Thoughts and opinions from a Priest in the PNCC
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My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: His Highness Deacon Jim the Subservient of Herring-le-hole Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title |
I like the subservient part, I love herring (śledź) in sour cream, but I’m not sure about the hole part…
A thank you to Fr. Martin Fox for the link to this.
Last night at Holy Mass we had a traditional blessing of wine on the Feast of St. John. The form is as follows:
THE BLESSING OF WINE (Feast of St. John the Evangelist)
Before Mass, the priest garbed in Mass vestments, without the maniple, stands at the Epistle side of the altar and blesses the wine.
P. Our help is in the name + of the Lord.
R. Who hath made heaven and earth.
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.P. The beginning of the Gospel according to St. John.
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and with¬out Him was made nothing that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. This man came for a witness, to give testimony to the light that all men might believe through him. He was not the light, but was to give testimony of the light that was the true light, which enlighteneth every man that cometh into this world.
He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own and His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, He gave to them power to be made the sons of God, to them that believe in His name, who are born not of blood, nor of the will of flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (Here all kneel). AND THE WORD WAS MADE FLESH, and dwelt among us; and we saw His glory, the glory as it were of the Only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
R. Thanks be to God.
Let us pray
Through the words of the Holy Gospel and through the merits of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist, deign, O Lord, to bless + and hallow + this chalice of wine, and preserve from all evil those, who with faith shall drink of this cup, as Thou didst preserve from death Thy blessed Apostle John, who, having partaken of the poisonous potion, escaped all harm. Grant, O merciful Father, that likewise the poison of sin may prove powerless to hurt us, that sin, the dreadful enemy of mankind, may hold no power over us, and poison not our bodies nor destroy our souls. Through Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
The benediction is pronounced, then the wine is sprinkled with holy water and incensed.
The blessing of Almighty God, the Father, the Son + and the Holy Ghost descend upon those partaking of this wine and remain with them forevermore.
R. Amen.
P. The Lord be with you.
R. And with thy spirit.P. The continuation of the Gospel according to St. John.
R. Glory be to Thee, O Lord.At that time a marriage took place at Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now Jesus too was invited to the marriage, and also His disciples. And the wine having run short, the mother of Jesus said to him, they have no wine. And Jesus said to her; What wouldst thou have Me do, woman? My hour has not yet come. Now six stone water jars were placed there, after the Jewish manner of purification, each holding two or three measures, Jesus said to them. Fill the jars with water. And they filled them to the brim. And Jesus said to them, draw out now, and take to the chief steward. And they took it to him. Now when the chief steward had tasted the water after it had become wine, not knowing whence it was (though the attendants who had drawn the water knew), the chief steward called the bridegroom, and said to him: Every man at first sets forth the good wine, and when they have drunk freely, then that which is poorer. But thou hast kept the good wine until now. This first of His signs Jesus worked at Cana of Galilee; and He manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
R. Thanks be to God.
The priest distributes the wine, to the faithful, after the second ablution and before covering the chalice.
Here’s what I had blessed:
A deli is not a deli when it represents the meddlesome level at which government planning boards and other such bodies interfere in free commerce.
Now I agree that planning boards are important in that they help to maintain the character of a community. Citizens generally would disagree with having a big box store dropped down into the center of their quaint downtown. At the same time these boards (often unelected) hold sway over the natural course of business. The story: New Hyde Park Village Reserves Decision on Polish Deli from the Illustrated News makes that fact pretty clear.
After just three months of opening, Polish Deli owner Grzegorz Bak, 916 Jericho Turnpike, New Hyde Park, came before the New Hyde Park Village Board to ask for a special use permit to allow for the ability to cook foods in his store.
And this is necessary because? Now I could see getting a permit from the health department or even an inspection from the fire marshal, but a ‘special use permit’ from an agency that has no business meddling in such things is beyond me. Anyway, if the area is zoned commercial and the establishment fits the zoning, why a permit?
