The variety of climates that we have in this great land called America presents different challenges to how we do business in the fire service. Winter weather is an incredible challenge for departments located in the Mid-West and East Coast. Freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on hose operations at a fire. High winds can drastically effect how fire will travel and spread in a structure. Icy roads present a whole different set of challenges for the apparatus and their drivers just trying to get to an alarm.

I’ve had colleagues of mine tell me stories of trying to fight fire in -30°F weather in Alaska. As soon as the water stops flowing it freezes. They have a large flatbed truck come out after the fire so they can load the hose up onto it. The water has frozen the hose into long logs!

While we don’t have to deal with temperatures quite as bad as that here in Seattle, we do often get a couple of weeks of snow each year. We rarely get more than a foot or so, but we have hills. Even though I chain up all the tires on my ladder truck, the laws of physics are unforgiving when you are trying to negotiate a 26 ton truck down a road that is covered with a few inches of snow on top of a couple of inches of ice.

My station is located on top of Queen Anne Hill in downtown Seattle and we are surrounded by steep hills. Many of them are closed to all traffic during such conditions. So we have snow routes and we operate under the realization that it is just going to take us longer to arrive than normal. The point is to actually arrive! I cannot describe the feeling I get when I’m going about 5 miles an hour down a gradual hill on our snow route, lights flashing and siren blaring. Then, for a split second I feel the wheels slip and then grab again underneath me….major pucker factor! Regardless of the conditions where you live, your fire department is doing their best to get there safely and get the job done!

Here is a great meal for one of those cold winter evenings. Served with some crusty bread you just can’t go wrong. Enjoy!

Suey’s Traditional Hungarian Chicken Soup (Tyúkhúsleves)
By Michael “Suey” Sulak, Seattle Fire Department, Station 8, Ladder 6

Resources:
2 medium, fat chickens with giblets**
2 tablespoons salt
12 peppercorns
2 large carrots
2 large parsnips
1 small celery root
1 kohlrabi
3 cloves garlic
1 medium yellow onion
1 lb. very fine noodles

Tactics:
Put the whole chickens into a large, high sided soup pot along with the giblets. Add the salt and the peppercorns; cover the chickens with water (about 2 gallons). Bring the water to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour.

Meanwhile, wash and peel the carrots, parsnips, celery root, and kohlrabi. Peel the garlic; leave whole and skewer onto a toothpick. Remove the brown outer peel of the onion. After the half hour, place the vegetables into the pot with the chicken. Adjust the flavor with more salt if necessary. Cover and simmer the soup for half an hour.

Remove from heat for several minutes to let the soup settle. Using a ladle, pass the soup through a fine strainer into a large serving tureen. Remove the chicken meat from the bones and discard the skin and carcass. Place the meat into the tureen. Julienne the cooked carrots and parsnips and also add to the tureen. Discard the celery root, kohlrabi, garlic, and onion. Boil the noodles in salted water until al dente, then strain.

Place a serving of noodles into each bowl. Ladle soup broth onto the noodles in each bowl along with some chicken and some vegetables.
Makes 8 – 10 servings.

**When I had this soup at my Aunt’s house in the village of Csolnok, Hungary, the whole chicken was used. The tureen included the chicken gizzard, liver, and heart along with the feet and head! Mind you, this guy was running around the yard earlier that morning! My aunt proceeded to dish out the feet into my bowl as they are considered a delicacy. When she tried to give me the chicken head I politely passed. I did try the feet and they were surprisingly very tasty.

*Note: The term “Beanery” is still alive and well in the Seattle Fire Department and is still the name we apply to the kitchen today. Because of low wages early in SFD’s history, the firefighters could often only afford to buy beans for their meals. Beans were cheap and provided a high source of protein. The procedure was to soak the beans overnight and simmer them all day long in the kitchen…thus the term “Beanery.”

This is the time of year for New Year’s Resolutions. I was watching the Rose Parade on T.V. with my kids and they gave startling results to a survey that asked if people expected their resolutions were going to last “a week,” “a month,” “6 months” or were “already broken.” Out of all the choices, the majority of those polled, a whopping 34 percent, said they already broke their New Year’s Resolution! That’s just one day into the New Year!

