Spicy Family Secret

I love vinegar. I love intense spice. Therefore, I love a good pickle. I'm not saying that I don't like sweet pickled items, like oshinko, but when it comes to cukes they've gotta have bite.

The culinary visionary in my family, if there ever was one, was my late Aunt Ellen. Until she passed away, her house was where every family holiday took place and she usually made 80-100% of the food I remember her making pigs in a blanket for appetizers and making sure that I ate some right out of the oven because that's when they were the best. Even on non-holidays when we went there to swim in their pool, I looked forward to investigating the snack drawer to repeatedly find an un-ending supply of Goldfish crackers. And she always had Total cereal in the cupboard; I was always amazed at how one bowl gave you 100% of every mineral and vitamin. Basically, I associated her house with food, and I really love eating.

In my opinion though, her crowning achievement were her home-made garlic pickles. They are probably what's responsible for my love of vinegar and spice in general. Also, they make the Vlasic stork shit his pants and run away in tears.

This actually happened.

It's not just me that likes them, the whole family does, particularly my mother. Over the years, other members of the family have made them as well however my Uncle Jack is probably the only true successor to the production process. Besides the pickles he also makes great pies and coconut cake from scratch, you know... like hand-shaving coconuts and everything. So this past 4th of July when the family gathered at his house for the annual crab feast, I got him to fork over the pickle recipe. I figured it was about time that I do the family a favor and carry on the tradition. Of course, I never got around to making them this summer. I kept saying to myself that I had to go to the farmer's market and buy "special cucumbers" for it, which basically translates into "I'm lazy".