BROOKLYN 25/10 – Day 41: shopping

Posted on 7 November 2025 by Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Over in Rome the sunrise was at 6:48 and the sunset was at 16:59.

The Ave Maria Bells was supposed to ring for the Curia, but it didn’t.  However, it did ring at The Parish, and this is what it sounded like tonight, replete with seagull accompaniment.

I am not in Rome.  Where I am, the sun rose at 6:32 and set at 16:45.

Ave Maria Be…. well.  No.

It is a 1st Friday.   There are 55 days left in the year.  Advent comes in 23 days.

No, I’m not back at the Campo de’ Fiori.

No, I’m not by Pippo’s flower stand.

Tomorrow night my host and I will have supper with some priests and I am in the galley, not just at the oars at ramming speed (the blog) but at the stove as the cook.

Today we gathered supplies.  We will have, at request, my pasta “al seminario”.   We got this often in seminary in Rome.  It’s simple and there’s never any left unless I make it in mastodontic portions (as I will this time).   Usually I spaghetti with this, but this time it’s rigatoni… easier on shirts.

Every recipe has to begin somewhere.   First, however, sharpened the knife on the bottom rim of a ceramic coffee mug.  Works in a pinch.

Because of the quantity… worked in batches so as not to crowd the pans.

Same here.

San Marzano… carrots… hot red pepper (flakes).


And now it will reduce.   This is for tomorrow.   Sauces seem better the next day.

Tomorrow will bring thick ribeye steaks in clarified butter served with a baked potato and homemade Bearnaise sauce.    I have no idea about wine pairing.   I think it might be a secret.    I forgot about dessert.   Hmmmm….

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.

Animi caussa.

And…

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

Priestly chess players, drop me a line. HERE

White mates in 2. How fast did you find it?

And… you don’t have to be a dedicated player to be awestruck by this.

Get stuff for your mom or grandmother… whomever. Get or sell a house … or lot, I guess… building… something… and some money will support a pro-life cause.

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
This entry was posted in On the road. Bookmark the permalink.

3 Comments

  1. revueltos67 says:
    7 November 2025 at 11:20 PM

    Took about 20 minutes.

    1) Qe7 N anywhere
    2) Qh2 mate

    1) Qe7 g3
    2) Qxf5 mate

    1) Qe7 Kg3
    1) Qe3 mate

  2. revueltos67 says:
    8 November 2025 at 11:24 AM

    Oops. In my first post I had a typo in the key first move that was then copied into all the following 2 move sequences. This is the correction.

    Took about 20 minutes.

    1) Qe5 N anywhere
    2) Qh2 mate

    1) Qe5 g3
    2) Qxf5 mate

    1) Qe5 Kg3
    1) Qe3 mate

  3. Not says:
    9 November 2025 at 6:47 AM

    Love watching you cook Father Z. Sauce is definitely better the next day. We Sicilians put sugar in our sauce. Over the years when young men come to me wanting to know how to make sauce to impress a girlfriend, I tell them to watch first Godfather movie where Michael Corleone gets a cooking lesson from Clemenza. Never fails.

Comments are closed.