Spicy, Spinachy, Healthy, Hot Cold Food

Sneezing. Coughing. Slumping. Napping. Groggy-headed thinking. That has been my winter. Because of this day-to-day reality, my blog writing has suffered. I apologize.

I’m back now–cautiously healthy and cooking/baking up a storm. I thought I’d share with you some of the foods I ate while sick that made me feel so much better.

Spicy Hot Cold Soup

This Mother Jones recipe was forwarded to me by the wonderful Alice Julier who directs the Food Studies program at Chatham University. It is spicy and comforting and a forgiving recipe that you can make even while you’re sick—with success.

Ginger-Honey Tea

My writer friend Josh Barkan recommended this one. (People can be so nice when you’re sick. I had food suggestions coming in left and right.) Fill a pan with water, add a chunk of fresh ginger. Bring to a boil and then simmer until the water gets a little cloudy. Add honey to taste. Add a slice of lemon if you have one on hand. Drink. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.

Take-Out Indian Food from India Garden, Atwood Street, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Because I couldn’t keep up my usual cooking tendencies and Rick has been too busy to cook, he would call mid-day to see if I was still sniffing and hacking, and then ask what kind of take-out would make me feel better. I found eating spicy Palak Paneer a somewhat miraculous experience for the congested. Right now, I feel India Garden in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood has the best version of this dish. Creamy and spicy and super-intensely spinachy with chunks of homemade cheese, Rick swears it IS what sent me down the road to recovery. We added garlic nan to the order.

Coconut Chowder with butternut squash and pear

The creaminess comes from coconut milk, so this soup doesn’t clog up a barely operational sinus system. I found this recipe by following the Vegetarian Times on Pinterest. It is thin and beautiful and helps to give the sick both nutrients and hope for the future.

Flowers

True, these are not food. But the emotional up from the fresh-cut flowers that Rick toted in is worth noting. Glancing up from the crumple I was on the couch to see yellow tea roses or gleeful sunflowers let me know the world was still a stable and optimistic place. I recommend the flowers. I do.