By Frank E. Vaerewyck, The Firehouse Foodie
“Hey, Rookie, there’s no coffee in the pot!”
“Sorry, Captain. I’m on it.”
In the firehouse, everyone has a job, similar to a professional kitchen. Some of the jobs we like, and others we hate. But all in all, they have to be done.
In fire stations all over the world, new firefighters are learning the ropes, watching, and listening. More often than not, doing the grunt work means mopping the floor, washing the dishes, and not letting the phone ring more than twice or you will pay. This isn’t because the other members don’t like the rookie; it’s a way to earn your place. As a matter of fact, we have a saying in the fire service: “If they’re not picking on you, they don’t like you.” Mean as that seems, it’s our way of life.
The firehouse is not that different from kitchens all over the world. The newbies don’t just march in and put their feet up like they have been there from the start. Instead they peel potatoes, skin onions, wash dishes, listen, watch, and … do the grunt work.
“Yes, Chef” is the only thing they learn to say, similar to their fire rookie counterpart, who isn’t allowed to say, “Well I thought….” Here at the firehouse you are not here to think. You are here to learn to not only save your life but the lives of every person on this crew, as well as the citizens we protect. The rookie cook is there to learn what it takes to present a flavorful dish that makes people flock to their seats in the “restaurant.”
We all have our place; sometimes we just fall into those places. Bev Carroll, a retired master technician with the Fairfax County (VA) Fire & Rescue Department, whose last assignment was at FS 12, Great Falls, served from 1974-2002. Bev was the firehouse cook the entire time in the department, and below is his Potato Salad. Thanks, Bev, for your service and for helping to “Bring the Firehouse Home.”
Serves 5-6 people
Ingredients:
2 pounds diced cooked potatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vinegar
¼ cup finely diced onions
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ teaspoons pepper
1½ teaspoons celery seed
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon paprika
4 boiled eggs, 2 sliced/2 diced
Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine potatoes, sugar and vinegar. Stir well and let sit for 15 minutes.
2. Add rest of ingredients, except sliced eggs and paprika, mixing thoroughly.
3. Place sliced eggs on top and sprinkle paprika on. Chill for a couple of hours.
Frank Vaerewyck has had a passion for the fire service that has spanned 20 years. He has been a volunteer and career firefighter and is currently a firefighter/EMT with the Manassas (VA) Volunteer Fire Company. He has passed on his passion for the fire service through instruction and mentorship. That same passion he has for the fire service is shared with his love of food. In 2006, Vaerewyck won an Iron Chef-style competition sponsored by a radio station in Richmond, Virginia. That is where he also furthered his education by attending a Culinary Arts Program.
As the Firehouse Foodie, he has been compiling recipes to be included in a cookbook that will give others the opportunity to see their hometown heroes not just as firefighters, but as the firehouse chefs they truly are.
