Yesterday being Good Friday threw a different spin on the meatless Friday concept. It was also a day of fasting until sundown. Fasting.
I work in a restaurant, Fasting in a restaurant with the aromas and sights of juicy steaks, grease dripping hamburgers, and crisp salty fries was almost unbearable. Liquids are allowed, including broth, so I had some vegetable broth around noon with a liberal crack of pepper, a few cans of tomato juice, lots of water, and some skanky crab broth mid-afternoon. It was difficult to not eat just by habit.
The Head Chef was prepping lobster butter-lettuce cups for dinner service. He offered me a lobster claw! An entire claw, glowing pink-salmon colored, limp and firm at the same time, and cracked right from the shell shiny. I stared at it, at him, and back at the claw. Who would know the difference? I could taste the luscious meat swiped through drawn butter, slapping my cheeks with sticky lobster meat. I could actually taste it.
Maybe that was enough. To imagine tasting it. I went back to work, feeding those not bound by Good Friday fasting rules. There was pleasure in watching others eat.
We had planned a simple dinner after church and the hours long service last night. By the time we got home, we were hungry. We could have eaten oven brasied flip-flops served over sauteed shredded newspaper, buttered of course.
I asked Michael how a pureed pepper soup sounded, knowing he was tiring of my soup making. His reply, "I don't care, I'll eat anything."
After cramming a few pieces of crackers and cheese down our thoats to have to stength to even drink wine, I started dinner.
I sliced and satueed red, orange, and green bell peppers, onions, and brussel sprouts in olive oil and butter until tender. I thawed vegetable stock from the frezzer and added it to the soup along with fresh thyme leaves, and let it simmer for about 30 minutes. After pureeing in a blender and pouring into serving bowls, a simple drizzle of white truffle oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh thyme, and parsley finished it off.
Simple. Nourishing. Light.
Good Friday. Easter. Peace.
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