LEVITY ENTERTAINMENT GROUP/FOOD NETWORK/FIREFIGHTERS/GUY'S GROCERY GAMES, THAT WAS THE SUBJECT LINE OF THE EMAIL I RECEIVED IN EARLY OCTOBER OF 2015. AN EMAIL WHICH I WAS EXCITED TO OPEN BUT AT THE SAME TIME HESITANT ABOUT. IT MUST BE SOME SPAM THAT MADE IT THROUGH THE FILTERS I THOUGHT. BUT WHEN MY WIFE JESSICA SAID IT SOUNDED LEGIT AND THAT I SHOULD FOLLOW THROUGH WITH IT, I TOOK HER ADVICE BECAUSE SHE IS USUALLY RIGHT. SHHHHHH...DON'T TELL HER I SAID THAT.
THE PROCESS
THE JOURNEY BEGINS WITH COUNTLESS APPLICATIONS, PHOTO SUBMISSIONS (THANKFULLY I SAVE MOST OF MY FIREHOUSE MEAL PICTURES, PROBABLY TOO MANY!), INTERVIEWS, SKYPE INTERVIEWS AND VIDEO SUBMISSIONS. AND WHILE IT WAS A LONG PROCESS IT WAS TOTALLY WORTH IT IN THE END.
THEN CAME THE CALL....
THE GENTLEMAN EXPLAINED HE WANTED TO DISCUSS TRAVEL ITINERARY, TO WHICH I REPLIED "FOR WHAT?". HE SAID FOR THE FILMING OF GUY'S GROCERY GAMES WHICH FILMS OUT IN CALIFORNIA AND PROCEEDED TO TELL ME "YOU ARE ONE OF FOUR FIREFIGHTERS CHOSEN". "WWWWHHHHHAAATTTTT?!?! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?" WAS MY REPLY IN UTTER DISBELIEF. I MEAN I WAS EXTREMELY CONFIDENT I WOULD BE GREAT FOR THE SHOW BUT I KNEW HOW MANY OTHER GREAT FIREHOUSE CHEFS WERE OUT THERE, MANY OF WHOM GIVE ME INSPIRATION FOR MY BLOG. NOW IT GOT REAL....
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN'
THE TIME HAD COME. I BOARDED THE PLANE IN NEW YORK, NERVOUS AND EXCITED FOR WHAT LIED AHEAD. I KNEW IT WOULD BE A SHORT TRIP BUT WANTED TO SOAK UP EVERY MINUTE OF IT. I HAD BEEN TO CALIFORNIA ONCE BEFORE, BUT NOT TO COMPETE ON NATIONAL T.V. FOR A FOOD NETWORK SHOW...
I WAS PICKED UP AT THE SAN FRANCISCO AIRPORT BY SOMEONE WHO WORKS FOR THE PRODUCTION COMPANY. WE PICKED UP FELLOW COMPETITOR JAMIE FROM CORONA FD IN CALIFORNIA AND WE WERE ON OUR WAY. OH, DID I MENTION THIS IS WHEN JAMIE PROCEEDED TO TELL US HIS WIFE MIGHT GO IN TO LABOR ANY MINUTE! HOW CRAZY IS THAT?!
MEETING THE COMPETITION
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE OF THE BROTHER/SISTERHOOD THING, OR MAYBE IT WAS BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS SO NICE, BUT WHEN I MET THE OTHER COMPETITORS IN THE HOTEL LOBBY WE HIT IT OFF RIGHT AWAY. NOT ONLY ARE WE ALL FIREFIGHTERS BUT WE ALL HAVE A HUGE PASSION FOR COOKING, I MEAN THAT'S WHY WE WERE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE! DANAE (PASADENA FD) AND JAMIE (CORONA FD) ARE BOTH FROM CALIFORNIA, ANTHONY IS WITH MIAMI-DADE FD IN FLORIDA AND I AM WITH HARRISON FD IN NEW YORK, JUST THINK ABOUT HOW FAR ALL OF THESE PLACES ARE FROM EACH OTHER. YET WE SIT HERE TOGETHER AS IF WE HAD MET YEARS AGO.
BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO GET READY FOR THE BIG DAY! BUT FIRST MY COMPLIMENTARY HOTEL COOKIE AND IN N' OUT BURGER! BECAUSE HOW CAN YOU REFUSE?!
THE SHOOT
I DIDN'T SLEEP.....AT ALL. HOW COULD YOU? I WAS HOURS AWAY FROM COMPETING FOR A CHANCE TO WIN UP TO $20K, RAISE MONEY FOR MY CHARITY 555 FITNESS, COOK IN FRONT OF A CRAZY AMOUNT OF CAMERAS,CELEBRITY CHEFS/JUDGES AND TO TOP IT OFF....AGAINST MY BROTHERS AND SISTER IN THE FIRE SERVICE! OH AND I AM SURE THE LATE NIGHT 555 FITNESS INSPIRED WORKOUT DIDN'T HELP QUELL THE NERVES....
I WAKE UP AND OPEN MY SUITCASE TO FIND THIS IN IT....A GOOD LUCK CHARM FROM MY WIFE. IT SAYS "PMA", WHICH STANDS FOR "POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE", A MANTRA WE LOVE TO SAY WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH. I EVEN HAVE IT TATTOOED ON MY LEG. I WOULD NOT BE WHERE I AM AS A PERSON, PROFESSIONALLY, AS A FOOD BLOGGER.....I WOULDN'T BE ANYTHING WITHOUT MY WIFE JESSICA.
OUR CALL TIME WAS EARLY, LIKE REAL EARLY. AND WE ALL KNEW WE HAD A LONG DAY AHEAD OF US, BUT THE ANTICIPATION TO START COOKING WAS EVIDENT AMONGST US ALL. I CAN'T GO IN TO ANY DETAILS REGARDING THE FILMING, CHALLENGES AND DETAILS BUT I WILL DO MY BEST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT I WAS FEELING......
I WALK OUT OF THE TRAILER TO FIND GUY FIERI'S JEEP PARKED OUTSIDE. HOW DO I KNOW IT'S HIS YOU ASK, JUST LOOK AT THE DAMN THING!! IF THAT DOESN'T SCREAM GUY I DON'T WHAT WOULD!
WE END UP MEETING GUY BEFORE THE SHOOT BEGINS. I HAD MET GUY BEFORE AT A BOOK SIGNING A FEW YEARS AGO AND KNEW HE WAS A COOL DUDE BECAUSE HE EVEN SIGNED A T-SHIRT I DESIGNED THAT NOW HANGS IN THE FIREHOUSE! BUT THIS TIME AROUND WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY TALK TO HIM BEFORE THE SHOOT WAS ABOUT TO BEGIN. HE TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH RESPECT HE HAD FOR FIREFIGHTERS WHICH WAS AMAZING TO HEAR. AND HE ALSO CALMED OUR NERVES.....A LOT! HE SAID TO JUST HAVE FUN AND THAT JUST MAKING IT THIS FAR WAS AN ACCOMPLISHMENT, AND HE WAS RIGHT. I AM EXTREMELY COMPETITIVE AND WANTED TO WIN BUT AT THAT MOMENT I SAID TO MYSELF, WHATEVER HAPPENS I AM STILL PROUD TO HAVE BEEN CHOSEN FOR THE SHOW AND REPRESENT MY FAMILY, FRIENDS, THE FIRE SERVICE AND ALL MY F&H CO. SUPPORTERS!
