“And we are far, far from home but we’re so happy.”
Of Monsters and Men lead vocalist, Hilmarsdóttir, once said “I like when lyrics can have different meanings for you during different parts of your life…” when talking about the meaning of the song From Finner. That’s the ultimate beauty of music, and of art, the most important context isn’t always the one in which the art was made but the context in which the art is embraced.
For me, I took the lyrics not to be a physical home, but rather my goals, my dreams and my aspirations. Home (much like a bowl of soup) is a place filled with comfort and happiness, and that’s exactly where I imagine myself when I achieve everything I set out to do.
This post is almost a sequel to the Roasted Anjuna Beats Ravioli. It’s a reminder to myself not to dream of my happiness whenever I reach my destination, but rather to be happy with being far from home (my goals), knowing that one-day I’ll get there. Especially at this age, we get so caught in wanting get to our dreams that we forget to enjoy the journey. We almost begin to feel that we can’t be happy until we get to our goals. We get restless, which we sometimes mistake to be ambition. But it is possible to be ambitious with still being happy with how far you are from home.
Sometimes, it isn’t even that we forget to the enjoy journey, it’s just that we miss the opportunities to reflect in our happiness. This soup serves as a reminder to enjoy the journey, whether it’s the journey home to our goals or the journey to happy taste buds and a full stomach. The smell of the roasting vegetables will fill your kitchen reminding you of the comforting happiness that is not far away, while the sounds of Styrofoam, Hydrogen Sea, Cut Copy, and Thomas Jack remind you to cherish each moment of having a happy soul and a happy stomach.
Beats:
Materials: (for 4 servings of soup)
4-5 tomatoes
1 red bell pepper
½ yellow onion
2-3 gloves garlic
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper to taste
Optional Toppings:
Arugula
Parmesan Cheese
Fresh Basil
Bacon
Methods:
1. Heat an oven to 450 degrees.
2. In a baking sheet place chopped tomatoes, chopped onion and chopped red bell peppers.
3. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle salt and pepper on top.
4. To roast garlic – place 2-3 peeled chopped of garlic in a piece of foil with olive oil, salt and pepper. Close foil and place on baking sheet with vegetables.
5. Roast for about 45 minutes.
6. Puree roasted vegetables & roasted garlic in a blender or food processor with chicken broth, salt and pepper and paprika.
7. Warm soup in a pot.
8. Top with fresh cracked pepper, arugula, grated cheese, fresh basil and slices of bacon.
