It’s a beautiful Saturday in November with the sun, the smell of autumn in the air, prep for Thanksgiving and mild temps at 64. For Connecticut, this a blessing.
A friend sent me a NY Times article on Turkey’s bees. Grateful, I am, for several reasons. I like to know what other cultures do in beekeeping, e.g., the Turks, the Armenian Turks, and the peoples of the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, & Palestine). Greece, too. They have different methods and different tasting honey. At a friend’s funeral a few weeks ago I was speaking with 2 Eastern Catholic bishop-friends who were present and we got into talking about bees, honey and helping the poor farmers of Lebanon and Iraq in beekeeping. Helping farmers with beekeeping in this part of the world is a good project. Something similar that I want to do with the Benedictines in parts of Africa.
The house is filled with a beautiful pork aroma. I rendered for the leaf lard from last year’s pigs so that my mother can use the lard in baking and frying. Don’t confuse the leaf fat that comes from around kidneys with the back of a pig. I have to say I am glad I am Catholic with an appreciation of raising pigs and using most of the bits of the pigs. Rendered leaf lard the best lard around.
We had our annual St Gregory Purgatorial Society Mass today: a solemn high Traditional Latin Mass. The ceremonial is very different from the ordinary way of the Latin Mass and the music beautiful. Nearly 200 names enrolled in the Society enjoy several spiritual benefits. The benefactors are quite generous in financial things that fund some of the sacred music program.
After the Divine Liturgy tomorrow I am visiting a young man and his family who raise the Mangalitsa pig. A beautiful pig with curley hair renown for its pork and lard. It was THE pig from the Hungary, Serbia, Czech Republic, Austria among some countries that fed lots of people. In former times this pig was excellent for sausage and now certain chefs are using the meat for chops and roasts, etc. Hence, we’ll have 2 heritage breeds of pig next year: the Mangalitsa and the Berkshire.
Have a beautiful of Saturday!