My husband & I went to Tennessee last week, to see my family in Jackson & his in Nashville. As usual, we had a terrific time. And we finally went to the Loveless Cafe for breakfast, something we've been meaning to do for a long time.
You know, when I go to a famous restaurant like that, I always have this fear that it won't measure up, that I'll be disappointed. I certainly was with another Nashville icon Pancake Pantry (IHOP has better potato pancakes).
This definitely didn't happen with the Loveless. I had the pulled pork & eggs, he had the sampler with ham, bacon, and sausage and eggs. And both were wonderful! At first I was put out that there was only a squirt of sauce on my pork. Then I tasted it & realized it was almost unnecessary; the pork itself was so good! And the stone ground grits were marvelous. Hubby's ham was too salty for me, but that is about the only real criticism I have. GO if you can.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
Children of the Arbat
I'm reading this, a paperback my husband found going through boxes in his parents' storage unit in Nashville--he bought it for a class in college.
Anyway, the book itself is very engaging. It's about the Soviet Union in the early '30s, just as Stalin is beginning his reign of terror. And it's making me tremendously grateful to be an American. How very sad; from everything I've read, NOTHING CHANGED in that country. They still had a stratified society with one ruler whose will was law; they simply called him Comrade instead of Tzar.
Anyway, the book itself is very engaging. It's about the Soviet Union in the early '30s, just as Stalin is beginning his reign of terror. And it's making me tremendously grateful to be an American. How very sad; from everything I've read, NOTHING CHANGED in that country. They still had a stratified society with one ruler whose will was law; they simply called him Comrade instead of Tzar.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
I love Latin....
My husband found a source online for the rosary prayers in Latin. He printed it out in booklet form (he's a graphics designer & has a new toy at work), one for each of us. So last night I tried saying my nightly rosary in Latin.
WOW. I like it. It's more complicated, of course, and I read directly from the booklet. But what I really liked was how that kept me focused. I have a problem with my mind wandering while I say the rosary, and that didn't happen of course because I had to PAY CLOSE ATTENTION. The same thing happens when I attend Tridentine Mass as opposed to Missa Normativa. I actually PARTICIPATE MORE FULLY at the Latin Mass because I'm not rattling off the prayers in automatic . Oh wait, that's not supposed to be the case, I'm a mindless drone at the Tridentine Mass 'cause I don't actually speak Latin (yet....waiting for SJC's fall classes to start....is it October yet????), never mind that THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION IS RIGHT NEXT TO IT!
But one weird thing: I had a problem saying the Hail Holy Queen, because as I read, I remembered I'd heard it (or bits of it, at least) before, in song. I realize now that Andrew Lloyd Webber cribbed bits of it for the opening sequence of Evita, at her funeral (it's not in the movie, but it's on the Broadway soundtrack, which I used to own). So last night I had trouble not singing those parts.....
WOW. I like it. It's more complicated, of course, and I read directly from the booklet. But what I really liked was how that kept me focused. I have a problem with my mind wandering while I say the rosary, and that didn't happen of course because I had to PAY CLOSE ATTENTION. The same thing happens when I attend Tridentine Mass as opposed to Missa Normativa. I actually PARTICIPATE MORE FULLY at the Latin Mass because I'm not rattling off the prayers in automatic . Oh wait, that's not supposed to be the case, I'm a mindless drone at the Tridentine Mass 'cause I don't actually speak Latin (yet....waiting for SJC's fall classes to start....is it October yet????), never mind that THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION IS RIGHT NEXT TO IT!
But one weird thing: I had a problem saying the Hail Holy Queen, because as I read, I remembered I'd heard it (or bits of it, at least) before, in song. I realize now that Andrew Lloyd Webber cribbed bits of it for the opening sequence of Evita, at her funeral (it's not in the movie, but it's on the Broadway soundtrack, which I used to own). So last night I had trouble not singing those parts.....
Friday, August 10, 2007
Why Missal Thumper?
It occurred to me that I should probably explain the title here. One day my cousin referred to her traditional Protestant sister-in-law as a "bible-thumper", and it got me thinking. What would you call a traditional Catholic? "Mackerel-snapper" is too old. Then I remembered the 1962 Missals we bought when we decided to become parishioners at St. John Cantius (PLUG: BEST PARISH IN THE WORLD, YOU MUST GO IF YOU CAN). Ah-HAH!!! MISSAL thumpers!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Eggs in Purgatory
My husband and I stopped eating meat on Fridays altogether. I suspect this is more of a penance for him than for me; I love vegetables & fish, but he grew up very meat-and-potatoes. Here's something he really likes, called Eggs in Purgatory. The "purgatory" part is spicy gravy (non-Italians read: tomato sauce), but if you prefer gravy that isn't spicy, it's still good.
2 eggs per person
2 slices Italian bread per person
gravy to cover, at least 1c per person
butter or olive oil
grated romano cheese (or parmesan if you like that better)
Warm the gravy in a saucepot. While it's heating, lightly butter or oil the bread slices. Put them under the broiler or on a George Forman grill to brown. Fry 2 eggs per person in butter.
To plate: lay the browned bread on the plate. Top each slice with a fried egg, then ladle over the gravy. Sprinkle with grated cheese & serve.
YES. This is good. Try it!
2 eggs per person
2 slices Italian bread per person
gravy to cover, at least 1c per person
butter or olive oil
grated romano cheese (or parmesan if you like that better)
Warm the gravy in a saucepot. While it's heating, lightly butter or oil the bread slices. Put them under the broiler or on a George Forman grill to brown. Fry 2 eggs per person in butter.
To plate: lay the browned bread on the plate. Top each slice with a fried egg, then ladle over the gravy. Sprinkle with grated cheese & serve.
YES. This is good. Try it!
Hello out there
Yes, yet ANOTHER blog. This one's about the random interests of a Catholic woman from Chicago. Cooking, books, movies, and the odd rant about whatever I'm thinking at the moment.
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