I’ve been grieving lately because my friend Stacy died of cancer two weeks ago, leaving behind a husband and son the same age as Young Knight. My husband was their wedding photographer and her husband was our immigration lawyer. He left his law career to go into the military and they endured a year’s separation while he was overseas. Their reunion only preceded her bout with cancer.
I’ve been grieving because of the 9/11 stories that I keep reading, even though we had sublet our Manhattan apartment to do a year’s sabbatical in Africa where we witnessed enough other tragedies to consume our attention and almost make us forget ….
And even though all of our friends that lived in NY survived (some by harrowing escapes), so that for us in this story there was a happy ending ….
I’ve been grieving for Anna at An Inch of Grey, whom I did not know before she lost her son in the DC-area flash flooding. But so many common blog friends brought the matter to my attention that I could not help but become emotionally involved. Her last post was of her two children heading off to school, unaware that on that same day one of them would be taken from her.
It might be because of my past, or I more likely simply have a nature sensitive to other people’s sorrows. Perhaps it is that her life reminds me just a little of mine, and I know so well what a tenuous grasp we have on life and loved ones that her grief easily could have been mine. I know this so well it almost feels like it is.
It has been hard to think of something to post or to leave little comments on other blogs because everything that I think to say seems so trivial. So I decided to address the issue head-on today. And then to make something to keep my hands and mind busy because if Anna and I were friends and lived nearby, I would probably cook for her. And maybe come and do her ironing.
Red Pepper Chocolate Mousse
(the pepper idea based on a recipe my friend lent me, the mousse based on various mousse recipes)
You’ll need 250 grams of dark chocolate. I put 200g of 70% chocolate and 50g of less intense chocolate, about 52%. Make sure it’s the good stuff. 
And you’ll need some cool small bowls or ramekins (that’s an English word, right?). Coffee cups will do just fine if you have some cute ones.
Heat the little squares of chocolate over very low heat with a tablespoon of water. I ended up needing up another tablespoon later on because the melted chocolate was too thick.
Add about 3 Tablespoons of butter too.
While that’s melting, separate 6 eggs. 
If you crack the egg too hard, you should be able to fish the yolk out of the whites pretty easily. You need it to be yolk-free in order for it to beat until stiff.
You also need a pinch of salt.
Keep stirring the melting chocolate with a wooden spoon so it doesn’t stick.
When the whites are stiff,
turn off the heat and add 4 yolks to the melted chocolate, stirring vigorously. I added all 6, which is what you see here, but it is too heavy to be a proper mousse.
Then add a heaping tablespoon of sugar (you won’t need this if your chocolate is under 70%).
Then add a few turns of your red pepper mill.
Mix in half of the stiff egg whites, also stirring vigorously. 
And now pour the chocolatey mixture back into the egg white bowl and turn over the rest of the egg whites into the mixture with a spatula. This time you should not stir it energetically, but scrape the bowl from top to bottom until all the egg whites are mixed in. There should be no white lumps.
This is what it looks like when mixed thoroughly. 
Put the mousse into bowls; I used an ice cream scoop so that it would go in more neatly.
And then top them with more crushed red pepper (as much for artistry as for taste) before putting it into the refrigerator for at least two hours.
I find that this mousse is sweet and creamy, but has a bite.
Not unlike life itself.
Praying for Anna.
Kate from The Big Piece of Cake has a link of bloggers who wrote in support of Anna if you’d like to read more. For those who want to do more, the family wishes that any donations be made to Samaritan’s Purse.
A delicious looking mousse there!
I too, came across the sad news of Anna’s loss. It just broke my heart. Too much sorrow in the world.