Page 32, Fire News, March 2018
FireNews.com
Firehouse Kitchen
FDNY Ski Races: Part II In last month's article, I wrote about my cooking experience with my good friend Bobby Rollins, aka Bo-Ro, and his famous pancakes made at the FDNY Ski Races. Since pancakes are a very quick meal to make, there was a lot of talking during this episode. Besides making fun of the guys in Ladder 127 and Engine 298, Bo-Ro and I spoke about my time in the truck. One story we reminisced about was when I almost transferred to another firehouse. This would have been one of the worst decisions of my career. As a probie, there were a few guys giving me a hard time. They couldn’t handle my happy go-lucky demeanor. When I first got on the job, you rotated for three years to three different houses (one house each year). This would give you a chance to experience different types of houses. At the end of the third year, you would normally return to your first house. During my rotation, I had the pleasure of working in E263 in Queens and E205 in Brooklyn. In 2001, I returned to my first house (L127). My first day back from rotation, the same few guys that had given me a hard time when I first arrived, picked up where they left off and continued giving me a hard time. Now, I have pretty thick skin, but for the first time ever, these guys made me dread going to work. For this reason, I put in my papers to transfer back to E263. I know, going from an A truck to an engine is unheard of in the FDNY, but I felt at home at E263. Until … Bobby Rollins and
another good friend of mine, Kevin Fogarty, cornered me and asked why I was transferring. They said I was a good firefighter and a standup guy. I explained the problem I was encountering with some of the senior — and some not so senior — men. This was when BoRo looked me in the eyes and said, “Ray, there are five jerks in every firehouse. The five in this one zoned in on you.” I replied, “Everyone else thinks they are jerks too?” With this piece of information, I decided to stay and handle these guys head on. If I didn’t, I probably would have had this problem in every firehouse I went to. There is an old saying in the FDNY, ‘different circus, same performers.’ If you can’t figure out who the jerks are, then you are probably one of them. I am very thankful for having been a part of the FDNY and L127. I learned so much about the fire department and the importance of the brotherhood of being a fireman. To find out more about Firehouse Kitchen or how to become a sponsor, visit firehousekitchenshow.com; or e-mail firehousekitchentv@gmail.com. Be sure to like us on Facebook.
Pancakes 1 cup flour Heavy tablespoon of sugar 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda 1/2 tablespoon of baking powder 1 egg Blueberries Salt, milk, butter Whip egg. Add flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, a pinch of salt and three melted tablespoons of butter. Slowly mix in milk to consistency of choice. Pour on griddle and add blueberries to your liking. Cook both sides until golden brown and enjoy.