At 16:00 hours, two of IsraelExperts’ Taglit-Birthright Israel Culinary groups began cooking on three different army bases to feed a total of 900 hungry soldiers. Excitement was in the air when we arrived at our first stop on the Dinner Impossible mission at Nahal Oz army base. Here our participants were given the task of cooking for about 400 people on the base. As we stepped into the kitchen, you could see the controlled chaos of the 40 cooks who tried to designate different areas in an extremely small space. From washing and chopping vegetables at one end, to stirring massive pots of boiling pasta, couscous, and potatoes at the other end, there was barely enough room to watch the action unfold. After having to quickly re-draft and improvise a menu, the group did an amazing job of creating dishes from rosemary chicken and roasted peppers to garlic potatoes and tahini cookies in a strawberry reduction sauce. With empty stomachs and a mighty appetite, we left to see what was going on with our other culinary group at army bases Kissufim and Mars.
When we arrived at Kissufim, dinner was only an hour away and you could really feel the pressure in the kitchen as the group tried to prepare for their 400 guests. Participants began to carry out large pots of soup, steaming trays of curry and sesame chicken, plates of white rice and Moroccan couscous along with salad and steamed vegetables. The other half of the group was at Mars base, just a few minutes away from Kissifum, preparing for a more intimate meal for about 70 people. Although the two groups’ menu and dynamics were different, the high energy and positive mindset were very similar.
Once the meal was ready, our participants were prepared to take on their food critics: an army of hungry soldiers. Each dish was explained as the dining hall grew crowded. Over the apple crumble and tart dessert, our guide spoke on behalf of the group thanking the soldiers for all their hard work and in return the group received cleaned plates and happy faces. At the end of the day, it was not the chaos of the kitchen or pressure of time that was most memorable for our participants; the opportunity to work as a team and give back to the Israeli soldiers at each army base is what really made this a meaningful experience for all.