As fickle as the tradition of making a New Year’s Resolution seems to have become, the intentions are to be commended. Many resolutions are made to improve one’s life, health, habits, etc. Making a commitment to lose weight, eat healthy, and exercise more are all great ambitions. Staying fit and healthy is a definite plus to being a firefighter. It is important that we stay healthy because our job often makes physical demands on us that would tax the average person. If you are not directly involved in the fire service you may not know that many departments require certain physical standards be maintained or are at least strongly encouraged. In Seattle, each of our fire stations has some form of work out equipment that we are encouraged to use each shift. Some of our older stations that don’t have much room may have a treadmill and some weights right on the apparatus floor behind the fire engine. Some of our newer stations have quite nice workout facilities. Regardless, working out is a priority that is a part of firehouse life. Granted, not all of us will ever make it into the next firefighter calendar, but what is most important is to be committed to staying fit.

So if you’ve made a New Year’s Resolution and you haven’t already broken it, or even if you have, just keep going and make a positive change in your life for 2012!

Here is a quick and easy (and low fat) chicken dish that goes great over white rice. Enjoy!

Suey’s Sweet ‘n Spicy Chicken
By Michael “Suey” Sulak, Seattle Fire Department, Station 8, Ladder 6

Resources:
¼ cup honey
¼ cup hot sauce (like Sriracha)
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, minced
2 large heads garlic, minced
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
5 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced thin
2 cups broccoli crowns
1 cup green onions, sliced ¼ inch on the diagonal

Tactics:
In a medium size mixing bowl combine the first 6 ingredients. Whisk until the brown sugar is dissolved and set aside. Cut the chicken thighs into strips and lightly season with the salt and pepper. Place the flour in a large deep sided bowl and, working in batches, dredge the chicken strips in the flour. Heat the vegetable oil in a large wok over medium high heat. Add the chicken strips and brown. Pour the sauce over the chicken.
Add the carrots and broccoli, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until the sauce thickens, about 5-7 minutes. Serve over white rice topped with sliced green onions.
Makes 8-10 servings.

*Note: The term “Beanery” is still alive and well in the Seattle Fire Department and is still the name we apply to the kitchen today. Because of low wages early in SFD’s history, the firefighters could often only afford to buy beans for their meals. Beans were cheap and provided a high source of protein. The procedure was to soak the beans overnight and simmer them all day long in the kitchen…thus the term “Beanery.”

Anticipation for me is one of the best aspects of Christmas. I remember when I was a small child I would lie in bed trying to stay awake, waiting and wondering if I would hear Santa Claus as he brought the presents for my little brother and me. Then I remember the anticipation as we waited for mom and dad to get us out of bed and to the living room to see what would be under the Christmas tree on Christmas morning. All of the dreaming about what presents we might get for Christmas was almost better then actually getting the presents!

I remember that anticipation as a child and the brand of anxiety that accompanies it. This can be a way to describe to you what life is like while we are on duty in the firehouse. Once you’ve signed into the watch office log book that you have relieved so and so, you are on duty and when the bell hits, you are responsible for your response. As a new recruit, hearing that bell go off for an alarm was almost as good as Christmas! …and waiting for it to hit was almost as good as going on the run itself. I must admit that through the years I don’t wait for that bell to hit with as much anticipation or anxiety. It has become part of the job and a regular part of life. When we get a new recruit into the station I always get a kick out of the way the new guy reacts when the bell hits. It is like watching a little kid on Christmas morning!

I am not going to appologize for the fact that my celebration of Christmas revolves around that anticipation of the birth of the baby Jesus. If that’s not your thing, well, that’s okay. I’m not offended and I hope you’re not offended by my sharing about my experience. It is just that the Christian church has just begun the Advent season, that period of anticipation and waiting for the coming of the Christ child. I know that Christmas comes around each year and depending on how long you’ve blessed this planet with your presence, this whole time of year can become just a regular part of life. It is my hope that this Christmas you can find some of that anticipation like the new recruit has when that bell hits, or the wonder that a wide eyed child has on Christmas morning. And most of all, I wish you Peace!

