food
Feeding many reunions
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enevieve Brechtel, Huachuca City, Arizona, wrote about the team effort that fed their reunion. Our eldest daughter, Genny, fed 23 guests with cavatina (pasta), salads and trimmings, followed by two kinds of cake from my sister, Emma, which went well with ice cream. Our son Vince cranked up the barbeque and made big beef and pork roasts, which lasted for two days. Our eldest son, Bob, was in charge of morning pancakes. Our son Hugh, famous for pizzas, had a big pizza feed one night.
Hugh Brechtel was also in charge of pies, baking five peach and one cherry pie.
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argaret Malsam, Denver, Colorado, wrote that a great feature of their reunion was freedom from the responsibility of preparing meals. A caterer prepared meals and beverages for a modest price per person, so no one had to spend time in the kitchen or try to keep food fresh while traveling. The catered lunch wasn’t the usual fried chicken and potato salad, but was food that pleased all ages. They had beef and chicken wraps, cowboy caviar (corn/pepper/veggie relish), vegetable trays and dips, snicker doodle cookies and M&M bars. Dinner, served buffet style, featured two kinds of chicken lasagna, one with a white sauce and the other with a traditional red sauce, served with fruit and sweet Asian salads. Fruit cobbler topped off the meal. A hot breakfast was included with their hotel rooms.
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arlene Hudson, Atlanta, Georgia, described the HudsonCobb Family Reunion as a “big ole” family picnic. Good southern foods were prepared by each family. Cousin Donna and her mother Laura brought desserts, cousins Cameron and Freddy grilled foods. Hudson’s mother, Barbara Galbert, whipped up potato salad and baked a pound cake. Ruby cooked up sweet potato pies. 32 Reunions v reunionsmag.com
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lyde Bennish wrote about his wife, Cherry’s, Class of 1991 reunion from Immaculate Heart of Mary Academy, Minglania, Cebu, Philippines. He said he would have liked to chair the food committee. They evaluated culinary likes and dislikes and determined menu items. Finding a talented caterer was not difficult, but anticipating how many mouths to feed was a guessing game. A base number was determined, but last-minute guests, additional family members, and other variables turned the decision into a struggle. The count of 100 worked out well. The caterer provided Lechon (pork), chicken, beef, shrimp and fish, ponsit (noodles), stir-fried vegies, macaroni salad, cakes, beer, whiskey, tequila and soft drinks.
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aniel Avila wrote in The Pilot in Washington, DC, about his family reunion. Descendants from his paternal great-grandparents on the Avila side held a reunion in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Over 200 attended from all parts of the US and Mexico. One of his sisters and her husband and children created white tablecloths decorated with rose-shaped stamped imprints. A name accompanied each rose. Each branch of the family merited its own tablecloth. It was explained that the tablecloths could cover the main dining table at family gatherings, and extra stamps were provided to each branch for adding new imprints when new members came into that particular offshoot of the family. Through the creative use of PVC piping, the tablecloths were arrayed along the side of the hall where the reunion was held. These creations formed the backdrop for group pictures.
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ob Klevan writes the “Rob’s rules of order” column for the Monterey County Herald, Monterey, California. His Canepa clan holds an annual reunion at Monterey’s idyllic Veterans Memorial Park. So much about this Italian-American family reunion revolves around food. Everyone brings their own choice for the barbecue pit, as well as a salad or dessert to share. The first rule for food at a family reunion requires that certain members must bring the long-established family favorites. For the Canepa reunion it is Klevan’s sister Lenora’s spinach frittata, or his Aunt Theresa’s peanut butter cookies, or Aunt Lori’s garlic bread, or cousin Dori and cousin Susan’s chili, or a dozen other dishes. No matter what is being grilled or how many varieties of brownies are put on the table, it wouldn’t be a reunion without those family food favorites.