St. Lawrence. The name itself might evoke thoughts of a stoic figure from the annals of
ancient Rome, draped in a toga and bathed in the smoky light of history. But don't be fooled by
the saintly aura. This guy wasn't just another pious relic. He was the patron saint of cooks and
comedians, for good reason.
Rome in the third century. The air thick with the scent of roasted meat and the laughter of a
bustling kitchen. Lawrence was the deacon of the church, a man with a sense of duty but also
a sense of humor. The legend goes that when asked to bring the treasures of the church to the
Roman authorities, he presented the poor and the sick, proclaiming them as the true
treasures.
For that, he was sentenced to a grisly end – roasted alive on a gridiron. And in what can only be
described as the ultimate chef's defiance, it's said he quipped, "Turn me over, I’m done on this
side." That’s Lawrence – a man who faced the flames with a smile, and in doing so, became the
eternal icon of those who cook with fire and those who find light in the darkest of times.
So, the next time you find yourself in a kitchen, cursing at a stubborn soufflé or laughing off a
kitchen disaster, remember St. Lawrence. He’s been there. He’s faced the heat. And he did it
with a laugh.