William Penn Life, 2016 (51. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2016-02-01 / 2. szám
Máj m m faszerei JLp * jas hurka Wszer1cJvei?ff^'^ When I first saw this rotund and jolly elf, he referred to himself as "Laci bácsi." With a snifter of szilva pálinka (plum brandy) in one hand and a plate of various sausages and pogácsa (biscuits) in the other, he strolled around the butcher shop inviting shoppers to sample some of the savory tidbits that were made with his mixes. Laci made it a point to welcome my family to Hungary with a bellowing laugh that sounded like a cross between Santa Claus and the Ghost of Christmas Present. With a robust voice he announced loudly: "Laci bácsi! Jó! Jó! Jó!" Needless to say, Laci bácsi, my apa (father), my Hungarian cousins (Árpi, Géza and András), along with my anya (mother) and siblings shared in several rounds of distilled refreshment and succulent meat treats. My sister and brother collaborated and bought a package of each spicemix and gave them to my father as a Christmas gift a few months later. I wonder if the humorous-sounding product line named "Laci bácsi" became a business success? ****************************************************************** I have come to appreciate many of my family traditions and histories through happenstance. My trips down memory lane usually occur when I am requested to retrieve something from the cellar for my parents, only to find myself distracted from my intended task. My recent lessons in family traditions occurred in two less than likely venues. The day after Christmas, my father, brother and I went to the Youngstown area to broadcast the "Souvenirs of Hungary" radio program. It was a reunion of sorts as my brother engineered and my father and I shared the side microphone adjacent to the control board in Studio A. We decided the night before to play a mixture of Hungarian Christmas songs and other traditional Magyar music. I was delegated to select the holiday tunes and my father picked the other songs. I asked my dad to let my brother pick out the other records. He replied, "Bondi will pick cimbalom songs, and I am focusing on selecting songs that were favorites of our many family and friends that are now in Hungarian Heaven." Our typical radio show airs an average of 22 musical selections in 90 minutes. With those numbers in mind, I knew it would be safe to say about a dozen musical pieces would be needed for my segment of the program. Interestingly, the selections my apa chose were family lessons in history. Tibor s Take My other nostalgic moment occurred via a series of cell phone calls right around my birthday Jan. 1. Each year Sonny, Cissy and Christine (members of Branch 28) make thousands of delicious cookies for the Christmas holiday, most of which are given to family members and friends. I am proud to say that each year my family gets a huge tray to enjoy. Every cookie is an edible work of art: a treat of subtle, unique tastes behind a perfect visual presentation. In other words, they are too pretty to eat. This Christmas, the siitiket (cookies) made their way to my parents' house a little later than usual, when I was already back in D.C. For the first time in my life, I did not have the extreme pleasure of consuming those tasty indulgences. My mother sent me several photos of the cookies. I learned of the cookies' arrival via a cell phone call from my mother. As our conversation volleyed back and forth, I learned about Cissy and Sonny's mother, Mary Novak Tollas. Mary was a welcoming beacon providing a warm and loving greeting to my mom and dad as well as many others. As the grand matriarch of the Tollas family, Mary made it a point to have a hot pot of coffee and plates of those wondrous cookies ready for sharing. When Mary passed away unexpectedly in the mid 1990's, Sonny and Cissy continued the heartwarming and delicious tradition established so many years ago by their édes anya. Oftentimes, this particular sister and brother lived hundreds of miles apart, but each Christmas season they get together on a predesignated weekend and begin their multiday production line of cookie creation. Trunk loads of butter, nuts, sugar and flour are measured out, processed, then baked as the neatly placed mounds of batter or dough are transformed into wonderful bite-size delicacies. Most of the cookie recipes are Magyar. Weather permitting, I will return back home on President's Day weekend. Somewhere during that time, I'm sure I will be enlightened with new family histories and traditions. / Éljen a Magyar! Tibor II Tibor Check, Jr., is a member of Branch 28 and a graduate of Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where he served as editor-in<hief of the Law Review. He currently is an attorney working in research at American University in Washington, D.C. When he can, Tibor hosts “The Souvenirs of Hungary” radio program on WKTL-FM 90.1, Struthers, Ohio, on Saturdays from noon to 1:30 p.m. Let's hear your take If you have any questions or comments about me or my column, please email me at: silverkingl937@ gmail.com, or drop me a letter in care of the William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. William Penn Life ° February 2016 ° 7
