Saanich firefighters have proven time and again they can take the heat, and now they’re ready to get into the kitchen.
The Saanich Firefighters Charitable Association is working on putting out a cookbook to benefit the B.C. Professional Firefighters Association Burn Fund. Fire To Fork – The Firefighters Cookbook is expected to hit bookshelves in the spring.
“We’ve been working on this project from off the corner of our desks for about two years,” said Capt. Kraig Devlin, a 23-year veteran with Saanich Fire. “A number of fire departments across Canada and the U.S. do a cookbook. In our case we wanted to highlight the local chefs and the local food culture, we have such a strong one here.”
He said the cookbook compiles a collection of about 200 recipes from local chefs and restaurants.
“The idea was, as much as possible, to focus on the local chefs with local ingredients,” said Devlin, adding there are also a couple recipes from firefighters. “We wanted it to be easy-to-get ingredients, easy-to-prepare meals but from some of the local restaurants in town. We wanted a whole range of recipes.”
The manuscript for the cookbook is nearly complete and Devlin is hoping to have the first run of about 3,000 copies coming off the press sometime in March. To help cover the printing costs, Devlin says the group is launching a kickstarter campaign. To make a contribution, visit https://www.gofundme.com/fire-to-fork-fire-fighter-cookbook.
“We’re setting the goal for $25,000,” he said, adding that anyone making a donation of $20 or more will receive a free copy of the cookbook – expected to be priced at $29 – when it comes off the presses.
“Saanich Fire is driving this project, but we will be partnering with the other core departments: Esquimalt, Victoria and Oak Bay,” said Devlin, adding the departments have all initially agreed to sell the book within their jurisdictions to raise moneys for the burn fund.