Years ago when Jim and I decided to get married, we could not do so legally in the USA, so we opted to fly to Paris and exchange vows there. Paris is such a beautiful, romantic place we knew that it would be the right location.
We still had to decide exactly where to hold our ceremony. We knew it was going to be a small ceremony, just the two of us and our two witnesses.
Ernie, Jim, John and Bert in France 2004
After much discussion, we decided to marry at Versailles.
When we got to Versailles, we walked the grounds and we were captivated by beauty of the Grand Canal. When we got closer, we noticed that visitors could rent rowboats and row on the canal.
An antique postcard showing sailboats on the Grand Canal
It was then and there we decided to rent a rowboat and exchange our vows on the water. So Jim and I along with our two witnesses boarded our own version of the Love boat .
Jim rows on the Grand Canal. Like the song goes, I liked him so much I had to put a ring on it.
With Ernie and Bert at our side, Jim and I rowed off to be joined in wedded bliss.
Jim and I celebrated our union later that night with an intimate dinner for two. We were seated on the balcony of Café Marley, which is located at the Louvre. We chose to host our wedding reception for family and friends later the next month when we returned to the states.
Hmm? What’s that? Why did we choose Ernie and Bert as our witnesses you may ask? Allow me explain.
When I was a young boy, my parents gave my brothers and me puppets fashioned after the then new PBS show called Sesame Street. You may have heard of it.
I was given a Bert Puppet, my brother Steve was given Ernie, and my youngest brother Brian, was given Cookie Monster. Each puppet seemed to mirror aspects of our personalities.
Bert, Cookie Monster and Ernie (or John, Brian and Steve)
Knowing Bert's character the way you do, do you think if he were given a puppet as a young boy he would still have it almost 40 years later? Well of course I would (I mean Bert would). You get my drift don’t you?
Years before I met Jim, his mother had given him a Bedtime Ernie. He still has it. Jim is the personification of Ernie. He has a boyish sense of humor and a sweet and tender side that make him irresistible. Just like Ernie.
When Jim and I moved in with each other, his Ernie and my Bert were united. You might even call it love at first sight.
Ernie and Bert in the Big Boy bed
They have been inseparable ever since. I know the PR folks from Sesame Street may say otherwise, but I have always felt that Ernie and Bert were more than just "best friends". Kinda like Jim and I.
Just listen to the Ernie sing “When Bert’s Not Here” to understand just how he really feels about me, I mean Bert.
The fact that Jim is 5’9 and dark haired like Ernie and I am 6’ tall like Bert seals the deal. In our relationship, Jim is Ernie and I am Bert. One of our guests at our wedding reception even gave us a bottle of Chateau Bert and Ernie as a gift.
It’s been said (and I agree) that I am one of the lucky ones. And it is true. I am so fortunate to come from a great family and to have such wonderful friends. There are those in my family that I consider to be more than just relatives, they are my friends. Likewise, I am so close to some of my friends, they have become part of my family.
Case in point: Ellyn Sukonick.
Ellyn and I met over 17 years ago when I first started working at a local printing company. Ellyn had already been working there a year when I joined the company. She welcomed me to the fold with open arms. I was immediately drawn to her positive attitude and her loving manner. Ellyn has such a wonderful charismatic personality that people naturally drawn to her.
I grew up in a household that was very family centric. We love and care for each other very much. I have often thought that our family life and structure was influenced by our Roman Catholic religion.
Ellyn is Jewish and was therefore also brought up in a family centric household.
The Sukonicks: Steve, Adam, Ellyn and Jodi
I have often felt that Jewish and Catholic families share many of the same core values in regard to family structure.
For whatever the reason, Jews and Catholics often form great friendships. It was one of of Ellyn’s friends who told me that when a Jew and a Catholic marry, the couple are called Cathjews, which is pronounced like the nut “Cashews”.
A close knit Cashew Family
Due to the closeness of our friendship, Ellyn and I consider us honorary “Cathjews”. So you see, I really am a nut.
Ellyn and I share a love of cooking. Ellyn is a great cook and she is always finding and sharing the best recipes. She is also a talented party planner and caterer.
It was only natural that I would turn to Ellyn to help us plan the wedding reception.
Ellyn, her husband Steve, and their daughter Jodi graciously offered to help serve the food the night of the party. And let me tell you, we could not have done it without them. But they did even more than just serve the food, the made some of it too.
Ellyn thankfully insisted on making a Hummingbird Cake for the wedding cake. It was out of this world delicious. Tradition be damned, there wasn’t any cake left over to be eaten on our first anniversary. It was that incredible.
Steve’s contribution was making the Spicy Sausage Balls. He hand-rolled over 5 pounds of them. And we ate every last one of them. Well, that is not entirely true. Ellyn put 3 sausage balls in a plastic bag and hid them way, way in the back of our refrigerator early in the evening so that her son could enjoy some later that evening.
We served a lot of food that night. I am talking “a lot of food” in terms of a Jewish or an Italian event. But of all the food that was served that night, it was Ellyn’s Hummingbird Wedding Cake and Steve’s Spicy Sausage Balls that our guests still talk about. Yeah, they are that good.
Our family stepped outside to discuss the Spicy Sausage Balls and take a photo.
I don’t have the recipe for Ellyn’s Hummingbird Cake (though she assures me that hummingbirds are not part of the ingredients). Hopefully one day I will be able to share that with you.
Today I am lucky enough to be able to share Ellyn’s recipe for Spicy Sausage Balls. It is the one recipe I always make when I am hosting a party because it is the one that my family and friends will most often request. It is also one of the recipes that consistently generates the most compliments.
It doesn’t matter what time of year or day you serve Spicy Sausage Balls, they always seem to fit in at any party. I have served them at brunches and late night parties with equal success. But enough about past history, it is time for you to give them a try.
Ellyn and Steve’s Spicy Sausage Balls
Ingredients:
1 Pound of Spicy Sausage Meat
1 Slightly Beaten Egg
1/3-Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs
½ Teaspoon o f Fresh Sage
Combine the above ingredients in a bowl and then and shape the mixture into small balls. Brown the sausage balls well on each side in a large skillet. Pour off the grease.
In a separate bowl, make the sauce.
Combine:
¼ Cup of Catsup
¼ Cup of Chili Sauce
2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon of Vinegar
1 Tablespoon of Soy Sauce
Mix sauce together and then pour it all into the skillet over the sausage balls. Cover the skillet and then simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. These are best when they are made a day ahead and refrigerated until ready to reheat and serve. Reheat and then serve from a warmed chafing dish with cocktail picks.
Okay now. You know why I consider myself a nut. When you combine that with the similarities that I share with Bert, you can throw in nerd to the mix. But it really doesn’t matter.
What really matters most is that now you now have the recipe to make Ellyn and Steve’s Spicy Sausage Balls.
Give them a try sometime. I feel pretty certain you and your guests will go nuts over them.
Until next time: Chow!
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