ROME 24/3– Day 17: Easter Saturday “in albis” (& Fr. Z’s Kitchen)

Hello sun at 06:42 and g’bye at 19:44.

Ave Maria, still at 20:00.

It is Saturday in albis.   It is amazing how the Church wove the texts and readings of Holy Mass together over the Octave.

Today, in the ancient Church, would have been the last day for the newly baptized infantes to be wearing their white baptismal garb.  Tomorrow the white would be put off, albis depositis, according to their new status in the Church.

That’s today and tomorrow, about which I will have more to say alibi.

However, yesterday, at my regular veggie stand, I spotted fine puntarelle, which I relish.   And to make them, you have to make your relish, the dressing, in the Roman way.

First, garlic. Mince and give it a dash of salt.  Then with the flat of your knife press and smash, back and forth.  The salt helps to grind down the garlic.

This releases more of the garlicky essence for more immediate and cold distribution.

Into a bowl with anchovies and white wine vinegar and oil.  You want to make an emulsion.

Not having a little whizzer machine handy, I resorted to the back of a spoon to mash it all up.  Eventually it smoothed out, sort of.

Mix through your beautiful fresh crunchy puntarelle!

Here’s a little chapel in a nearby church where St. Philip Neri started his Oratory, the Spada family footed the bill for this.  Whew.  You can’t get tired of this.   Yes, that’s stone.

Please remember me when shopping online and use my affiliate links.  US HERE – UK HERE  WHY?  This helps to pay for health insurance (massively hiked for this new year of surprises), utilities, groceries, etc..  At no extra cost, you provide help for which I am grateful.Who wants to do some Latin for fun?  Animi caussa?

And if you are really ambitious.   I enjoy reading these old stones and thinking about the people who, in their great love, did so much, left so much for posterity.

Meanwhile, white to move and mate in 3.  An easy one today.  That black queen suggests how you must proceed.   Go ahead, if you haven’t been trying these.  It’s not that difficult.

NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.

Click!

I am now a chess.com affiliate.   So, click and join!   Maybe we can build a fun and active Catholic Chess Club within Chess.com.

In chessy news, the Candidates Tournament has begun in Toronto!   Eight players are duking it out.  I am a a little less than happy that the Candidate is in Toronto when I am in Central European Time. I can only watch coverage of the openings and then get some rack time. In the mornings I avoid anything that can spoil my review of the day and find a video that gives a recap of the previous day’s action. This morning was delighted that a few games had winners, that they weren’t all draws. I was especially glad that two-time Candidates winner Nepo defeated Alireza Firouzja, who deserves all the losses he can give up.

I don’t have the energy to follow the women’s side of the Candidates, but Tan Zhongyi has two wins so far. Back to the “open” side (basically the men), with black Vidit Gujrathi pretty much blew 2nd seed Hikaru Nakamura off the board. It’s the first classical game loss for Nakamura since the 2022 Madrid Candidates.

Meanwhile, in honor of the Candidates tournament, I tried these animi caussa.  They would be nice with coffee…. ehem.   Buy some coffee… help the Carmelites build.

Ceterum censeo Alirezam delendum esse.