The Wry Kitchen

After a busy morning of training and washing/waxing a couple of the rigs, I decided to treat myself for lunch. Zero carb Sriracha/Ranch tortillas, thin sliced beef filet, coleslaw made with avocado mayo and ACV, and some shredded cheese for good measure. Just so I didn’t eat all the filet, I gave some to one of our younger guys and told him he was a good boy. Maybe I’ve been spending too much time alone with my Great Dane. 😂🤣

Station 25, chorizo/3 cheese lasagna and chimichurri. Recipe from

First, I want to say kudos to the rookie who stepped up without being asked to make dinner. They learned a couple valuable lessons today. 1) The importance of heat “zones” when using a Blackstone. 2) Firefighters can tolerate a whole lotta burnt, but if you under cook something, you’ll hear it the rest of your career. When I was called into the kitchen for advice, I gave him the best I could…”Tell ‘em they’re Cajun”.

I’m not at work today, but I got sent this pic of scratch made ramen bowls, by and they look 🔥🔥🔥🔥! Makes me wish I was working!

Chilly, rainy evening calls for some nice comfort food! Chicken cut up and dredged in spices with egg and crushed cornflakes. Mac and Cheese with smoked paprika and topped with Frank’s Sweet Chili sauce. It was ’s idea and I helped him construct this new shift favorite! , ,

A few of the senior guys wandered into the kitchen and couldn’t remember why we came in there, so we decided to cook dinner! 😂😂 Capt. , and myself made a cheese tortellini with a rustic bolognese, ciabatta garlic bread and a side salad. This one was good enough to make the rotation!

Tonight we were a Station divided!! One our guys brought in quahogs that he dug himself, with all the fixings for a clam boil. There were three of us that don’t eat seafood AND we had the entire dinner kitty money to use. A great opportunity to save money, right?!….I..did..not.. The absolutely amazing commissary staff, hand cut 3, 2” beef filets. I pan seared them, finished them in the oven to Med Rare. Then while they rested, I made an au poivre sauce. I made a pumpkin risotto with green chilies, green beans tossed in butter and a side salad. I couldn’t finish it all and that’s saying something! Lol! , ,

When you’re not quite ready to say goodbye to summer. A Caprese sandwich. Bakery fresh sourdough, heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella, both locally sourced, fresh basil and balsamic. Drizzled with olive oil and seasoned with good ol’ salt and pepper.

The plan was chicken cordon bleu…however, when I got back to the firehouse from the store and realized we were out of breadcrumbs, I changed it up a little. Flattened and seasoned the breasts. Sliced rosemary and sun dried tomato ham, Boars Head Swiss cheese and fresh basil. Each breast rolled and put in a roasting pan on a rack. Under the rack, I poured orange juice to help them stay moist and impart some flavor to the chicken. Baked at 375 F for 30 min. Served with oven roasted potatoes. My first time using spicy Hungarian paprika. Added nice heat but still very flavorful! The only thing I’d do differently is remove the foil off the pan for the last few minutes of cooking to get some color on the chicken. Otherwise it was perfect. , ,

Station 25 had a “Pinning” Ceremony today, where family members “pin” the badges on our newest members or those who’ve been promoted. Tonight, one of those new members, stepped up and made a new twist on meatloaf. Stove Top stuffing in the mix instead of bread crumbs. I helped out by making the mashed potatoes. As my Dad would say, “Another fine meal!”.

Meatloaf! Burgers! Meatloaf! Burgers!….Whoa, Whoa guys. How about meatloaf burgers?! I know it’s an old idea, but this was the first time I ever put onion soup mix in my burgers. Tasty! The pickled onions were a nice touch as well. Guess I should thank the opposite groups for that. 😂

Build your own BLT night at Station 25. As shown, a BBLT..Bacon, Basil, Lettuce and Tomato.. Mange!!

Station 25 tried out a Tik Tok viral recipe tonight. “Italian Chopped Sandwiches”. Capt. and I chopped up a bunch of capicola, salami, mortadella, prosciutto, provolone, tomatoes, red onion, banana peppers and romaine lettuce to a VERY FINE dice. Added my leftover homemade garlic aioli a little more regular Mayo and some pickle juice (from some AWESOME Grillo’s pickles). Mixed it all together well and then just for fun, put a couple scoops on each plate and the roll on top. You just press the roll closed and flip it over! Served with a Grillo pickle and chips. It made the shifts “favorites” list!

