Cajucom: Feast to warm the heart

Thursday, February 9, 2012

WE ARE experiencing a cruel kind of cold these past few days, with the coldest recorded temp over the weekend at 10 degrees. I am not one to complain about cold weather because I ‘heart’ bed weather, but we are literally going through a crazy one this past week – with cool air and warm sunshine in midday, then really cold showers in the afternoon. It had actually taken its toll on our health, with our girls taking turns in getting sick – coughs, colds, fever, sore throat. I myself was not spared, and now suffer from all of the above conditions, plus migraine and severe back pains. People at home are now complaining how the room smells like a mixture of salonpas (pain relief patch), ointment and lemon tea. Frankly I have no idea what they are complaining about, I can’t smell a thing.

Anyway, I guess it’s high time for those concoctions that can lift dampened spirits due to cold weather, or due to colds – or in my case – both.

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Good old chicken soup. The bestselling series of feel-good stories in anthologies was not titled “Chicken Soup for the Soul” for nothing. Chicken soup is still the ultimate comfort food for the ailing, for the sad, and even for the brokenhearted (as claimed by some, hearsay for me). My favorite version of this soup for the soul is a very simple broth, with asparagus, tiny carrot cubes, and one whole tiny piece of spring onion, with a dash of salt and sesame oil (note to self: what’s the “very simple broth” with that?)

Champorado with tuyo. When I first mentioned this combination to my girls, they looked at me as though I had gone mad. They take theirs only with evap/ powdered milk and sugar, and sometimes they get an earful from us for not being adventurous enough when it comes to food. But champorado and tuyo is one perfect combination, and warms the soul on cold or rainy days.

Oatmeal with raisins. One of the easiest comfort meals to prepare, and probably ranks high, health-wise. Both grains and raisins boost your energy, so this one is a real winner to aid you during cold season.

Oven-fresh pandesal and butter. Just the scent of freshly-baked bread is enough to warm my heart. That and brewed coffee, although I am not so much a fan of drinking brewed coffee, I just really love the scent.

If you are not much of an eater (and if so, you are officially the object of my envy), then you can go for drinks for the soul. For those down with the flu, or suffering from coughs and colds, there is that magic brew of lemon and honey in warm water. If you are not afflicted with any of those but are just feeling down and out, and feeling so low (wait, that’s an old song...), then just get yourself a cup of coffee or plain old tea. I love Kopiko 3-in-1 (better than expensive brews that make me dizzy) and plain lemon grass tea.

Stay warm and enjoy the bed weather!

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