By Frank E. Vaerewyck, The Firehouse Foodie
As I stood there watching something get measured, it occurred to me that everything in life revolves around measurements. For example, how fast we go when we’re driving is measured by how many feet we go in a certain amount of time. Time is yet another measurement. Other measurement examples are what we wear, how much we weigh, even the amount of water that goes down the commode when flushed. I gave a lot of thought not only to the kitchen but to the fire department when it came to measurements.
Now everyone knows that the drugs given in the back of the ambulance are measured. Did you also know that the amount of oxygen you are given is measured? It was measured into the cylinder that is riding on the ambulance, and there is a certain measurement we must watch for to change cylinders so we don’t run out of oxygen. There are measurements for the amount of water we are flowing into a fire. The degree of angle that the ladder on the truck is set at before we climb it is a measurement. We note these measurements in our reports at the hospital and at the station.
The kitchen also revolves around measurements. Nothing gets done in the kitchen without measurements. My mother Laurie is a meticulous person when it comes to measurements.
Residing in Florida, she is an office manager for an appraisal firm and still has a flair for cooking. She has been my cooking inspiration and spent her special time with me as a kid in our kitchen whipping up some kind of creation. We made the usual brownies and chocolate cake, but my mom liked to find things like recipes in the magazine Mother Earth and from dear friends. As a child, one of my favorite things my mom made was her “Hot Ham and Swiss Sandwiches.” They were made with onion rolls and a mayonnaise/mustard combination that had me coming back for more. I introduced these gems to my fellow firefighters at the fire station one night, and there were no leftovers. My wife fell in love with them as well, but we changed them a little. From my kitchen to yours, here is our version of my mom’s “Hot Ham and Swiss Sandwiches.” Our version is simply called “Hot Swiss Sandwiches,” and that’s “Bringing the Firehouse Home.”
Hot Swiss Sandwiches
Makes 1 sandwich
Ingredients:
1 onion roll
2 ounces of your favorite meat
1 slice Swiss cheese
2 small mushrooms
½ teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon each of mayonnaise and mustard
1 square piece of aluminum foil
Directions:
- Combine mayo and mustard in a bowl.
- Spread liberally on inside top and bottom of onion roll.
- Place meat on bottom bun, place mushrooms on meat, then cover with Swiss cheese.
- Sprinkle oregano on the underside of the top part of the onion roll.
- Place top on sandwich and place in the middle of the square sheet of aluminum foil.
- Fold sandwich in the foil by pulling in the corners first. I don’t think this has anything to do with the cooking of the sandwich; it’s just the way my Mom does it.
- Cook in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.
- Carefully get it out and enjoy the Best Hot Swiss Sandwich ever, not because of my Mom, but because you made it.
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.
