Firefighters, who have to feed themselves at their fire houses day in-and-day-out, are well known for their culinary skills. But what about police officers? Can the cops hold their own in the kitchen?

That was the fun concept behind a first-ever BPD-BFD “cook-off” held on Sunday evening at Dorchester’s Florian Hall, where the city’s police and firefighters gathered to feed neighbors and raise funds for the Witherspoon Institute, the organizer of the “Get Lit” Thanksgiving-themed contest, which was judged by City Councillors Brian Worrell and Frank Baker and Shirley Shillingford of the Caribbean Carnival Association.

Hundreds of people – mainly from Dorchester, Mattapan, and South Boston –packed the union hall to feast as contestants dished out smoked turkey, fried turkey, roasted turkey, and Jamaican jerk turkey. Judges also evaluated the side dishes like macaroni and cheese, candied yams, and collard greens.

While firefighters seemed to take the early lead, police cooks held their own with the sides and some of the more eccentric turkey entries. There were winners from both teams in different categories.

“I think the firefighters are cooking pretty good, but I’m going with the police,” joked Baker.

“Whoever cooked these candied yams, they are absolutely on point,” said state Rep. Chris Worrell, who assisted his brother, the councillor.
Said Shillingford: “I’m warning everyone; I know how to cook, so I’m judging appropriately in that respect.”

Councillor Julia Mejia and Councillor-elect John FitzGerald co-emceed the proceedings, providing quite a bit of laughter and entertainment as guests waited to be served. At one point, FitzGerald performed a skillful version of the “Macarena” in a dance-off with one of the Dorchester senior citizens.

Police Deputy Supt. Nora Baston quipped that firefighters were enthusiastic to compete with the police in a cook-off because they can’t compete on the basketball court. “They have not been able to beat us in basketball in 25 years,” she noted.

The Witherspoon Institute is led by Dorchester’s Alda Witherspoon, who enlists partners like Boston Fire, Boston Police, and the Boston Public Library to help draw attention to reading, writing, and literacy. The organization started in Boston but has spread to cities throughout the country with an emphasis on helping kids recover academically from Covid-related learning disparities.

Alice O’Connor and John Barrett said they were ready for Thanksgiving after so much turkey to try out.

Ann ‘Sugar’ Long and Roberta Rogers, of Dorchester.

The Mattapan Mildred Avenue senior citizens were dressed to the nines and enjoying the pre-Thanksgiving excitement in Florian Hall.

Event organizers, city councillors, the best police and fire cooks, and Tessie from the Red Sox celebrated a bountiful Thanksgiving at Florian Hall on Sunday, where police and fire cooks squared off in the first-ever Thanksgiving Cook-Off to benefit the Witherspoon Institute’s ‘Get Lit’ reading and writing campaign. Seth Daniel photos