The crowd of 41,918 at Nationals Park on Sunday had barely stopped cheering for Jesus Flores’s fourth-inning homer into the right field bleachers, which gave the home team a 4-3 lead over the Baltimore Orioles, when 10-year-old Micah Hurewitz, standing with his dad in the upper deck, had to start yelling all over again. Read full article > >

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Crowds, homers and winning teams fill Nationals Park for a weekend

Andrew Lloyd Webber on Jesus and Profumo

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Lloyd Webber on Jesus and Profumo

One year after 1,000 people staged a reenactment in Port Talbot of Jesus’s journey to the cross, negative attitutes to the town have changed, says the town’s canon.

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Passion anniversary held in town

The traditional Easter table generally centers around one of two meats: you're either Team Lamb or Team Ham . The lamb is a cross-cultural symbol for spring. The sacrificed lamb is a key element of the Passover Seder , and in Christianity, Jesus is referred to as the Lamb of God, slain then resurrected. In Greek culture, lamb is the king of all animals when it comes to feasting. The standard preparation involves spit-roasting the whole animal , but in case you don't have 27 first cousins to invite over, Chef Michael Psilakis wants to give you a leg up. For those feeling sheepish about cooking lamb, venture in with Psilakis's stuffed and roasted leg of lamb. He says the Mediterranean flavors of the stuffing help tone down the gamey nature of the meat. ” Americans were afraid of lamb for a long time because of the smell. When it’s roasting, it has this very gamey smell that a lot of people have an issue with that. They're offended by it,” says Psilakis. This recipe will have skeptics and fans alike flocking toward lamb. Roasted Leg of Lamb Serves 6 or more, family-style Ingredients FOR THE STUFFING 1 1/2 cups large, plump sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped 1/4 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted 1 small sweet onion, charred (optional) 1 roasted red pepper (optional; if you use peppers from jar, be sure to drain) 1 teaspoon minced rosemary Leaves only from 3 small sprigs thyme 1 teaspoon dry Greek oregano 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard 15 cloves garlic confit (recipe below), or 5 cloves raw garlic 3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar About 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper FOR THE LAMB 3 to 3 1/2 pound boneless leg of lamb, butterflied to flatten, some of the fat trimmed off Kosher salt and cracked black pepper Extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 cups water 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard 2 to 3 cloves garlic confit, or 1 raw garlic clove 3 large sprigs rosemary 3 Tablespoons blended oil (90 percent canola, 10 percent extra-virgin olive) Cooking Directions In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients for the stuffing and purée to a smooth, thick paste, about 45 to 60 seconds. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the stuffing. Lay the lamb out on a work surface with the fattier side down. Season generously with kosher salt and pepper and spread an even layer of stuffing over it, pressing the stuffing down into the crevices. Drizzle with a little olive oil and roll the lamb up in a spiral, seasoning the fatty side with salt and pepper as you roll. Tie in 4 or 5 places crosswise (twist the string around itself 3 times instead of just once before you pull it tight, so it won't loosen as soon as you let go). Ideally, allow the meat to sit on a rack, uncovered, in the refrigerator overnight, to dry the surface well and develop all the Greek flavors. Bring the lamb to room temperature while you preheat the oven to 375°F. In a small roasting pan, whisk the reserved stuffing with the water, mustard and garlic. Throw in the rosemary sprigs. Place a rack in the pan; the rack should not touch the liquid. Again, season the lamb on all sides very generously with kosher salt and pepper. In a large, heavy skillet, warm the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is very hot, sear the lamb well on all sides, using tongs and leaning the meat up against the sides of the pan to sear the thinner sides and cut ends. Transfer the lamb to the rack seam-side up and roast for about 1 hour, basting every 15 minutes with the pan liquid. (When the meat is medium-rare – 140°F – a skewer inserted at the thickest point should feel warm when pressed against your lower lip.) Rest the meat for about 15 minutes. Slice 1/4-inch thick pieces, drizzle with the pan sauce, and finish with the extra-virgin olive oil. Garlic Confit Makes 3 cups Ingredients 3 cups garlic cloves, peeled 1 fresh bay leaf or 2 dried leaves 8 to 10 sprigs fresh thyme Kosher salt and whole black peppercorns About 2 cups blended oil (50 percent canola, 50 percent extra-virgin olive), as needed Cooking Directions Put the garlic cloves in a heavy, covered braising pan or Dutch oven. Add the bay leaf and thyme, a scant tablespoon kosher salt, and 15 or 20 black peppercorns. Barely cover with the oil. Cover the pan and braise in a 300°F oven until the cloves are pale golden and very tender, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool it to room temperature. Transfer the garlic and all of the oil to a sterilized jar. Press a square of plastic wrap down directly onto the surface of the oil. Place another square of plastic over the rim of the jar and twist on the lid or secure with a rubber band. With every use, replace the square of plastic that touches the oil and use a perfectly clean fork or tongs each time to prevent cross-contamination from other surfaces in your kitchen. As long as the cloves are covered with oil, they will last for at least 3 weeks in the refrigerator. Take Our Poll

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Easter lamb: It’s Greek to me

Mexico extradites one of the country’s biggest drug lords, Jesus Zambada, to the US to face charges.

