmen, with guidance from Sergeant Gombos, concocted a foil-pack chicken fajita dinner. It meets the criteria any Airmen might want in a delicious and nutritious supper - it's easy, quick and perhaps best of all, there are no dishes to clean up afterward. "It's really good," said Airman 1st Class Steven Cho as he tried out the fruits of his labor. "It's wicked good. It seemed so easy to make." Eight Airmen participated in the class, but Sergeant Gombos, a culinary school graduate, made a couple of dozen extra beforehand so that everyone hanging out in the Ministry Center got to try it out. Many Airmen are on their own for the first time and may have never cooked, Sergeant Gombos said. He hopes to help Airmen understand that even if they haven't cooked, it's not really that hard. Once they get their hands on a recipe all they have to do is follow directions, and every Airman can do that, right? "We have books in the military to tell us how to do our job, and this is easy to follow," he said, pointing to the recipe for the chicken fajita dinner. Not every Airman living on base gets a free pass to the Wynn Dining Facility, and those who do sometimes want a change of pace. Airman Jeff Blount lives in the dorms, but rather than getting free meals at the dining hall he gets an allowance to buy his own food. That's because the odd hours he works in his job in the 116th Air Control Wing make it hard sometimes to get to the dining hall. So he was taking the cooking class to try to expand his repertoire in the kitchen, even though he had previously worked as a restaurant cook. "When you have been a cook, you can always learn more," he said. Sergeant Gombos began the class by discussing food safety, especially emphasizing the need to throw food out that has been in the refrigerator for too long. Airmen shouldn't wait until food has stuff growing on it before deciding it's no longer safe to eat, he said. He also encouraged Airmen to try the Web when they are looking for recipes. In fact, he got the chicken fajita dinner recipe off of www.kraftfoods.com, which he said is a good site for finding quick and easy meals. Although the date for the next one hasn't been set, Sergeant Gombos said he plans on teaching the class once per month. Anyone who is interested can check with the Ministry Center. Right now he is trying to limit the class to about eight people. Chaplain (Capt.) Joshua Payne, who oversees the Ministry Center, said he is trying to secure funding to significantly expand the center's kitchen, which is now about the size of a small apartment kitchen. The center hosts regular suppers for Airmen.