We celebrated Mama’s birthday on Thursday, but the real celebration occurred on Friday at the Petrak’s home.
Mama and Miss Zsuzsanna share the same birthday, and we’d all gotten together so that Mama could meet Fanni’s darling family, who have treated me like one of their own.
Fanni arrived at my apartment, rendering door-to-door service, complete with the adventure of evading local police.
When we arrived, a pot of Miss Zsuzsanna’s famous Hungarian goulash simmered on the stove.
We toasted the ladies’ birthdays and Mama’s visit with home-brewed peach palinka and chatted under the beams of the porch as the sun descended behind the vibrant green trees.
The aroma of sizzling bacon drew me to the kitchen to watch Miss Zsuzsanna put together the tastiest pasta I’d enjoyed in quite some time. Fresh wavy pasta mixed with creamy turo and thick sour cream, seasoned with the mouthwatering flavor of fried bacon slivers, and baked in the oven for a crispy crust made me long for Miss Zsuzsanna’s call of “Kész a kaja, gyertek enni!” – I could just imagine running like a linebacker, thrusting people out of my way till I landed in my chair at the dining room table.
When the call came, I repressed my inner longing to behave like an All-American linebacker, and instead behaved like a true Southern lady, gathering the glasses from the porch and transferring them to seats at the table.
Mr. Atilla, Miss Zsuzsanna, Máté, Fanni, Mama, and I talked over the decadent traditional favorites with ease, with Fanni as our translator.
Mama’s last sip of wine sent her yawning to the couch as we meandered to the living room to chat over the experimental oatmeal drop cookies I’d baked to share (… I’d love to share the baking blame with Mama, but goodness knows, she’d kill me!)
Miss Zsuzsanna and Mr. Atilla sent us on our way with the best of gifts – a deep luxurious Hungarian red wine and a jar of paprika, made in Miss Zsuzsanna’s hometown. How special!
We couldn’t have dreamed of a better night. What a wonderful immersion into Hungarian life for Mama!
Here’s to beloved friends, gourmet meals, and a wheelbarrow… I mean car… to go home in!
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