By Frank E. Vaerewyck, “The Firehouse Foodie”
As firefighters, we are a very proud people. We take pride in our departments; our training; our uniforms; and, most of all, the companies to which we are assigned. Just as your department has a patch that you wear with pride to identify who you work for, a lot of stations also have a patch that signifies what station you are with; and some departments even go so far as having patches for the unit to which you are assigned. There is much to do about these patches; they signify the history of the company and the mindset of bravery that goes with that company, and they usually have a unique design that shows this pride.
The military has this same tradition of unit patches that signify the individuality of the unit but the commonality of being one force. My son, Hunter, has his mind set on serving our country in the United States Army, and his favorite sport is and has been Airsoft. For those of you who are not familiar with it, Airsoft is a military style sport in which groups of participants go to a field designated for this sport and play War with BB guns that shoot a softer, plastic BB than the ones we shot at each other with as kids. These people gear out in the same equipment as the professional soldiers, usually bought at an Army/Navy store. Hunter has amassed many of these unit patches and other patches called “Pride Patches” that have a saying or logo on them.
I thought to myself as I looked over his array of patches, “Like father, like son,” for I have amassed quite a few fire department and company patches over the years. Many of us share patches and trade patches from time to time, much like kids used to do with baseball cards. Another thing that gets traded and adored on a regular basis is recipes. I have often been quoted by my lovely wife Tina as saying, “Recipes are great guidelines, but you can change it up a little, and make it your own.” Use them, adore them, trade them, change them to meet your fancy, but whatever you do, take as much pride in your creation as we do in our patches.
This month, with summer here, I am sharing a recipe for a libation that Tina and I came up with. You should not consume this while on duty or while operating equipment other than a lawn chair with family and friends. Enjoy, and “That’s Bringing the Firehouse Home!” Tina likes hers with a little margarita salt on the rim of the glass with a wedge. ENJOY SUMMER!
Blue Calypso
Ingredients:
1 oz Blue Curacao
1 oz Pineapple Vodka
1 oz Coconut Rum
Sierra Mist
Ice
Directions:
1. Fill a 16 oz. tumbler or any glass halfway with ice.
2. Add 1 oz. Blue Curacao, 1 oz. Pineapple Vodka, and 1 oz Coconut Rum in any order.
3. Top with Sierra Mist.
4. Garnish with a lime and pineapple slice for that extra added island kick.
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.
