February 23 |
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Anniversary of the Crowning of
Simon de Brion as Pope Martin IV
Most of us have been told to go to Hell a
few times. But it is unusual for someone to be told to go to Purgatory, a place that many Christians believe is suburb of Hell where
some sinners go to be purified for their sins before they are allowed
into Heaven. Dante Alighieri, the medieval Italian poet
and author of the epic
Divine Comedy, imagined Purgatory as a mountain
with seven terraces, corresponding to the
seven deadly sins. Dante assigned Pope Martin IV to the terrace of
Purgatory reserved for the sin of gluttony which contemporary
psychiatrists would classify as another form of addiction.
There were, however, many who wanted Pope Martin IV to go directly to
Hell because he was a political appointment by Charles of Anjou
who wanted Simon to be his puppet pope and imprisoned two
influential Italian cardinals who despised Simon as a political stooge
prior to the papal election in 1281. This scared most of the other
cardinals and Simon was elected to the papacy, taking the name Martin
IV.
According to some authors, the Pope died of indigestion
after which his body was washed with spiced Vernaccia wine
and buried. There were reports that Dante's comedic verse was etched in
stone in his grave. |
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The eels are glad that he is dead
And lies interred in this low bed
Who, as their doom for mortal sins,
When living stripped them of their skins. |
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Jacopa della Lana, the leading
commenter of Dante's Divine Comedy and possibly one of the first PETA
activists, wrote:
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"He was most depraved by gluttony and other
food-inspired
greed to the point that he had eels brought from Lake Bolsena
which he put to drown in Vernaccia wine, then had then roasted
and ate.. So fond was he of this morsel that he kept wanting
them brought up to drown in his room." |
Whether the Pope is still in Purgatory or had
Dr. Drew Pinsky, CNN's addiction specialist, pray for his salvation and now resides with the angels, let's
celebrate this anniversary of his coronation with his favorite recipe while
watching Dante: The Divine Comedy (2002), a great video that provides
an entertaining introduction to this literary masterpiece
by some British academics plus the Topiary Dance Group .More
educators should use this video as a model for video education.
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Eels in Vernaccia Wine
1 lb eels*
1 cup Vernaccia or other dry white wine
3 pealed cloves of garlic
I tsp oregano
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, sliced
1/2 cup oil
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1/2 cup butter
1 cup fish stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
I cup flour
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Instructions
1. Skin and clean the eels, Cut them into
one inch chunks and marinate them them in the wine, garlic, onion and
oregano for 24 hours.
2. Dredge the marinated
eel in flour.
3. In a sauté pan over medium heat, sear the eel until golden brown, about 6
minutes,
4. Add the wine and stock and cook until reduced by half. Add the
butter and cook until it melts and browns slightly. Divide the eel among 4
serving plates and top with the sauce |
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* Although eels
are a staple in Italy and in several Asian countries, they are often
difficult to find in the US. Some Asian markets in major
cities carry them. They are also available as pets at some pet stores for
marine pet aficionados. However, the authors do not recommend
eating pets except at PETA conventions.
© 2010 Gordon Nary
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