Suey’s Pork Crown Roast with Stuffing and Red Currant Sauce
By Michael “Suey” Sulak, Seattle Fire Department, Station 8, Ladder 6

Resources:
For Stuffing:
12 – ½ inch thick slices of a baguette, each slice cut in half
6 tablespoons butter
½ cup celery tops (including leaves), finely chopped
½ cup sweet onion, finely chopped
1 ½ lbs Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled and diced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
⅓ cup sugar
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

For Roast:
1 9 – 11 lb crown roast of pork, fib ends frenched
1 ½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 to 5 slices of thick bacon
Tin foil

For Red Currant Sauce:
2 cups water
1 jar of red currant jelly (approximately 18 oz)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
½ cup Marsala wine

Tactics:
For Stuffing:
Preheat oven to 350°F
Put the slices of baguette on a baking sheet and bake on middle rack until lightly toasted, about 15 minutes. Remove and cool. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the celery and onions and sauté until onions are clear, about 5 minutes. Stir in the apples, salt, pepper, sugar, thyme, sage, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Turn down the heat to low and cook covered, stirring occasionally, until the apples are tender, about 15 minutes. Finally stir in bread, parsley, chives, and pecans. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

For Roast:
Position the oven rack in the lower part of the oven. Take strips of tin foil and wrap the tips of the rib bones so they don’t burn. Salt and pepper the roast inside and out and put in a large roasting pan. Pack the stuffing into the center of the crown. Wrap the outside of the roast below the bone with overlapping strips of bacon and secure them with toothpicks. Put roast in oven and roast for 30 minutes. Remove the roast and form a piece of tin foil to cover the stuffing loosely. Put roast back in oven until and instant read thermometer reaches 155°F when inserted into center of the meat (about 2 ½ hours). Transfer the roast to a cutting board, (reserving pan drippings) cover loosely with foil and let roast stand for 20 minutes. Remove string, slice between the bones to make chops, leaving roast in crown shape. Slide onto serving platter.

For Red Currant Sauce:
Place roasting pan with drippings over stove burner(s) on medium high. Add water and bring to a boil to deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping up the brown bits. Add the jelly, bring to a simmer and whisk until jelly melts. In a separate sauce pan, melt the butter and add the flour to make a roux. Simmer for 3 minutes over medium high heat until golden. Add to jelly sauce and whisk well. As sauce thickens, add the Marsala wine. Heat through and serve in a gravy boat. Makes 8-10 servings.

*Note: The term “Beanery” is still alive and well in the Seattle Fire Department and is still the name we apply to the kitchen today. Because of low wages early in SFD’s history, the firefighters could often only afford to buy beans for their meals. Beans were cheap and provided a high source of protein. The procedure was to soak the beans overnight and simmer them all day long in the kitchen…thus the term “Beanery.”

Opportunities for helping people in the fire service abound both on- and off-shift. Obviously most of what we do on shift revolves around helping the citizens in crisis. If a firefighter dislikes helping people then maybe they should consider a new career!

Often we have opportunities to help people off shift as well. Getting involved in fundraisers that benefit various charities is something I personally enjoy. Many charities that firefighters get involved in help a whole gamut of people, like the military members and their families, police and firefighters who have been injured or killed in the line of duty, the disabled, medical research, and more. Much of what we do here at firehousechefs.com benefits charities!

Just this past weekend we celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the old Ballard Firehouse #18 here in Seattle. It was vacated back in the 1970’s for a new station down the road. Now it is a restaurant but the new owners have done a fabulous job keeping the ambiance of the old fire station it used to be.

To celebrate its 100 year anniversary, a fundraiser was put on by all the stations in the 4th battalion. We had a chili cook-off. Each “team” made a huge batch of chili. The chili was judged, the winners got bragging rights of having the best chili in the battalion, and the rest of the chili from the whole competition was sold in the restaurant with all the proceeds going to a local charity called “Seattle’s Bravest” which helps firefighters and their families when a firefighter is seriously injured or killed in the line of duty. I cooked a batch of chili for the competition which came in second place. The recipe follows. Hope you enjoy!

