Jeannie was 44 years old. She was married to an old high school friend of mine, and I only met her in person a couple of times. But we had become Facebook friends a few years ago and had a lot in common. We'd share stories of our boys, who are similar ages, or she'd ask me for a recipe from time to time. I "liked" her pictures, and she "liked" mine. Facebook gets a bad rap sometimes, but I have to say if it wasn't for Facebook I would not have come to know this woman as well as I did, and I do feel my life is better for having known her. Sadly, she lost her battle with lymphoma. And the reality of losing a friend who is almost exactly the same age I am has hit me hard.
And then there was Uncle Dick. He had a lot of illnesses, too many to list, and had suffered greatly the last few years. They finally admitted him to hospice care last week, and he died this morning. I have very strong memories of visiting him in Colorado when we were kids. He was a large, loud man, always yelling at somebody about something. He was scary. But he was also kind, fun, and probably the most amazing "shade tree mechanic" the world has ever known. The last time I saw him was a few years ago. He had lost both legs to diabetes, and his heart was failing. He had remarried and seemed a kinder, gentler soul than he had been when I was a kid. I liked that.
Maybe there's something about being "middle aged" that makes death seem more sad. When you are young, and somebody dies, you think that's something that happens to old people. But when you're 43, and someone dies who's 44; or someone dies who you grew up knowing and loving, you start to feel your own mortality. Today I feel sad, and I feel vulnerable. And yes, in a way, I feel old. Last week I thought a lot about the phases we go through in life - watching our friends get married, having babies, divorces - well I forgot about this phase, the one where people start dying.
Roasted Tomato Bisque
Today seems like a good day for some comfort food, don't you think? I made this Sandwich King recipe last week and it's very easy and very good. There's nothing quite like a good bowl of homemade soup to make you feel better when you're hurting. The Sandwich King served his with a grilled cheese sandwich, but the soup is good on its own, too.
First I spread some (drained) canned whole tomatoes onto a cookie sheet, along with carrots, and onions, and tossed them with olive oil and brown sugar. Then I tossed them into the oven to roast until they were nicely caramelized. Be sure to use either some parchment paper or a silicon sheet, as these got a little sticky. (The burnt parts are the sugar that stuck to the baking sheet - I didn't add the black stuff to the final recipe.)
Meanwhile, in my favorite large soup pot I heated up some olive oil and butter, then sauteed dried chili flakes and garlic until soft. I then added some tomato paste and some red wine. (The recipe calls for sherry but I didn't have any on hand.) I let it boil for a couple of minutes to cook off the alcohol.
When the roasted vegetables were done, I added them to the soup pot along with the tomato/wine mixture, some crushed tomatoes, and some chicken stock. I let them simmer for 15 minutes, then put the soup into my blender to puree it. Then I added the soup back to the pot and whisked in some heavy cream. I tasted for seasoning, then served with a dollop of sour cream.
