Family reunions are amazing things. I don't know if you've ever had the experience, but in these days with families flung far and wide, they are at once, increasingly rare and increasingly important. Some may remember that in the not too distant past, families lived relatively close to one another. But today, for a host of socio-economic reasons that we won't explore, families are often spread out over thousands of miles. Siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and parents often don't see one another for years at a time. Some families I've heard of have reunions every year. I think that's wonderful, but if you're like my family, it doesn't happen that often.

But when it happens, friends, it's wonderful. Cars and pickup trucks fill the yard and the street for blocks. Old recipes are pulled out a…