By Christmas week. Station 19 is decorated — the guys put up lights on the engine bay and a tree in the day room that leans slightly to the left because Ruiz was in charge of the stand and Ruiz is better at putting out fires than setting up Christmas trees. I brought in a batch of the tamalada tamales and the crew demolished them in eleven minutes, which is the fastest I've seen food disappear at this station, and I once watched Orozco eat an entire pizza in under four minutes on a bet.
Working the fire department during Christmas is a particular kind of sacrifice that people thank you for in that distant, sympathetic way that says "I'm glad it's you and not me." And yeah — I will miss Christmas morning with Sofia and Jessica. My shift runs from the 23rd through the 25th. Forty-eight hours that include Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Jessica will wake up with Sofia on Christmas morning and open presents and I will be at the station waiting for the next call. This is the deal. This is the life. I knew it when I signed up. It doesn't make it easy.
But before I go on shift, we're doing Christmas Eve the Rivera way: at my parents' house. This is non-negotiable, immovable, carved into the family calendar with the permanence of scripture. Christmas Eve at the Riveras' means posole for dinner — a huge pot that my mom starts at noon — followed by the opening of one present per person (a tradition Roberto imported from somewhere and claims is "how it's done in Mexico," though my mom says he made it up). Then midnight Mass at Our Lady of Guadalupe, where the choir sings "Noche de Paz" and I stand next to Jessica and hold Sofia and feel the particular weight of the holiday settle onto my shoulders like something warm and heavy and good.
This week I'm prepping ahead. Jessica's contribution to Christmas morning (the one I'll miss) is her mom's cinnamon rolls — a Johansson tradition, shipped as frozen dough from Duluth, that Jessica bakes fresh on Christmas morning. The kids open presents, they eat cinnamon rolls, they watch a Christmas movie. I am told this is how Christmas works in Minnesota. When I get home on the 25th (if calls allow), there will be cinnamon rolls saved for me in foil on the counter. There always are.
My contribution, which I prepped this weekend: a smoked ham for Christmas dinner. I scored the surface in a diamond pattern, rubbed it with brown sugar, mustard, and cloves, and smoked it for four hours over apple wood. It's in the fridge, ready to reheat when I get home from shift. I also prepped green chile mac and cheese (baked, with three kinds of cheese and roasted Hatch chiles), and my mom is bringing tres leches cake. The Christmas dinner table will be set whether I'm on time or not. The food will be ready. That's the promise I make to my family: even when the job takes me away, the food is always there. The food is always waiting.
The smoked ham gets all the glory, but every Christmas dinner table needs a side dish with staying power — something that can sit on the stove or slide back into the oven without losing a thing. This Italian Sausage and Rice Dressing with Kale and Cranberries is exactly that: savory and substantial, with just enough sweetness from the cranberries to remind you it’s a holiday. I prepped it the same afternoon I pulled the ham out of the smoker, and like everything else on that counter, it’ll be ready and waiting when I get home from shift on the 25th.
Italian Sausage and Rice Dressing with Kale and Cranberries
Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 40 minutes | Total Time: 55 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 lb Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch (about 4 cups) curly kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
- 2/3 cup dried cranberries
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dried sage
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
Instructions
- Brown the sausage. Heat a large, deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 7–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon, leaving any rendered fat in the pan.
- Sauté the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add the olive oil to the same pan. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, sage, thyme, and rosemary and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Toast the rice. Add the uncooked rice to the pan and stir to coat it in the oil and aromatics. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the rice smells slightly nutty.
- Simmer with broth. Pour in the chicken broth and add the salt and pepper. Stir to combine, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 18 minutes until the rice has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Fold in the kale. Uncover and add the chopped kale in two or three batches, folding it into the hot rice. Cover and cook an additional 4–5 minutes until the kale is wilted and tender.
- Finish with sausage and cranberries. Return the browned sausage to the pan and stir in the dried cranberries. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Cook uncovered for 2 minutes to bring everything together.
- Serve. Transfer to a serving dish and finish with grated Parmesan. To make ahead, cool completely, cover tightly, and refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 325°F oven for 20–25 minutes or on the stovetop over low heat with a splash of broth to loosen.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 335 | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 31g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 610mg