As we enter into the summer months, I find myself reminiscing on many a summer where my paternal grandparents would have my family and the family of my dad’s middle brother over for a barbeque on July 4th. My grandfather (“Papa”) would pull out this long, wooden picnic table and put it in the garage, and we would sit around that table laughing and “breaking bread” with one another. However, we didn’t always have those barbeque stables of “burgers and hot dogs.” On occasion, my family would pay homage to my grandparents’ Hungarian roots by instead making a traditional summer meal in Hungarian culture. That food was szalonna (pronounced “sah-low-nah”). Now, if you haven’t heard of this dish before (and most people haven’t), szalonna is the Hungarian word for “bacon,” but make no mistake. We didn’t actually eat the meat itself. What we did, instead, was skewered and roasted the pork meat over a pit and collected all the drippings (which tasted just like bacon). Those drippings were then put on bread; seasoned with black pepper, salt, and/or paprika; and garnished with various vegetables (lettuce, radishes, carrots, onions, you name it). The pork continued to roast until it was a charred, dried-out husk, collecting those drippings all along the way. As you might imagine, my mother and my aunt (both of whom married into the family) never partook of this delicacy. As for those of us born into the family (i.e. me, my brothers, my cousins, my father and his brother), we loved it. As disgusting as this might sound to most people, szalonna sandwiches were a real treat.
However, in looking back, as delicious as those sandwiches were and as exciting as it was when we got to eat them, I don’t think it was ever about what we ate, but rather with whom we ate it. Whether we were having szalonna or just burgers and hot dogs, a good time was had by all. The adults sat around the table and conversed about who knows what while the children (largely) took turns with Papa’s magnifying glass to see who could burn the most ants. The food was delicious, the time had was a blast, and I was always sad to see those meals together come to an end. Perhaps that’s why those memories have always held a special place in my heart, and I’m sure you all have similar memories that you hold close to heart as well.
Having said that, Katie and I would relish the opportunity to create such memories with you all. We’re realizing that our plan of “Sunday nights for dinner” as a time to do fellowship with you all might have been a misfire. So, for the “Breaking Bread with Brad and Katie” sign-up sheet (which, I and the Personnel Committee hope you all will sign up for), the next iteration will be for “the week of” rather than the specific Sunday. With any luck, that will work out better for more of you all, because we would love to commune with and get to know you all better. So, if you’re interested, I would invite you all to sign up and/or let Katie or me know so we can get something worked out. And before you ask, I promise, we don’t have to have szalonna sandwiches (because I know so many of you were enticed by the thought of eating bacon grease-soaked sandwiches, right?). Regardless, we look forward to communing with you all, and also, blessings as you commune with family and friends this 4th of July.