Many thanks to LD, JS, DR, CH, and SB who “bought me a beer” on International Buy A Priest A Beer Day! Much obliged.
Welcome registrants:
Matthias 0
victord
White to move and mate in 3.
NB: I’ll hold comments with solutions ’till the next day so there won’t be “spoilers” for others.
In chessy news the 45th Chess Olympiad is underway in Budapest with 193 teams in the Open section and 181 in the women’s section. Some 2000 players are involved.
11-22 September. The opening ceremony was last night. Hungarian Chess legend Judith Polgar brough in the torch.
In honor of the Olympics being in Budapest, I made Hungarian food last night and, wow, am I glad I did. What to make was a toss up, but I chose Székely style Gulyás.
Some prep. Onion, green bell pepper, garlic, tomato, pork in chunks, the edge of a bag of sauerkraut.
Diced bacon as a starter.
After the onion, comes the pepper.
And garlic.
The recipe said that, after a few minutes, I should add the pork but cook it until the pink was going, but not quite. Along the way I was grinding in black pepper.
Five tablespoons of sweet paprika.
This is an important moment. Mix the paprika through and then take it off the heat for a little bit. Paprika does not like sudden intense heat. Let it sit and get used to things.
In go the tomatoes and caraway.
At this point, the mixture is covered, barely, with water, it is covered, and it is simmered for 90 minutes. Note the bay leaves. Note the larger chunk of tomato which I remembered I had in the fridge. It all dissolves.
When it has simmered for the allotted time, in went the sauerkraut (alas not shown). It was cooked for just a couple minutes and then it was adjusted with a little salt.
SPECTACULAR! FINOM! The recipe was for four portions. I ate two. I decided not to go with carbs, such as nokedli or spätzle. Next time, I think I’ll use smaller pieces of pork, although these were very tender.
This was Székely Gulyás, from the region near Romania. There is a fellow in our chess club from there, so I chose that style. The Székelys claim descendency from Attila’s Huns and they defended the East against the Ottomans. There are many variations of gulyás as you can imagine, swapping out this or that meat, potatoes or noodles for sauerkraut, less thick or more thick.
Next I am considering either Pörkölt or Paprikás Csirke. Both will get made. I just wonder which first. The Olympics will go on for a while so I really should pace myself or my skin might turn red. Also, I need to get some cucumbers for Uborkasaláta.
My diet has been supremely boring for weeks. This really spiced me up.
Beer or wine made by Benedictines (both) would have been great with this.
Chiesa del Santissimo Nome di Maria al Foro Traiano was built built between 1736 and 1751. The celebration of the Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary was instituted by Pope Innocent XI after the Battle of Vienna in 1683 with the defeat of muslims set on the conquest of Europe and the obliteration of Christendom. As such it holds a special place for the Habsburgs.
You might remember that when the Archbishop of DC refused to allow Card. Castrillon to say a Pontifical Mass at the Shrine in DC, 
Stop for a moment. Consider what our eternal prospects were before the birth not only of Our Lord, but also before the birth of His Mother, from whom He took our human nature, the Blessed Virgin Mary.