The original permit was for the store to only be a Polish grocery store with no prepared foods and now Bak said he has had inquiries from quite a large number of customers who want him to provide hot Kielbasas, hot pirogies and sandwiches.
See a demand, meet the need – but that would be in a country that didn’t have a planned economy (oops, thought I was in the Soviet Union for awhile).
He explained he has a huge counter and it would be easy to prepare hot foods with a countertop grill. His hours are currently from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. but with the new permit he would also be asking for an extension of hours from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. so that he could provide breakfast foods such as kielbasa with egg sandwiches.
Mayor Daniel Petruccio said that he is always happy to see businesses succeed, but he said he was mindful of the fact that this store is located in very close proximity to Park Deli, which has been in business in New Hyde Park for 49 years.
So the mayor thinks that an older established business has a right of veto over newcomers? Who knew?
I do understand. We wouldn’t want Mr. Khrushchev coming in and pounding his shoe on the counter – oops, flashback again.
Deputy Mayor Robert Lofaro said that coming before the board shortly after receiving an initial permit puts the board in a very “awkward” position.
Of course politicians who make stupid, intrusive, overbearing, bureaucratic rules that require people to kow-tow every time they sneeze creates such an awkward situation. You makes the rules and people are going to have to follow them.
Bak said that most of his customers are of Polish descent and, for the most part, do not live in the New Hyde Park area, but rather come from other areas such as Glen Cove and Hempstead; and when they do they are looking for kielbasas, pirogies and stuffed cabbage.
When the meeting was open to the public, Artie Ruesch, representing his father who owns Park Deli, came to the microphone. He said he felt it was a very bad precedent of the village to allow a permit to be changed in such a short space of time. He pointed out that anyone could receive a permit for a facility and then within months come back to the board and change the conditions of the permit. When asked by trustee Donald Barbieri if he served kielbasa and pirogies he said he did so, but usually just for holidays. He also added that he felt sure that Bak had in the back of his mind when he first applied for the application that he would be coming back to change the conditions of the application.
He further pointed out that there are many food places in the vicinity such as an Italian deli, a diner and Blimpie’s, which closed because of the amount of competition in the area. He ended his short comments by saying, “I hope that you will consider my objections to this application.”
So Mr. Ruesch, who grew up fat and happy (of course I’m guessing, unlike Mr. Ruesch who is certain as to what was in Mr. Bak’s mind) because of his father’s hard work, wants to make sure dad has no competition. Free market and all why don’t you get yourself down to dad’s deli and cook up some pierogi? If Mr. Bak’s business model fails that’s his fault. If he succeeds maybe he’ll give you a job.
The next person to speak was David Peykar, who identified himself as the manager of the building at 916 Jericho Turnpike. He said he disagreed with Ruesch and that competition is good. He pointed out that many stores in the area sell foods, including the bagel shop, Umberto’s, Italian Deli, Pizza Shop and Chinese food store and he said that is good for the village. He said he did advise Bak to go the “extra mile” when he applied for the initial application so that would have been done in “one shot.”
David Peykar, the only person who made any sense in the whole matter. Hey, this guy succeeds my rents go up – cool.
The board reserved decision on the application because it now has to return to the Nassau County Planning Commission; and when their reply is received, in about 30 days, the board will vote on the application.
Uh, yeah…
Jimmy Blue posts a commentary at The Daily Evergreen regarding the recent decision by the NY City Board of Health that bans tans-fat from restaurants.
In my opinion his post nails the issue straight-on. Here’s an excerpt from Trans-fat ban neglects responsibility
More than a year ago, when the smoking ban was passed in Washington, I had mixed feelings. As a nonsmoker, I was first a proponent of the ban, I was tired of sitting in restaurants inhaling second-hand, cancer-causing, smoke. But I also realized the ban made things much more difficult for smokers and pushed smoking onto the streets and sidewalks where it still affected nonsmokers.
