A SWISS CHEF'S CAREER: THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE YUMMY (4)

Chapter 4

                     Finale I got my notice again to go in to the military. Here in Switzerland every business has to give you leave of absence for the military and have to keep paying  you for that time and we also get payed from the military, that's a pretty good deal!

                       Arriving and receiving Uniform and equipment to start our 4 months schooling               in the Swiss military to become a Tank soldier.

                     I arrived in Thun, a town on a lake in the Berner Oberland with 100 other recruits. We all been assigned to the Tank division and of course every one of us wanted to become a driver. Our troop had 10 Tanks available, 2 drivers to each Tank, the rest are gunners and loaders. In my mind there was a fat chance for me because normally if you are a cook in your private life they usually stick you in the kitchen in the military too, but I got lucky! 

                     To choose 20 out of 100 we each had to take a driving test in a Jeep on some rough terrain one on one with the Tank driver instructor. After driving only few minutes and finding out about my profession he had all kind of questions about hollandaise, demi glaze, meringues etc, etc. He was a fanatic hobby cook and he made sure that I become a tank driver because he had a lot more of culinary questions in the near future. I was very happy and felt proud and privileged to become a tank pilot!

We had a driving test with a jeep before we got chosen to

pilot a Tank

It looks like special training was exhausting!

For 4 months I was trained to drive a 55 ton Tank

even the picture is not showing it, I had a fantastic time.

My official certification as a Tank driver

                      This 4 Months in 1965 flew by and the time came to say goodbye to all the new friends I met in the military I will probably never see again because we all have different professions and go separate paths and interests.

                      I went back to the Kursaal Bern. Nothing changed there, everybody was happy to see me back and I had a fantastic time, in fact I get promoted to sous–chef. In August 1966, I had my first obligatory military service of 3 weeks.  Every man in Switzerland is obligated every year until I believe he is 42. One other extraordinary experience, I had the privilege to drive the PZ 61, at that time the most modernized 60 ton tank with top speed over 70 km/hour.

                       After that, back in Bern I came to the conclusion that it was time to advance my career! I could stay there all my life, even Chef Bernink try to talk me in to it and take over his job because he was about to retire. I would have had probably a good life there but that’s not what I wanted. Travel, see more, learn more, earn more etc, etc. In February 1967 I found a job as Chef Garde manger at the Lodore Swiss Hotel in the lake district Cumberland in England.

Final Certificate from Kursaal Bern

                       ( As a side note,  to build your career as a chef you need to get a certificate from very establishment you work at. It will help you to prove your professional experience to your future employer.)

                         I resigned at the Kursaal immediately, I quit my apartment, got permission to be absent from the military, a must, because I will leave Switzerland. I also had about 4 to 5 goodbye party's and went for a few day’s to see my Father, Mother and my brother at there home in Vogelsang.

                          Here we Go:
Time for the recipe and what would be better than the famous Militar soup:

                Many years ago I put that recipe on the blog for a dear friend of mine so this will be just a reminder!

                Swiss military soup or Swiss army soup is not a classical Swiss dish and you definitely could not find it in any cook book unless it was written by me.

           

                During my service in the Swiss army as a “Centurion 55” tank pilot, we spent a lot of time training in the alps and jura hills and that was the time we got served a dish called "Suedfleisch Topf" (Boiled Beef Stew) at least 2 times a week. It was a mixed vegetable stew with big chunks of beef and was served with boiled potatoes, fresh bread and mustard. As a professional I understand the convenience in serving the troupes with a one pot meal out in the boonies, but it also became my favorite meal overall during my Service.

                   In my later years as chef I converted this dish in to a beef, vegetable soup and incorporated it in many menu's as Swiss Military Soup. It was served in Acapulco Mexico, 
Pinehurst NC, Jupiter FL, Lake Arrowhead CA, St Louis MO, and finally on Mackinac Island MI

                       Here it is :     about 1 Gallon

                       1 lb beef shoulder

                       2 medium onions

                       4-5 medium carrots

                       1/4 head cabbage

                       1 medium leek

                       4-5 pc celery

                       4 small beef bouillon cubs

                       4 bay leafs

                       salt pepper to taste

          Cut beef in to 4 to 5 oz cubs, place in large soup pot with two gallon of cold water

and bay leaves. Bring to boil. Reduce heath and simmer for 2 hours without cover. Cut all vegetable in small pieces and keep separate.

                        Now add more water,so you end up with about 5 quart of liquid.
                      Add beef bouillons cubs.
                      Add onions and celery and let simmer for 10 minutes.
                      Add carrots and leek and simmer for 10 minutes.
                      Add cabbage and let simmer for 10 minutes.
                      Remove beef chunks, let cool for few minutes and dice in to small pieces, place back in                       to soup. Season with salt and pepper. 

SWISS MILITARY SOUP