Earth Mass

As some of you may know, my youngest daughter is in an a cappella singing group at her high school and last Sunday they were among the glorious voices invited to sing at Earth Mass at Saint John the Divine Church in New York City. The MISSA GAIA or EARTH MASS was composed by Paul Winter in 1980, and each year since 1985 some 5,000 people flock to the Cathedral to participate in the Mass, accompanied by their pets of all varieties, sizes, shapes and smells. The mass concluded with a procession of animals, courtesy of Dawn Animal Sanctuary. As we sat in the pews of this spectacular and vast gothic cathedral, we enjoyed a parade of animals that included a working dog, a camel, a sheep, a llama, a tortoise, a yak, a donkey, a fox and many, many other beautiful beasts. The vocation of St. Francis of Assisi – celebration of the natural world, compassion, and stewardship -- was lovingly represented in this extraordinary commemoration.




This past Tuesday we had dinner at the foodie’s house where we devoured Chicken with Pancetta and Olives….it was tasty indeed! Chicken with Pancetta and Olives From Gourmet Magazine Ingredients 2 chickens (about 3 1/2 lb each), backbones cut out and each chicken cut into 12 pieces 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped thyme 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary 1 tablespoon fine sea salt 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes 10 garlic cloves, peeled 2 (1/4-inch-thick) slices pancetta, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 cup dry white wine 24 oil-cured black olives Directions • Preheat oven to 450°F with rack in middle. • Toss chicken with oil, thyme, rosemary, sea salt, red-pepper flakes, and 1 tsp pepper, rubbing mixture into chicken. • Arrange chicken, skin side up, in 1 layer in a 17- by 11-inch 4-sided sheet pan. Scatter garlic and pancetta on top and roast until chicken begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Drizzle wine over chicken and roast 8 minutes more. Scatter olives over chicken and roast until skin is golden brown and chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes more. Let stand 10 minutes. We also has roasted potatoes, artichokes and leeks, a fig and mixed green salad, and tiramisu for dessert.