Suey’s Angry Pumpkin Chili
By Michael “Suey” Sulak, Seattle Fire Department, Station 8, Ladder 6

Resources:
6 lbs. boneless pork shoulder trimmed of fat and cut into ½ inch chunks
All-purpose flour
1 lb. hickory smoked bacon, chopped
2 lbs. sweet (Walla Walla) onions, chopped
2 – 12 oz. bottles pumpkin ale (seasonal)
4 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced (add more peppers for hotter chili)
1 lb. Roma tomatoes, chopped
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and chopped
2 Anaheim peppers, seeded and chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, veins removed, chopped
1 poblano pepper, seeded and chopped
6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and pressed
½ cup chili powder
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1 teaspoons dried marjoram
2 – 4 lbs. sugar pumpkin cut in half through the stem, seeds removed
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon Tabasco® Brand Habanero Pepper Sauce
8 – 1 lb. sugar pumpkins
Extra virgin olive oil
5 cans cannellini beans, drained
3 cups mustard greens, stems removed, chopped
½ cup packed brown sugar
Kosher salt
Crushed red pepper flakes

Tactics:
Take the pork chunks and coat them with the flour, shaking off any excess. In a large heavy bottom pot fry the chopped bacon over medium high heat until almost crisp. Add the onions and sauté until translucent.

Add the pork chunks, a couple of cups at a time, fry until golden on all sides, and then add more, stirring frequently. Add the lager and stir constantly until the mixture thickens, about 1 minute. Now mix in the chipotle peppers and their sauce, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, chili powder, paprika, marjoram, and hot links.

Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer for at least 1 hour or until meat is tender.

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400°F. Place the 2 – 4 lb. pumpkins cut side down onto a large baking sheet lightly greased with cooking spray. Roast one pumpkin for about 35-40 minutes, until cooked but still somewhat firm. Roast the other pumpkin until very tender – about one hour. Remove from oven and allow them to cool. Scoop out the pumpkin from the shell of the very soft pumpkin and place into a food processor, working in batches, and purée until smooth and creamy. Set aside. Take the other more firm pumpkin, remove the skin and cut into ½ inch cubes and set aside. Place the sour cream into a small mixing bowl. Add the Tabasco® Brand Habanero Pepper Sauce and ½ cup of the puréed pumpkin. Blend well and chill in a refrigerator. Set the rest of the puréed pumpkin aside.

Make the pumpkin bowls by cutting the tops off the 8 small pumpkins about ¼ of the way down. Scoop out the seeds, lightly coat the insides with olive oil and place on a lightly greased baking sheet cut side down and roast in 400°F oven until tender but not falling apart – about 30 minutes for the tops and 50 minutes for the bottoms. Remove from oven and set aside.

After the pot simmers for an hour, the meat should be tender. Add the beans, mustard greens, brown sugar, pumpkin purée and pumpkin cubes and simmer for 20 more minutes. Ladle the chili into the “pumpkin bowls” and serve topped with the spicy pumpkin sour cream and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes.
Makes 8 servings.

*Note: The term “Beanery” is still alive and well in the Seattle Fire Department and is still the name we apply to the kitchen today. Because of low wages early in SFD’s history, the firefighters could often only afford to buy beans for their meals. Beans were cheap and provided a high source of protein. The procedure was to soak the beans overnight and simmer them all day long in the kitchen…thus the term “Beanery.”

It’s the little things that can sometimes make the biggest difference in someone’s life. Last week we had a residential structure fire that we ended up being the second truck in for. As the first engines arrived they found heavy smoke coming from the second-story windows of a two-story residential single family home. Flames were visible from the backside and there was a report of people inside. The first truck that arrived immediately started search and rescue while the first engine in took hose to look for the seat of the fire. We arrived next and were told to go to the roof and start cutting for vertical ventilation. We grabbed a 35 foot ground extension ladder, a roof ladder, two chain saws, a roof hook, pike poles and axes and went to work. Once the holes were cut, we got off the roof, went to the truck and grabbed the canvas tarps we carry, went inside and started covering the furniture on floor one to protect it from water damage.

The fire was extinguished on floor two and the report of people inside was thankfully just that, a report. Everyone got out of the house before we arrived. As we were overhauling (the process of cleaning up and removing debris from the fire room to prevent re-ignition) the owner of the home came up to us with tears in her eyes thanking us profusely for covering her antique furniture on floor one. We told her that it was “nothing” and that we always try to do it if conditions permit. She said, “You don’t understand. We just moved that furniture from my grandmother’s house to ours. She recently passed away and the furniture has been in the family for over 100 years!” Even though we didn’t smell very good (you never do after a fire), she gave us all big hugs and thanked us again. Deploying those tarps was a small unglamorous task but that day it made the biggest difference in this family’s life. We felt so good that we even helped the engine pick up their hose!!! (That’s a truck vs. engine joke…)

Speaking of fire hose, here is my recipe for Fire Hose Chicken Carbonara. Some of the ingredients may be a little hard to find but it is well worth it.

