By Frank E. Vaerewyck, The Firehouse Foodie
Winston Churchill once said, “History is written by the victors.” Now I know that Mr. Churchill was not speaking of firefighters when he said this but of war. Fire is the enemy, but it is also our friend. We cook, stay warm, and gather around the “Dragon.” But, when unleashed, the “Dragon” takes unmercifully and is relentless in its destruction.
Who were the first firefighters and how were they recognized? Well, history tells us that when a courageous band of crusaders known as the Knights of St. John fought the Saracens for possession of the holy land, they encountered a new weapon unknown to European warriors. It was a simple, but a horrible device of war; it wrought excruciating pain and agonizing death upon the brave fighters for the cross. The Saracens weapon was fire. As the crusaders advanced on the walls of the city, they were struck by glass bombs containing naphtha.
When they became saturated with the highly flammable liquid, the Saracens hurled a flaming torch into their midst. Hundreds of the knights were burned alive; others risked their lives to save their brothers-in-arms from dying painful, fiery deaths. Thus, these men became our first firemen and the first of a long list of courageous firefighters. Their heroic efforts were recognized by fellow crusaders who awarded each here a badge of honor–a cross similar to the one firefighters wear today. Since the Knights of St. John lived for close to four centuries on a little island in the Mediterranean Sea named Malta, the cross came to be known as the Maltese Cross. The Maltese Cross is our symbol of protection. It means that the firefighter who wears this cross is willing to lay down his life for you just as the crusaders sacrificed their lives for their fellow man so many years ago. The Maltese Cross is a firefighter’s badge of honor, signifying that he works in courage–a ladder rung away from death.
Tony Coronado of the Yorkshire Volunteer Fire Department Company 508 in Manassas, Virginia, wears his Maltese Cross with the pride of those first firefighters. Tony is a native Texan and shares with us his Sopa De Albondiga, a dish that keeps his fellow firefighters happy and coming back for more. Now that’s “Bringing the Firehouse Home.”
Sopa De Albondiga (a.k.a. Mexican MeatBalls)
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 quarts chicken stock, beef stock, or water or a mixture
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 lb string beans, strings and ends removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
1/3 cup raw white rice
1 lb ground beef
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 raw egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Dash of cayenne (optional)
1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh peas
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled, or 1 Tbsp fresh chopped oregano
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Directions:
- Heat oil in large heavy-bottomed pot on medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Add broth mixture and tomato sauce. Bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add carrots and string beans.
- Prepare the meatballs. Mix rice into meat, adding mint leaves and parsley, salt and pepper. Mix in raw egg. Form mixture into one-inch meatballs.
- Add the meatballs to the simmering soup, one at a time. Cover and let simmer for 1/2 hour. Add the peas toward the end of the 1/2 hour. Add a few pinches of oregano and sprinkle with salt and pepper and a dash of cayenne to taste. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Enjoy!
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.