Today, I am unsure passing the smoking ban in Washington was the right choice. I would not be so unsure if Washington took the steps New York City has recently taken in banning the use of trans fats in all restaurants.
The New York City Board of Health voted last week to ban the use of artificial trans fats by restaurateurs in the hopes of promoting healthier eating. This is a problem for restaurants as well as people who oppose restrictions on their rights. I am in favor of helping those in need, but a ban on certain foods seems ridiculous.
There is a fine line to government intervention in the marketplace.
For instance, your ‘right’ to drive is not a right at all, but a government privilege. Government can and does restrict what you are able to do with and in a car. For example, you cannot use a cell phone while driving, you must wear a seatbelt, you must drive the posted speed, you must be licensed, you cannot use your car as a hammock when you’re out getting drunk. These are all well and good and provide for the safety of everyone.
As to smoking, well I’m happy because I don’t have to sit in a cloud in a restaurant, bar, or at work. Other people’s enjoyment ruins my enjoyment, my clothes, and my health. I shouldn’t be forced to smoke if I do not wish to smoke, and no, you cannot create an effective, efficient, or perfect smoking/non-smoking divide in any building.
Never-the-less, there must be limits to the government’s regulation of our lives. I would also agree that government is wont to go too far. Government bans related to food products (no we’re not baking pot brownies – but why should that be a problem either) are repugnant to responsible freedom.
Banning trans-fat, pate, foie gras, szmalec* or any other item from a menu is utterly invasive. It passes into the realm of government meddling and control in areas where government has no business. Can these things be bad for you – sure, as can beer, wine, eggs, red meat, fish, pie with a crust made from lard, or escargot if you eat them every day non-stop. If you’re shoving down 50 Twinkies a day there’s nothing government can do to help you.
Where government can be effective in in the area of education. With knowledge and appropriate consumer awareness (look at the massive decrease in the number of smokers – and it’s not because you can’t smoke at the local bowing alley) the market will regulate itself. Unfortunately, we as Americans want the quick fix and the short-cut. Pass a law and we think the problem will miraculously disappear (like we’re all so law abiding). Rather, invasive and nonsensical laws will end like prohibition, with the majority ignoring such laws.
As Christians we are taught (or should have been taught) to be stewards of the earth. We are given the earth’s gifts for our benefit and enjoyment. We are also commanded not to kill (that includes killing yourself). With Christian awareness and an appropriate education we can indulge once-and-a-while without tending to an unhealthy lifestyle.
I’ll enjoy a cigar once in a blue-clouded moon, drink a few too make vodka shots, eat the charred fat off my steak, and slather my Polish rye with szmalec. For dessert I’ll down a Dunkin’ Donut saturated with trans-fat plastics. In the end I’ll enjoy them and I’ll enjoy them responsibly. That’s part of the richness of God’s gifts, and God’s requirement that we be responsible, i.e., stewards, of what we have been given – and that is an area that government has no business regulating.
Szmalec is a type of Polish lard created from rendered pork fat. Homemade szmalec is typically imbued with pork cracklings, chopped and fried onion, marjoram, salt, pepper, and other seasonings. It is a classic peasant dish typically used as a substitute for the ‘rich man’s butter’ and is spread on bread. Approx. equal to one month’s supply of cholesterol on a single slice of bread. My pastor notes that szmalec and bread were the daily ration for seminarians in Poland during the dark days of communist oppression.
Thanks to a heads-up from Tom on the Polish American Forum discussion group I’ve added a new Polish restaurant, J. Betski’s which recently opened in Raleigh, NC, to my Restaurants and Delis database.
I started last night with the prep for my famous stuffing. The recipe for those interested:
Need:
Procedure (one day prior):
Empty the breadcrumbs into a LARGE bowl – and I mean big, you’ll need it.
Bring the chicken broth to a boil and reduce heat to low. Leave it on while you prepare the rest.
