George Dolese and Steve Siegelman, the co-authors of the book, wanted to share some of their experiences and thoughts with all of us and let everyone know that the book is finished.

“We did this book because we think it’s a wonderful idea, and because we think there is a great story to tell. After spending time over a period of seven months in the firehouses last year, chatting with the firefighters and tasting their food, that feeling only grew stronger. So, for us, this has been a labor of love. In that spirit, we have earmarked a third of whatever we earn in royalties on the book as a donation to the Local 798’s Surviving Families Fund. This works out to a 2.66% royalty, which is more than twice the standard 1% royalty generally allotted for benefit books. We hope “Firehouse Food” will be a profit-maker for the Fund, and a source of great pride for the Department, the Union, and the men and women of the SFFD.”

I have seen an advanced copy of the cookbook and it looks great. With over 100 recipes and photos of food and firefighters in the kitchen cooking, the final product shows their commitment to representing us well for it is truly a cookbook that we can be proud of. The following comes from the jacket cover:

“If you’ve ever wondered why firefighters are famous for their food, you’re about to find out…Enter a firehouse kitchen and you find yourself in a world of good natured competition, heated culinary debate, and an irresistibly appealing spirit of teamwork as the crew rises to the occasion with the enthusiasm of contestants on a high-stakes game show. . . . After all, it’s the food that turns a crew of firefighters into a family. And that makes it perfect for families like yours. A Portion of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the Surviving Families Fund of San Francisco Firefighters Local 798.”

One free copy will be given to every firehouse and to everyone who contributed to the cookbook, including those whose recipes were not chosen. Next month, the authors will come to the membership meeting to officially present both the cookbook and the first donation to the fund from their initial advance royalties. Books are already appearing on bookstore shelves and will be widely distributed by July. It has been decades since our last cookbook was published and our new cookbook is one we can be proud of.

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