Ruh roh!

Loren was sick this weekend, like gross sick with fever and snot and sad faces. So, I made get better foods, which are the foods I like to make the most (well... after get fat foods, maybe I just like eating get fat foods more than get better foods...).


First up was the all important "Asian" broth, because everyone knows that Asians are the healthiest and their mystical healing herbs work on everything. So I threw some garlic (crushed), ginger (chunked), soy sauce, and vegetable broth together and let it get happy. Then I tossed some scallions (the white parts) in with some hot sauce and Asian dipping sauce. Strained that shit, added some noodles, topped with baked tofu and scallions (green parts). Consumed and we were fortified.

Second up was "almost there" stir fry (again, when you're sick, Asian food is so the best thing... especially pho if you can find it, we live across the street from it). Loren appeared to be turning the corner, as they say, so I thought stir fry was in order. I sauteed some "stir fry greens" from the Farmer's market (I think this is a mix of like spinach, bok choy, green leafy things) with olive oil, salt, pepper, and some red pepper flakes (I think spicy helps with congestion issues, but I could also be making that up). Set that shit aside to drain, cleaned out the skillet (I really need a wok), add a little oil then toss in some shitakes (wipe it clean if it needs it) and baked tofu (I just bake a brick and then use it bit by bit, this brick made bbq tofu sandwiches, the above broth, and this stir fry). Cook that till it almost looks perfect, then push it to one side of the pan and on the other add some garlic and scallions chopped up all nice like. Then when it all looks ready to eat, throw back in the greens, add Asian dipping sauce (Trader Joe's has really good premade sauces like Soyaki or Gyoza dipping sauce). Serve with rice if you have the patience to wait for rice (I didn't, I had pandas to see).

So, really what I am telling you is that I tried to cure Loren with food. I am not sure if it worked - he's still feeling crumbly. Gargling with salt water helped - a technique my dad always made me do as a child and which I swore I would never do again after leaving home. However, I learned that gargling salt water does help with throat and nose problems. Headaches, stomachs and general malaise - not so much (my dad thought salt water and echinacea could cure anything including broken legs and brain trauma).

Here's hoping that was the final bout of illness for us for a while. I'm sick of everyone being sick!