AND THEN WE START COOKING! TO SAY WE WERE ALL HAVING A GOOD TIME WOULD PROBABLY BE AN EXTREME UNDERSTATEMENT. THEIR WAS TYPICAL FIREHOUSE BANTER GOING ON, THE GRILLS WERE RIPPING HOT, POTS AND PLANS WERE FLYING AROUND, SOMEONE GOT CUT, BUT THROUGH IT ALL WE KEPT OUR COMPOSURE. AND I CAN TRULY SAY THIS IS BECAUSE WE ARE FIREFIGHTERS. WE ARE USED TO WORKING UNDER PRESSURE, IN LESS THAN IDEAL CONDITIONS, WHILE HAVING TO PERFORM A TASK THAT REQUIRES PRECISION. AND THIS IS WHY FIREFIGHTERS MAKE THE BEST COOKS!!!
IN THE END, I HAD WON. BUT REALLY WE ALL WON, WE GOT TO SHOW THE WORLD THAT FIREFIGHTERS CAN BE GREAT COOKS AND WE ALL RAISED AWARENESS FOR THE GREAT CHARITIES WE WERE COMPETING FOR. NOT EVEN GUY'S "STUPID LITTLE CARTS" COULD STOP US!!
SO AS YOU ALL KNOW BY NOW, I WON $20K AFTER RIPPING THROUGH THAT STORE LIKE A FOURTH ALARM FIRE! ALL THOSE 555 FITNESS WORKOUTS PAID OFF! AND NOW MOM GETS HER DISHWASHER!! AND I HAVE A COOL LITTLE SOUVENIR TO TAKE HOME, MY SHOPPING SPREE LIST SIGNED BUY GUY!
AND TO BE ABLE TO SPONSOR A 555 FITNESS STRENGTH IS OUR FOUNDATION GRANT IS BEYOND WORDS. I AM SIMPLY PAYING IT FORWARD, THEIR EFFORTS IN REDUCING LODD'S AMONG FIREFIGHTERS IS UNPRECEDENTED AND TO BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE A LITTLE TO THAT IS AN HONOR.
HAVING PIP FROM 555 FITNESS AT THE VIEWING PARTY TO ACCEPT THE CHECK MADE IT THAT MUCH BETTER!
AND THE WINNER OF GUY'S GROCERY GAMES SALUTE TO FIREFIGHTERS IS.....CHEF A.J.
COULD YOU TELL MY DAD WAS EXCITED?!
I HAD THE VIEWING PARTY AT MY FIREHOUSE SURROUNDED BY FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FELLOW FIREFIGHTERS, ALL PEOPLE I LOVE AND TO HAVE THEM THERE TO WATCH ME COMPETE WAS SOMEWHAT SURREAL. I OWE SO MUCH TO THEM AS THEY SUPPORT ME IN EVERYTHING I DO AND I WOULDN'T BE THE MAN I AM TODAY WITHOUT THEM. THE BROTHERS ALSO GOT ME THIS AMAZING CAKE!
IN THE END I AM TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THE EXPERIENCE, THE PEOPLE I MET AND THE CHANCE TO RAISE MONEY FOR A GREAT CHARITY AND BUY MOM A DISHWASHER....
I ALSO TEAMED UP WITH 555 FITNESS IN A COLLABORATION T-SHIRT CALLED "THE EQUATION". ALL THE PROCEEDS OF THE SHIRT GO TOWARDS THEIR STRENGTH IS OUR FOUNDATION GRANT. "THE EQUATION" IS BEST SUMMED UP BY THEM.....
"This equation is simple enough, you eat well, you train hard, you survive. So many companies have shirts with the "thin red line" on them, but are do nothing to prevent it. That's where Fork and Hose Co and 555 Fitness come in. Our brands are all about lowering that number. So here is the question, are you going to be a part of the SOLUTION or the Problem????" - 555 FITNESS
CLICK HERE TO GET YOURS!
THANK YOU AGAIN TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTS FORK AND HOSE CO., WITHOUT YOU GUYS WE WOULDN'T EXIST. SO KEEP THE MEALS AND HEALTHY RECIPES COMING!
STAY SAFE, EAT WELL,
BONUS:
HERE IS THE VIEWING PARTY MENU INSPIRED BY THE SHOW!
A.J.