With the competition set to begin and a major award on the line, Petty Officer 1st Class John Toman knew exactly what to do. He thought of his favorite chef, Marco Pierre White, and his dedication to seeing the beauty and greatness in simplicity.
While other contestants for the American Culinary Foundation (ACF) Chef of the Year Award spent their 75 minutes whipping up experimental dishes, Toman took a more traditional approach.
“I just let the food speak for itself,” he said. “I just showcased the food in its simplest form.” Toman reminded himself of a chef’s greater purpose. “We’re storytellers. When I write a menu, I’m writing a story.” Toman’s winning menu featured a bright salad and succulent pork served three ways.
For the first course, Toman created a tabbouleh salad with riced cauliflower. He made a vibrant cactus prickly pear fluid gel, then added pani puri (an Indian fried puff ball) with sumac and hot honey. He topped the dish off with whipped feta to balance the acidity of the dish.
Toman’s main course included a braised pork belly, a cabernet sausage pork collar, and a seared pork loin. The trio was accompanied by a corn and parsnip puree with truffle, zucchini, and braised carrots. Thinking carefully of the story his menu told, he opted for an apricot glaze and pickled onions to balance the pork belly.
The food clearly spoke for itself to judges at the ACF, which is the premier professional organization for outstanding chefs in the United States. Its top award is presented to the best of the best; finalists qualify by winning one of five regional competitions in the leadup to the national finals—four geographic regions and one “region” for military members. So, in a way, Toman explained, his victory was years in the making.
Looking back, Toman never would have imagined that this is where life would take him. His love of cooking and food is longstanding; the New Jersey native had his first job in the kitchens of Westhampton Beach, New York at age 14.
After graduating from the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, Toman knew food was his future. But he feared joining an industry where taxing work schedules and financial instability were the norm.
Enter the Coast Guard. Toman learned of the service’s retirement plan and benefits, and the rest is history. "I never thought I’d join the military,” Toman told MyCG. “But it’s been the best decision of my life so far.” He’s been in the service for ten years and has spent six of them cooking at sea.
While underway, he drew inspiration in the kitchen from his shipmates, he said, by soliciting their input on the menu. “My favorite dish to cook,” Toman beamed, “is the dish that makes someone’s day. I want to make someone feel at home when they’re 2,500 miles away from home.” The ultimate sign of success and pride, he continued, is “to know that I’ve left an impact on someone’s day,” even if it’s a dish “as simple as grilled cheese and tomato soup.”
In addition to menu inspiration, Toman found career-altering mentors while at sea. They encouraged him to apply for the Special Command Aide (SCA) program, the Coast Guard Culinary Team, and a job in the Commandant’s Flag Mess at Coast Guard Headquarters. “[My mentors] definitely showed me a world I could be in and thrive in,” he reflected.
Toman relishes the challenge and fast pace of cooking in the Commandant’s Flag Mess. “It’s such a blessing to be here,” he said. He especially enjoys cooking for the Commandant. “It’s fun working for an admiral who loves food as much as you do,” he told MyCG.
Every day, he and his shipmates are laser-focused on cooking for the Commandant, the Vice Commandant, and other senior leaders. But, he explained, Chief Petty Officer Ava Stow, head chef in the Flag Mess, gives the team “a lot of creative freedom” to hone their craft and try new things.
Sometimes ideas for new dishes come from Toman’s early years cutting his teeth in Long Island, New York kitchens. He spoke with MyCG hours after preparing a meal inspired by the first restaurant where he cooked on Westhampton Beach: a T-Bone steak with clarified butter and a side of crispy truffle fries.
It’s not a terribly complicated dish, Toman admitted, but it reflects the beauty of cooking. “You don’t need a fancy degree to be a great chef,” he explained. Toman is grateful for his education at the Culinary Institute of America, the country’s premier culinary institution. But, he says, there’s no substitute for the hands-on learning he’s had in the Coast Guard.
Looking forward, Toman is using his skills as one of the three team mentors for the 2025 Coast Guard Culinary Team (CGCT). The Team represents the service at top competitions nationwide, and culinary specialists in the E-4 through E-9 ranks are eligible to apply. CGCT is accepting applications through November 15. For more information and for full terms of eligibility, please see ALCOST 395/24: 2025 Coast Guard Culinary Team Solicitation.
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