Chop up the raw sausage as much as possible and fry. As the sausage fries continue to chop at it with a non-metal spatula. By the end you should have a finely crumbled, nicely browned bunch of sausage. Throw it on top of the breadcrumbs and mix.
Return your frying pan to the heat and melt the butter. Finely chop the celery and onions and mix together. Fry them in the butter until they are translucent. Once cooked, throw them on top of the bread crumbs and sausage and mix.
Thrown in the sage and the dried fruit.
Blend everything together.
Pour the broth over the mixture. Pour slowly and cover the mixture. Stop and stir everything together every so often.
Refrigerate overnight to let the flavors blend.
Bake apart from the turkey in a casserole (400 degrees for about 1/2 hour, till hot through).
Experiment with your own spices and other such things. Good luck.
Our family began arriving at about noon. Everyone pitched in with the prep and the clean-up (for which I am very grateful) and we ate at 2:15.
Today’s menu consisted of turkey, white and sweet mashed potatoes, rutabaga, corn, rolls, apple sauce, zucchini bread, jambalaya (with andouille sausage and shrimp), the stuffing noted above, gravy, cranberries (jellied and whole).
I served a Valpolicella Classico Superiore – Danese before dinner and a Moscato d’Asti – Saracco with dinner.
All-in-all a successful repast.
I’ve been drinking selections from the Samuel Adams seasonal collection recently – Winter Lager, Old Fezziwig Ale, Cranberry Lambic, and Holiday Porter. I enjoyed them all except the Cranberry Lambic – too many high notes – it was harsh.
I just picked up a case of Leinenkugel’s Holiday collection made by the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. It’s new in the area and after trying it I adjudge it a welcome addition. Even the bottle styling is traditional. Reminds me of Buffalo’s favorite – Iroquois (careful of the pop-ups). I’ve tasted them all – Honey Weiss (a non-cloudy wheat honey beer), Red, Creamy Dark, and Sunset Wheat (a traditional wheat with orange overtones – very refreshing).
I’ll be opening the wine tomorrow morning after I get the bird in the oven. I’ll be starting with an Armenian Pomegranate wine – very nice, but takes some getting used to. I have a nice Sauterne (not Sauternes) which my mom used to mix with Squirt. A pretty good combo, I’ll give it a go tomorrow in memory of mom.
Red Lobster
My family and I went to Red Lobster after church on Sunday.
Everyone knows how these restaurants do their little shtick when someone is having a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, etc.).
My wife’s birthday is coming up so I ask the waitress if they can bring a desert and do the song thing.
Sorry, we don’t do that anymore.
Huh?
We don’t do that, too many people complained.
Huh?
People wrote to corporate telling them that they come here to eat and not be bothered into celebrating anything. We were told to stop.
I wonder what kind of response corporate received. Did the Jehovah’s Witnesses get offended because people were celebrating an occasion and conduct a write-in campaign?
Has some vast majority of our nation decided to take offense at others celebrating an occasion publicly? Is our new motto F-you and your silly celebration too!!!?
Aren’t these types of restaurants supposed to be less formal, easier going, laid back, and family oriented? Aren’t restaurant experiences supposed to be social?
I guess not. I didn’t realize that I was eating at Chez Langoustine Rouge…
A good friend introduced me to wines from Central Europe about a decade ago. Egri Bikavér (“Bull’s Blood”) is a wonderful Hungarian wine. When we used to drink it, it was a very inexpensive buy. Lately I’ve been hearing a few people talking about Georgian wines. I was at our local mega-specialty wine store yesterday and decided to look for a bottle or two.
Their selection from these countries was rather limited. I picked up one Georgian wine and I found an Armenian wine. The Armenian wine is a semi-sweet made from quince. We tried it with dinner tonight and, in my inestimably poor ability to judge anything, I give it a thumbs up. I noticed that the Armenian’s make a semi-sweet from pomegranate. I’m going to start looking. I also forgot to ask them if they carry Egri – that’ll have to wait for the next trip.
Na zdrowie!