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Baker to train at Culinary Institute

  • Published
  • By Samuel King Jr.
  • Team Eglin Public Affairs
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Flour, sugar, milk and eggs are the building blocks that lead to the creation of a cake. For Senior Airman Glen Gould, of the 96th Force Support Squadron, those ingredients are the origin of masterpieces.

Gould, a baker and cook at The Breeze dining facility, was recently selected to represent the Air Force at the Culinary Institute of America next spring. He, along with 12 other Airmen, will receive training at the annual CIA Greystone Training in California.

"(When I learned) I was selected, I was excited for the opportunity to travel and learn from the best in the food industry," said Gould, who has been selected as a Hennessy Top Performer the last two years. "It really meant a lot to me being recognized."

After he found out he was selected for the CIA, he also learned he was tasked to deploy. The dates overlapped, so the culinary training was postponed for the combat training.

"I'm assigned to food service, however whatever the mission requires is what I'll be doing once I get to my deployed location," said the first-time deployer. "I think the deployment will yield a greater sense of being a military member by actually seeing what is happening on the other side of the world, and getting the chance to see how critical our job is to get the mission accomplished."

Gould said he discovered his passion for food service when he was selected as a baker at The Breeze, but it was home in Antiqua, West Indies, where he said his culinary skills were born.

"I remember my mom cooking various dishes and decorating cakes for special occasions," said Gould, who followed his father and brother into the Air Force. "As a child my main goal was to get an opportunity to taste the spoon, which in turn gave me training on how to make a particular item."

Once given the opportunity, Gould unleashed his creativity and said he put a different spin on how cakes were being decorated.

"I mixed old techniques with modern day baking and people started to see my true talents shine through," he said. "In turn, I grew to have an appreciation for the special skills I developed in a short period of time."

When a special occasion comes up Gould said he transforms into the "cake boss," and begins planning what he can do to amaze a crowd at events like the Air Force Birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

"I pour my all into making a masterpiece cake," he said.

Gould said his masterpiece was the 2012 Air Force Birthday cake. It was the largest he'd ever done at 4.5 feet in length and four foot wide.

Creativity and attention to detail are what makes Gould a good baker and the reason why he was chosen to attend the training, according to Aubrey Harvey, Eglin's food service officer.

"He takes pride in his work and it shows in everything he produces," said Harvey.

The Airman said he hopes to take his skill and creativity to the next level with his upcoming training and bring those techniques back here and share them with his peers.
Gould said his preferred part of the baking process is simply... the decorating. At that point, the cake is subject to his vision and style and he can personalize it his way and put his creativity on display.

"I like to think of a cake as my canvas when I draw out my designs and when I add icing; it becomes a work of art."