Grumpy Grampa Steve was a "REAL" Cook and Chef

Submitted by Dave in Yuma, Arizona

My Grampa Steve was a career Navy man who spent his life in the galley on ships all over the world.

After he got out of the Navy he joined the Merchant Marine and shipped out again.


During his career he cooked on shrimp boats and was the chef for the Officer's Mess in the Navy, and everywhere in between.


He would tell us stories about going out and catching octopus, squid and other exotic foods to cook for the officers without telling them what it was until after the meal.

He took great pride in cooking up surprises for his officers.


Along with being a darn good cook and chef, he was also a pretty salty old sailor.

The family stories about the divorces and the problems that Grampa Steve got into are legends.


After Grampa Steve retired he would always go hunting and fishing with us when I was little and growing up, and of course Grampa always took care of the groceries.


I still remember how he baked the heart from my first deer and served it up sliced like cold cuts with our dinner that night in camp out in the woods.


But like I said he was kind of a salty old guy, especially if someone starts talking about his cooking.


I remember one time when one of my Dad's friends, Duane, went fishing with us and Duane made the mistake of getting picky.


Grampa Steve started handing out the sandwiches that he had made for lunch.

I remember that he always made the greatest scrambled egg and bacon sandwiches, and there was probably roast beef and some kind of tuna salad and who knows what all.

Well, after picking through what was available, Duane asked Grampa if he had any peanut butter and jam.

That was the wrong thing to say to Grampa, he started getting loud and said "Peanut butter and jam it up your #@&##@%&**, you'll eat this or you'll go hungry?"

Well Duane took whatever was on top and sat down and ate it, and at least acted like he liked it.


He was kind of a grumpy grampa old guy, but he was the best and most creative cook that I will ever know.

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