Although retired from the fire department after 28 years, former Henry County Fire Department Captain Jorge Rodriguez can often be found at various Henry County Fire Department locations, visiting with former coworkers or, sometimes, cooking them dinner.

His presence in the kitchen is not uncommon as that was one of his specialties when on the clock, in addition to his Special Operations firefighting duties.

“Everybody has love languages, and one of mine is cooking,” said Rodriguez. “It’s a way of showing how we care about each other.”

Cooking was an integral part of his childhood that became more enjoyable over the years.

“My mom had me at 10 years old chopping vegetables and learning how to cook,” said Rodriguez. “I love learning and I would learn how to cook her Cuban/Colombian food.”

Once he became a firefighter, he shared his talent with others, both by cooking for and teaching young firefighters some culinary skills.

Sharing a meal together at the firehouse serves multiple purposes. The first, of course, is making a sustainable meal for the long hours ahead. But secondly, it allows us to sit for a moment in between calls, relax, and detox, especially after a challenging day.

“We solve the world’s problems at the dinner table,” laughed Rodriguez. “It’s a form of therapy really, is what it is.”

“It’s a family thing,” said Lieutenant Jason ‘Snuffy’ McCullough. “The first thing that you ask in the morning when you walk in is, ‘What’s for dinner?”

Rodriguez shared that he cannot recreate the same meal twice, as he does not measure or write down his processes. However, each meal is met with enthusiasm and appreciation.

“A lot of people have a lot of favorite dishes and I would always experiment on the guys,” said Rodriguez. “I’d find an interesting recipe and I would try it. I never go by the book.”

“Even if it wasn’t the same as last time, it was still good,” said McCullough.

Firefighters at Henry County Fire Station #3 chimed in with their favorite dishes Rodriguez has made over the years, including, but not limited to, picadillo, chicken fricassee, smoked meatloaf, creamy cilantro chicken, chicken enchiladas, chicken marsala, and cajun spaghetti.

A crowd favorite is jalapeno popper roulette.

While preparing this dish for fellow firefighters, Rodriguez cleaned out the jalapeno seeds of all but a few before adding them to the dish.

For those lucky enough to snag a few poppers without seeds, they enjoyed a pleasant snack. For those who grabbed the few with seeds inside, their experience was a fiery one, but still enjoyable.

“I’d even get myself now and then,” laughed Rodriguez. “Making memories- that’s what life’s about.”

As wonderful as the meals may be, the unfortunate result is the kitchen ‘mess’ left behind in Rodriguez’s wake of bowls, dishes, measuring cups, pots, pans, and utensils.

“I still probably made the biggest mess of any cook in the county,” laughed Rodriguez. “I could destroy a kitchen, no doubt.”

“The cook messes up the kitchen, but the cook doesn’t clean the kitchen,” expressed McCullough. “He had little bitty bowls for every single thing,” he laughed, “so you would have two stacks of stuff that he got dirty just in the cooking process, not even the stuff that we ate on or he put on the stove.”

Despite being retired from firefighting, Rodriguez states this profession is a brotherhood. Time spent with each other at work and on tough calls cements a special bond they will forever share.

“That’s why I can come back here at any time and see these guys, and they just welcome me with open arms. It’s like going back home,” said Rodriguez.

By Erin Lopez