Chef Michael Slintak on preparing meals for the Artemis II crew
·5 min
The episode begins by introducing Chef Michael Slintak, who prepared all meals for the Artemis II crew before their historic lunar mission. Host Anton Savage interviews Slintak from Florida about feeding elite astronauts. Slintak describes the basic food provided, including roasted chicken, pork loin, chicken curry sandwiches, Cuban sandwiches, and fruit salads. He explains astronauts have a barbecue with family before launch and an 'ultimate meal' one to two days before departure. For Artemis II, the pilot and commander chose filet mignon while the mission specialist had roasted chicken and lamb chops. Slintak mentions preparing sauce bordelaise for the filet mignon and minted demi for the lamb. The host notes the absence of Florida seafood like snapper or grouper on the menu. Slintak explains shellfish is avoided due to allergy concerns, along with gluten and lactose restrictions. The conversation shifts to Slintak's Irish connections, revealing his first cousin married an Irishman named Michal O'Dowd. Slintak visits every other year to help with menus at O'Connor's guest house in Cloughon, where NASA-inspired cooking influences the B&B offerings. When asked about cooking for the crew upon return, Slintak states his duty is complete and he awaits the next mission. He clarifies he cooks for all manned space missions, currently for the International Space Station until it is replaced. The episode concludes with credits for the production team and information about the Newstalk Breakfast show.
