Sharing meals at the station is a tradition for firefighters. These first responders spend long hours together in between rushing to emergencies, and in Louisiana, great food plays an important role in cementing the bond between team mates.
According to Captain Coby Bailey of Lafayette Fire Station 9, it’s typical for the station captain to take charge of preparing group meals. It’s about showing appreciation for the team, creating opportunities to play and work together, and maybe showing off a few skills. After all, when you learned how to cook from your Cajun mother and grandmother, it’s hard to keep those skills to yourself.
Bailey grew up in Lafayette, and said he first started cooking for groups while on mess duty in the Navy. Cooking continued to play a role in his career as a young fireman — going to the store with his crew, chopping up ingredients, prepping sides and learning from his captain and colleagues about crowd-pleasing meals. More than 27 years later, Bailey is now getting ready to retire from his firefighting career — and step into a new role as a TV chef, Cajun seasoning entrepreneur and Louisiana food personality.
America can watch Captain Bailey show off his Cajun chef skills in the season 4 premiere of “Great American Recipe,” airing July 11 on PBS. The show pits home chefs from around the country against each other, in a competition that highlights the variety of American cuisines…