Shift meal tonight for Station 25… I made Chicken Caprese sandwiches. Fresh basil, Roma tomatoes, thick cut mozzarella, grilled chicken and prosciutto on a toasted ciabatta roll with my homemade garlic aioli. Hand cut garlic/parmesan french fries drizzled with hot honey.

When asked for Turkey clubs for dinner, I said Can Do! Two Turkey breasts I coated in a sweet and sour cherry/ jalapeño/sun dried tomato paste I made, then smoked them for 4 hours. Grilled up some sourdough bread, red leaf lettuce, tomato, Applewood Smoked Bacon and sharp cheddar cheese. Served with chips

Tonight, I was honored to be asked to be a judge at a BBQ Competition on base. I was joined by the Commanding Officer and Executive Officer, the Head of MWR and a NAVSTA Police Officer. We judged all contestants on a pork entry and a chicken entry. First prize was a $500 grill! Then each of us were given a Jack Daniels Swag Bag for participating! (No, there wasn’t any booze in it! Lol). There was live music and a good time being had by all!

Station 25 tonight. Mississippi Pot Roast and a gratin of potatoes with seasoned, diced ham and peas. Also with a lot of oooey gooey cheese, of course! 🏆🥩🧀🥔

The new guy spread his wings in the kitchen tonight and they were boneless! 🤣 Two sides of coleslaw and good old fashioned Kraft Mac n Cheese. Hey ya gotta walk before you run. Lol. With a little help from yours truly, he’ll be a kitchen rockstar in no time!

As we are quickly approaching Fathers Day, I looked up at dinner tonight and realized there are quite a few of us on, that no longer have our fathers with us. Just another reason the firehouse table is so important. Around this table, we’re family. For an hour a day, any crap going on outside these walls, doesn’t matter. Just laughter and listening to each other. All over a good meal. Tonight I made a stuffed pork shoulder. Stuffed with a fresh pesto I made, Buffalo mozzarella, fresh apricots, a squeeze of lime and a balsamic drizzle. Coated in a dry rub then trussed with butchers twine. On the pellet grill for a beautiful smokey flavor and juicy, tender meat. Not a bad smoke ring either! So, from all of us at The Wry Kitchen and Station 25, Happy Father’s Day! (Even if it’s a little early!).

Broke in the new station Traeger Pro22. Smoked sausage with onions, peppers and parmesan cheese on a soft roll. Served with chips. For dessert I made strawberry/raspberry cheesecake tacos. Thank you for getting the Traeger on board!

I’ve been doing mostly pretty easy/quick stuff lately, so I decided to up my game a little tonight. Sliced steak sandwiches, on grilled ciabatta bread with Chimichurri and a garlic mayo from scratch. Served with hand cut fries. 😋😋🥩 , ,

Maaaayyyybbbeeee….😂

A welcome change to the usual routine! The weather was amazing in the Northeast today, so after a full morning of hose testing, we grabbed supplies for a cookout for dinner. I think I was a teenager the last time I cooked on a charcoal fire. Nothing like a char-grilled brisket burger!! (PS, Don’t tell Hank. Bonus pts if you get the reference. Lol) Beer brats, hot dogs, chips and a pasta salad made by yours truly. Some co****le for “team building training”. A great time was had by all! Also, if you’re a mother then we also celebrated you! Happy early Mother’s Day!

Happy Cinco de Mayo from Groups 5,6,7 at Station 25!! Chicken fajitas with homemade salsa, guacamole and Mexican creama. As a side, tater tots baked with refried beans, corn, jalapeños and a whole bunch of cheese. 😋 , ,

Just Sayin’…

Captain and FF/PM teamed up to give us an awesome meal! Lasagna with béchamel instead of ricotta and cheesy ciabatta bread topped with a fire roasted tomato, basil, garlic and mozzarella mixture. So good!! #456 , ,

Busy day at Station 25, as we were introduced to Boston Med Flight. Just a class, not on a call. I decided to do something simple, BLT’s, but of course I couldn’t resist elevating them a bit. Grilled ciabatta bread, a handmade garlic/jalapeño aioli, romaine lettuce, thick cut beefsteak tomatoes and applewood bacon. Served with chips. 😋

Station 25 tonight. Parboiled, seared and baked chicken thighs. Roasted potatoes, asparagus and a fire roasted red pepper hollandaise that I added linguica too. A good batch. 😃 , ,