America's Table - A Salute to Firefighters, America's Best Who Were There For Us on 9/11

Chances are you remember what you were doing when you heard the news that shook the world eight years ago. September 11, 2001 is a day that will live in infamy. Among the heroes of the day were the firefighters of New York, many who gave their lives trying to save others. Take a moment to thank the men and women across our nation who silently wait for our calls for help. Today I share with you an excerpt from my upcoming book about one such group in Memphis Tennessee.

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No where during the months of training are you ever prepared for one of the responsibilities expected of you on Day One as a Memphis firefighter. Everyone gets kitchen duty but rarely can a rookie cook. The eight members of “C” shift at Station 11 on Union Avenue are no exception and it’s like they say, “If you eat, you cook.”
Each of three shifts spend a third of their lives at the station. During an on a day/off a day pattern followed by four days off, they eat, sleep, watch television, clean the station and equipment, workout, shop for groceries. . . fight fires, provide search and rescue, maintain disaster preparedness and respond to environmental hazards. They stand ready to answer the call that could blare over the intercom at any moment. Equipped with one pumper that carries 750 gallons of water and one ladder truck, the station was built in the heart of Memphis in 1941.
There’s camaraderie among this shift and their chief knowing that during a crisis, they must depend on one another. As they go about their daily routines, they grow close, they learn to trust one another, laugh at each other, and they learn to like everybody’s style of cooking.
Firefighters cook what they like to eat. None profess to be good cooks, but they are quick to brag on one another and generally credit necessity as their teacher. Of course it’s not always a quiet sit down meal as emergencies know no bounds. Imagine jumping up from the table, into your protective gear, into the truck or pumper, stopping traffic with red lights flashing and sirens screaming, all in about 45 seconds. When duty calls, these guys move, off to face flames, disaster or false alarms. Everything will be waiting upon their return – cold food, dirty dishes and all.
Meals are cooked and served in the kitchen separated from the fire engines by only a television room. Three times a day dressed in their navy MFD tee shirts and trousers, they serve themselves off the stove buffet, eat around the kitchen table, and then wash up the dishes.
This shift can sure stand the heat and none of them are ready to get out of the kitchen just yet. Chief Lumpkin says, “If it’s brown it’s cooking, if it’s black it’s done.” They split the $50 to $100 a day food cost and kick in $7 twice a month for cooking spices, cable service for the television, and a phone used for everything but official business. Whenever neighbors drop by the station with cookies, cakes or casseroles for Memphis finest, they find some of the most appreciative and nicest people wearing the MFD badge, grateful to just be remembered by the people they serve. Fire fighters don’t get the praise they deserve for all the homes, families, pets and memories they save for the rest of us, but to hear them tell it, they’re just doing their jobs.

Firefighters are famous for their food and it’s usually simple, low budget and hearty fare, same as the table food of the average American family. The night I stopped by they were having Beer Burgers and Onion Rings. For dessert, we treated them to Peach Melba Cobbler with Sweet Cream. Thank you firefighters one and all!

Beer Burgers
4 (12-ounce) bottles of beer
2/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Mix the beer and honey in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to moderate heat and cook until reduced to one cup. Let the mixture cool then add the remaining ingredients. Spoon over hamburgers as you assemble with fried onion rings.

Fried Onion Rings
3 large Spanish onions or sweet onions
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg, well beaten
1/2 cup milk
Cooking oil for deep frying
Wash and peel onions, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds. Separate rounds into rings. In a bowl, combine flour and salt. In a measuring cup, whisk together egg and milk. Add milk mixture to dry ingredients, blending well. Dip onion rings into batter, and then dip into oil at about 365°. Fry until golden brown, turning to brown both sides. Remove to paper towels or brown paper bag to drain thoroughly. Sprinkle with a little salt before serving.

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