Suey’s Fire Hose Chicken Carbonara

Resources:
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb guanciale*, diced
4 shallots, very finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
6 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups white wine (or chicken broth)

Tactics:
In a large heavy bottom pot, heat the oil. Add the guanciale and cook over medium heat until most of the fat has been rendered, about 7 minutes. Remove the guanciale with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the shallots, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes and
chicken to the pot and cook over medium high heat for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Deglaze the pot with the white wine (or chicken broth), reduce heat to low and simmer the chicken uncovered.

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente, about 8 minutes and drain.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the cheese, yolks, and basil. Remove the pot with the chicken from the heat. When the noodles are done, drain them and set aside. Add the egg and cheese mixture to the pot with the chicken. Add the hot drained pasta to the pot and stir to coat. Adding the hot pasta to the sauce will
finish cooking the sauce. Season contents of pot with salt and pepper to taste. Place the pasta into a large serving dish and sprinkle with parsley, black pepper and fried guanciale.

Serve with more cheese on the side at the table. Makes 8-10 servings.

*Note: guanciale is like prosciutto but from a different part of the pig. It is actually cured hog jowl. You can substitute prosciutto or as a last resort, even plain ol’ bacon.

** Note: Bucatini and perciatelli are like spaghetti but hollow – hence “fire hose” carbonara!

Here you can see a news story on me making this dish.

Fire truck or fire engine… that, my friend, is the question! (Don’t worry; I’m not going to quit my day job to become a poet!) If you are familiar with the fire service you know that there is a difference between a truck and an engine. But if you are with the majority, you may have never realized that they are two completely different apparatuses and perform completely different functions.

The major difference between a truck and an engine is that a truck has ladders and tools and an engine has hose and water. That’s it! But the functions these apparatuses and crews perform also differs. Things might vary a bit between fire departments. Here in Seattle at a structure fire, the engine and its crew is responsible for getting a water supply from a hydrant, laying hose, finding the seat of the fire, and putting water on that fire. The truck is responsible for search and rescue and ventilation. Ventilation could mean horizontal with P.P.V. (positive pressure ventilation) using a fan, or vertical ventilation which entails laddering the roof and cutting ventilation holes with chain saws. Trucks in Seattle also carry hydraulic tools for auto extrication, ropes and equipment for high angle rescue, and myriad other tools and gadgets to try and handle whatever comes our way. Thus a truck is like a big tool box with a 100 foot aerial on top. The truck and the engine are the only two fire apparatuses we use here in Seattle outside of our specialty teams. There are other types of fire apparatuses, like the Quint, which is a combination engine and truck that carries water, hose, an aerial, etc. But I don’t have space here to deal with all the varieties. Whatever the type of apparatus the department uses in your neighborhood, you can be sure that a lot of time and energy went into designing and selecting just the right rig to get the job done for you in a professional and timely fashion!

My crew really enjoys this recipe. I hope yours will too!

Suey’s Chipotle Shrimp Tacos
with Mango-Jicama Slaw and Agave Sauce
By Michael “Suey” Sulak, Seattle Fire Department, Station 8, Ladder 6

Resources:

For Mango-Jicama Slaw:
1 lb. package shredded cabbage slaw mix
1 large red bell pepper, julienned
2 large mangoes, peeled, seeded and julienned
1 small jicama, julienned
1 small red onion, sliced thin
½ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
½ cup plain yogurt
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons agave nectar
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Tabasco® Brand Habanero Pepper Sauce

For Shrimp:
4 lbs. large raw shrimp (31 to 40 count or larger), peeled, deveined, tails removed
5 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (add more to taste for more heat)
¼ cup lime juice
2 teaspoons salt
24 corn tortillas
½ lb. bacon, diced
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (garnish)
6 limes cut into wedges (garnish)

For Agave Sauce:
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup raw agave nectar
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Tactics:
For Mango-Jicama Slaw:
In a large mixing bowl combine the slaw mix, red bell pepper, jicama, red onion, mangos and cilantro and toss. In a separate bowl, whisk together the yogurt, mayonnaise, mustard, agave nectar, vinegar, Tabasco® Brand Habanero Pepper Sauce, salt and pepper. Pour over the slaw mixture and toss again to coat well. Macerate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving.

