Inspired by seeing “V for Vendetta” (conclusion : fun but not serious) Peculiar found this post by John Zmirak, proprietor of European Reactionary from Queens and author of the hilarious “The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Good Living”, doubtless the only book blurbed by both chef Mario Batalli and Catholic priests that contains a roadkill recipe. Zmirak suggests how Catholics might celebrate Guy Fawkes’ Day:
“While this day is not part of the Church’s liturgical calendar, there’s no reason we can’t enjoy it—albeit giving the holiday a bit of a twist. Why not get the baking enthusiasts in your family (i.e. the girls) to make a House of Parliament out of gingerbread? Find pictures of these exquisite gothic buildings on the Internet, and make the best copy you can, lovingly adding details with icing, perhaps even forming a tiny King James I out of marzipan. Unveil it at the outset of tonight’s family dinner-or at a gathering of friends. As dinner unfolds, tell the story of Guy Fawkes and his friends—then for dessert take the gingerbread parliament outside, stuff it with M-80 fireworks, and blow it all to hell.”
I can’t help thinking this might remind Mr. P. of his childhood, when his mother would make elaborate gingerbread houses at christmas, win prizes with them, and then give them to young P. and his friends on New Year’s Day to destroy by any means they chose…
Now that’s a little misleading, Steve. You make it sound as though we were iconoclasts hell-bent on mayhem and destruction. (Fine, fine, we were, but we had other facets to our characters as well.) #1: I put quite a bit of effort into helping my mother build those gingerbread houses; it was only her good sense that restrained us from recreating Hagia Sophia and the Forbidden City. And B, properly fabricated gingerbread houses are awfully sturdy: there’s no way ever to dismantle them short of hammers. I assume Mr. Zmirak knows this and therefore suggests M-80s. Ordinary firecrackers would do no worse than leave it a bit sooty.
Perhaps we should dig up some pics of the gingerbread houses and post those….