80 for Dinner

80 for Dinner

Last year some of the volunteers stationed in the small city of Zalau hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for us Peace Corps folks and their Romanian associates. It was a grand affair with about a total of 40 – 50 in attendance. This year, the Zalau people said that they’d help if we in Cluj put on the banquet. ‘Cluj is a more convenient place to get to’ they said.

Along with our new site mates from group 21 and great help from an American teaching at the Hungarian Unitarian School, we managed to follow the directions of last year’s hosts to set places for over 80. Dinner was on Saturday as Romania does not celebrate a Thanksgiving holiday.

Three large turkeys that were walking around as late as Thursday weighed in at 43 kilos. They served the 80 and still there were leftovers. Dressing and Gravy and Sweet Potatoes and Corn and Mashed Potatoes and Shortbread and Pumpkin Pie and Cranberry Sauce provided enough variety so that everyone had plenty of good food to eat. I had made my traditional fantasy fudge with imported Marshmallow Crème and Chocolate Chips. Each attendee got a single piece when they paid the small amount to help cover the expenses. It was a great way of getting people to stop by my seat and balance their accounts.

Nancy had secured a donation from the Girl Scouts of America of twenty-one boxes of Girl Scout Cookies and a good friend mailed them to us. They were wrapped in autumn colored paper and placed as table decorations. They proved to be a reminder of home when they were opened. There may have been struggles for the peanut butter cookies or the thin mints, but I didn’t notice for I was in the kitchen helping with the carving of the birds.

The Hungarian Protestant Theological Seminary Cafeteria was the site of our meal and we thank the kitchen ladies who were very interested in watching us cook ‘American’. Our apartment held eight sleeping guests on Saturday night and then on Sunday morning was the site of the ‘Sunday Brunch’. While our apartment is large by Peace Corps standards, it is not very big. And as is the tradition in Romania, everyone takes off their shoes when entering a home. During the festivities I looked out from my post by the toaster and noticed that no one was standing in our foyer. At first I couldn’t figure out why when every other spot was crowded with people, then I realized the foyer was completely filled with shoes.

My toast duties included offering toast (many volunteers do not have toasters) with a choice of strawberry jam, cinnamon sugar- a rare treat and another taste of home, zacusca or peanut butter – not impossible to get, but still a special things for many. I and my helpers went through several loaves of bread, but the attendees all seemed satisfied. Of course there were eggs done scrambled, fried ham, fried apples, banana and zucchini bread, and quiche. It was a good time and fine fellowship to go along with the food.

Nancy made the suggestion that next year, same time, different place – maybe Virginia.