The Weenie Roast

We have blackberry cobbler in Bertaleda all nights but one, the night of the Weenie Roast. The weenie roast is not fancy in terms of food or surroundings. We tried to bring in Adiel’s gourmet sausages one year, but they just didn’t beat the classic 100% beef hot dog. Truthfully, I don’t even like hot dogs, but for some reason on this one night of the year a good old fashion hot dog tastes delicious.

Our menu consists of some sort of invented cocktail (this year it was champagne mixed with pomegranate juice) in white Dixie cups, watermelon wedges, hot dogs and of course, s’mores. The actual menu in this case however isn’t what makes a good weenie roast. What makes the weenie roast is the smoky fire pit encompassed by Bertaleda river washed, smooth stones, the open sky that dims and fills with stars as the night progresses, and most importantly, the feeling of love and togetherness.

I recently read a part of “The Boy Who Became a Muni Bird,” that made a lot of sense to me. It immediately brought me back to my time in Bertaleda during our annual weenie roasts. In Bosavi, “food is the major vehicle in expressing, developing, and validating social relationships.” The time in the day where families and friends can sit down over a meal is the time when social relationships are formed and appreciated. We may not always realize it, but as we swat pesky mosquitoes away and watch our marshmallows accidentally turn into mini torches, we are actually building upon an incredible bond that keeps us happy and powers us through our busy lives. Every bite we take becomes a summer memory.