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Mexico sends drug kingpin to US

Here in the working-class parish of Jesus de Monte, even the atheists come to church. For the free computer classes. Once shunned, Catholics in Cuba now openly practice their religion, as the church here and the visiting pope pursue soft-power politics, gently pushing for change. Read full article > >

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Catholics in Cuba, no longer shunned, seek a new role

On Dec. 25, 1964, as Mitt Romney enjoyed his last Christmas break as a high school student in Michigan, two Mormon missionaries visited Darius Gray in Colorado Springs and asked him whether he had any last questions before joining the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Read full article > >

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The Genesis of a church’s stand on race

Under the name Zola Jesus, Russian American singer Nika Roza Danilova writes near-perfect rainy-day music — glacial, synthesizer-driven pop that matches primitivist rhythms to moody meditations on blighted romance. In person, it’s all a bit more uplifting. Read full article > >

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Zola Jesus at U Street Music Hall: Near-perfect rainy-day music

White evangelical voters just aren’t as predictable as they used to be. That’s the news out of Iowa – and it’s bound to be reflected in Republican primary results all over the country. The most interesting poll data from the Iowa caucuses are these: Mitt Romney won in the cities. Rick Santorum won in the rural areas. In Iowa, where the vast majority of voters qualify as “white evangelicals,” these results can only mean one thing. Conservative Christians who reside in urban areas may have been taught in Sunday school that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a heretical sect, but they’re willing to look beyond those teachings and cast a vote for a Mormon who was once pro-choice. Their brothers and sisters who reside in the country are not. Because nearly 80 percent of Americans live in or near cities, that’s very good news for Romney. Read full article > >

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The new evangelical vote

For poll asking whether they killed Jesus.

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Fox Apologizes to Jews

Thousands flock to Bethlehem for Christmas celebrations, culminating in Midnight Mass at the site where Christians believe Jesus Christ was born.

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Christmas Mass held in Bethlehem

Baby Jesus is keeping strange company. For the better part of 50 years, a creche and a Christmas tree were the only holiday displays on the Loudoun County Courthouse grounds. Then came the mannequin Luke Skywalker and signs celebrating the winter solstice. This month, a skeleton Santa Claus was mounted on a cross, intended by its creator to portray society’s obsession with consumerism. A pine stands adorned with tinsel — and atheist testimonials. (“I can be moral without religion,” one declares.) Read full article > >

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In Leesburg, holiday displays bring controversy and change

Baby Jesus is keeping strange company. For the better part of 50 years, a creche and a Christmas tree were the only holiday displays on the Loudoun County Courthouse grounds. Then came the mannequin Luke Skywalker and signs celebrating the winter solstice. This month, a skeleton Santa Claus was mounted on a cross, intended by its creator to portray society’s obsession with consumerism. A pine stands adorned with tinsel — and atheist testimonials. (“I can be moral without religion,” one declares.) Read full article > >

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In Leesburg, holiday displays bring controversy and change

1 . Christmas is the most important Christian holiday. For all the cards sent and trees decorated — to say nothing of all the Nativity scenes displayed — Christmas is not the most important date on the Christian calendar. Easter, the day on which Christians believe Christ rose from the dead, has more religious significance than does Dec. 25. Christ’s resurrection means not just that one man conquered death, nor was it simply proof of Jesus’s divinity to his followers; it holds out the promise of eternal life for all who believe in him. If Christmas is the season opener, Easter is the Super Bowl. Read full article > >

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Five myths about Christmas

1 . Christmas is the most important Christian holiday. For all the cards sent and trees decorated — to say nothing of all the Nativity scenes displayed — Christmas is not the most important date on the Christian calendar. Easter, the day on which Christians believe Christ rose from the dead, has more religious significance than does Dec. 25. Christ’s resurrection means not just that one man conquered death, nor was it simply proof of Jesus’s divinity to his followers; it holds out the promise of eternal life for all who believe in him. If Christmas is the season opener, Easter is the Super Bowl. Read full article > >

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Five myths about Christmas