Pickles

Found Internet Photo

Today's Washington Post's Food Section has an article on one of my favorite treats, pickles, and it's growing pickling popularity. I can't help but think of my own upbringing, remembering my father setting his pickles out on the back deck to marinate.  I'm sure the recipe has a lot of the usual ingredients; salt, vinegar, cucumbers, fresh dill, pepper corns.  But I was always curious about the slice of bread he stuck in there and secretly questioned why he put a plate on top of the jar as it sat in the sun, rather than just to screw a lid on. I reasoned that he didn't know his way around the kitchen enough to find a lid for the jar so the plate was the next best thing.  The pickles would sit in the sun and when they were ready they didn't taste like the store brand or even my favorite typical NY Jewish style pickle.  They had a flavor all their own.

Years later while walking though the streets of Buda with my family I had an "a-ha" moment.  The old city of Buda (Budapest is divided by the Danbue and therefore called, Buda and Pest) is covered in cobblestoned streets surrounded by a castle and Baroque architecture.  Originally founded in the 13th century it went through many transformations as a city due to wars and bombings.  But it still retains the feel of a medieval city and takes the visitor back in time.  As we were walking I stopped in my tracks outside of a little restaurant with a table covered in a pretty, traditional Hungarian tablecloth.  Upon the table was a large jar of pickles and on top of the jar was a plate.  The maître d' asked if I wanted to see the menu, but I wasn't interested in dinner.  I just stared at that jar of pickles.  Finally it all made sense.  My father was just doing what those before him had done. When asked "Why the plate on top?" the reason is simply because, that's how it's done.

Found Internet photo

Andrea with the answer to why her father makes pickles the way he does.  2001