Not only should Tony visit Camp Taji, but while he's there, he should hook up with the self professed Chef of Camp Taji...My father!

Four years ago my father decided to do his part for the US and head out to Iraq. After a year in Camp Anaconda, Iraq, he ended up in Camp Taji. He is currently a sheet metal mechanic and is part of the team that replaces the armour on chinook, apache, and blackhawk helicopters. This is what he calls his 9 to 5. However, on the weekends my father true passion takes hold. He loves to entertain his coworkers and soldiers in the area by cooking some home cooked meals. My father, an elderly Cuban man (62), has a deep love for cooking. We, back home in Miami,FL suspected something was up when he began requesting bags of rice, seasonings, and pots. He started out simply enough, cooking for his immediate coworkers who were bored with the chow in the mess hall, on a single burner propane stove. Gradually word got out and several soldiers started joining in on the weekend "tastings". Well things escalated from there and the guys decided it would be a good idea to upgrade the Chef of Taji with his own kitchen. They took up a collection and got my father his own BBQ grill with side burner. My father now has quite a following. He makes paellas, ribs, arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), fried rice, and more. We, in Miami, FL, may provide the spices for the dishes, but the participants provide everything else. My father provides grocery lists to the regulars in order to gather the ingredients from the mess hall for the weekend's meals. The Chef of Taji is going strong on three years in Camp Taji. I have no doubt in my mind he would not have lasted this long in Iraq if it weren't for his cooking or for the camaraderie during the weekend "tastings".

Come on Tony! Two Chefs, One location...Camp Taji!