Life is short

I found out yesterday that a colleague of mine had passed away over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. An announcement was made at a meeting I attended. I was floored. It was a sudden death, he had gone to the hospital where they treated him for dehydration. Apparently, it wasn't dehydration. But, it makes you think. You never know when your time is up. I mean, he probably didn't think he'd be dying any time soon. He left work before the Thanksgiving holiday with a desk full of work - half the action items on the "Action Item" list at the meeting I was at yesterday were assigned to him. Blows my mind and makes me think.....

Anyhoo. Here's a recipe for an easy seafood stew (cioppino) that I made last night for dinner.

Saute thinly sliced garlic, diced onion and celery, (salt and pepper) in a good quality EVOO or OO until soft. Deglaze with white wine or other spirit - I actually used dry vermouth.
Add some stock (chicken or fish), a bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaves and parsley stems in a bundle), a can of crushed tomatoes and a can of whole tomatoes.
Bring to a simmer and let cook for as much time as you've got, 30 minutes, whatever.
Layer in your fish and/or seafood that you are going to use, cover and bring to a simmer, and leave alone - resist the urge to stir it all over the place.
Side note: I usually use fresh fish and seafood and frown upon frozen, but I've found that Trader Joe's has a frozen seafood medley of scallops, calamari and shrimp that is pretty decent. I used 2 one pound bags last night.
Towards the end of cooking time, add chiffonade of basil and lots of chopped parsley.
Season with fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper, and drizzle with EVOO before serving.
I served it over fresh fettucine, but rice would work as well.
Over and out.