For Shrimp:
Preheat oven to 150°F. Place the shrimp into a large Ziploc bag. Use a food processor to mince the chipotle peppers in adobo. Add the lime juice and salt and give it a few more pulses to combine. Now pour this mixture over the shrimp in the bag, mix well, seal and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, heat each tortilla in an ungreased skillet over medium high heat for about 15 seconds on each side. Wrap in foil and keep warm in preheated oven.

Fry the diced bacon in a large skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Add the onions and cook until onions become translucent. Add the shrimp and chipotle peppers and cook until the shrimp become translucent. Transfer contents of skillet to a large serving platter and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.

For Agave Sauce:
Place the ground cumin into a small frying pan over medium high heat and toast the cumin until fragrant, about a minute. Add the fresh lime juice, agave nectar, canola oil and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer to reduce the sauce by half – about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow sauce to come to room temperature.

Construction:
Remove the tortillas from the oven and lay out on their own serving platter. Take a corn tortilla and place down some of the chipotle shrimp followed by a tablespoon of the agave sauce, then some jalapeno slaw. Squeeze a lime over the top and dig in! Makes 8 servings.

I like to think of the beanery as the most important room in the firehouse, that place where firehouse life happens. Everyone could be off doing stuff around the station but when we call “all hands” for a meeting or to pass on some information everyone needs to know about, the beanery is where we gather! It is also the place where most of our down time is spent. Hanging out around the beanery table after a meal, telling jokes and stories, sharing about family issues, “significant other” issues, giving advice, going over the last CPR we had or the last fire… all of this in the beanery.

There is another important room in the firehouse that not too many people may know about. It is the business and information center of the fire station. In Seattle we call it the “Watch Office.” It is where our station alerting system is located (station radio and printer that prints out alarm information). The front door and public entrance to the station leads to the watch office. At the start of each shift the incoming crew is assigned “watches.” We evenly split the time up during the day.

At night one person is assigned to sleep in the watch office on a “murphy bed” that is hidden in a closet. The person on watch is responsible for answering the phone, answering the door, and listening to the radio. Being assigned the watch is not always an isolated activity. You can often find several crew members gathered in the watch office playing a game of cards, chess, or dominos, or watching a game on T.V. The watch office is that other place of social interaction in the fire house. The only time we run out of there is for an alarm or when I call for dinner! Speaking of dinner….

Suey’s Carne Asada Tacos with Jalapeno Slaw
By Michael “Suey” Sulak, Seattle Fire Department, Station 8, Ladder 6

Resources:
For Meat
¼ cup vegetable oil
½ cup tequila
⅛ cup triple sec
⅓ cup lime juice
⅓ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh garlic, minced
1 tablespoon white pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds included, minced
1 orange, sliced
½ cup cilantro leaves, chopped
6 lbs. skirt steak cut into thin strips
24 corn or flour tortillas

For Slaw
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and veins removed
(leave veins in for hotter slaw)
1 small head green cabbage, shredded
7 red cabbage leaves, shredded, stem removed
2 cups sweet onion, chopped
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
2 cucumbers peeled and chopped
1 cup yellow bell pepper, chopped
3 large tomatillos, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1 cup fresh mango margarita mix
2 tablespoons lime juice
Johnny’s Seasoning Salt to taste

Tactics:
For Meat:
Combine all the ingredients except the meat into a large mixing bowl. Place the meat into large Ziploc freezer bags and pour the marinade over the meat. Remove the air from the bag and sea. Marinate the meat for at least 1 hour and up to overnight before grilling. Briefly fry the corn tortillas in oil or wrap the flour tortillas in foil and heat them in a 350°F oven for 30 minutes.
Makes 8-10 servings.

For Slaw:
Combine all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve on top of the Carne Asada Tacos.