Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Comfort Food: What Does That Phrase Mean to You?







I have been sick the past few days. I mean REALLY sick. Went-to-bed-the-night-of-January-third-wrapped-in-four-extra-blankets-and-convinced-I-was-a-Japanese-pastry-chef sick.

What do you crave when you feel this lousy?

For me, the question has to be answered in stages.

Stage #1: Japanese-pastry-chef sick.

Nothing. I'll ask my body, "Hey body, are you hungry?" and it goes, "Not now, kid. I'm tryin to flush out a virus here!" with the surly Jersey repairman accent and everything.

Stage #2: Improved, but still unable to leave the bed.

Something very small and basic, and usually very specific as well. A handful of cherry tomatoes (not sliced regular tomatoes), a piece of a baguette that's been ripped off (not cut... and forget about giving me any other type of bread), a plain Hershey's Kiss (so help you if I find an almond in there!)

Stage #3: Up and about for half an hour before the sinus headache you got from looking at the computer monitor drives you back under the covers.

Takeout. Usually pho or tacos. Don't ask me why tacos... I think it has something to do with the vinegar in the hot sauce. Vinegar in small doses helps the body retain fluids. But I digress.

Stage #4: Take a shower, wash the sheets, and proceed through the rest of the day with relative normality but for a Dayquil-induced haze.

Stuff that Western society actually considers comfort food: Stew, ice cream, cookies, hot tea, etc.

Does anyone else have stages like this? Or do you crave chicken noodle soup the whole time?


Beat the eggs. Whip the cream. Show no mercy.


17 comments:

Robin, David, Simon and Leo said...

Fat + carbs = comfort food.

kathy gori said...

simple vegetarian sushi, rice and japanese pickles.the simple salty. yes to the plain baguette! oatmeal.

Tasty Trix said...

Depends - with a sore throat, I like REALLY spicy soup. Once I swear I was cured by a spicy Thai soup ... but if I'm feverish, I go for mashed potatoes with butter or a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. (That last one is great for hangovers too!)

Drick said...

call me old fashion but it is pretty much always chicken soup ... if I make my own, it's got spinach, carrots and jalapena (to wake up the head)....

BikeEatSleepRepeat said...

For the sore throat stage - hot and sour soup from Jade Palace!

theUngourmet said...

It's hard to remember I haven't been sick for a while. I think maybe in stages. The stew with dill looks terrific!

Get well soon!

penny aka jeroxie said...

Too many to name. Pies, stews, congee, laksa, creamy mashed potatoes, chicken noodle soup.....

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry you're not feeling well :( hope you get plenty of rest and feel better soon!

Anonymous said...

Oh, when I'm sick I always crave spicy Thai food esp. soups & curries.

Unknown said...

Comfort food is the food you want to eat when you need to be reminded that you are loved.

wasabi prime said...

First and foremost, I do hope you are recovering well and no more moments of "we can't stay here... it's bat country!" Most bad colds end up having me crave miso soup. I stir in cubes of tofu, an egg, snip some scallions, and pour it over a bit of rice. And a few shakes of hot sauce. The rice and hot sauce is weird; my mom does it, too. So good when you're sick and can't taste much!

Stacy said...

So sorry you have been sick! I crave pho or guacamole! :)

Mary Poppins in Heels said...

Sometimes I have sick cravings (hmm, that's interesting in a Freudian kind of way), but mostly I don't want to eat. That's how I know that I'm really sick.

Glad you're feeling better.

Tasty Eats At Home said...

If it's flu or bad cold kinda sick, I definitely want spicy soups, like pho, thai coconut soup, or even menudo (half of the readers now exclaim "ewww, gross!"). If it's stomach sick, once I feel like I can keep food down, it's watery broth, and maybe some rice.

The Chocolate Priestess said...

Depends on how I'm sick.

If my stomach is upset I just want saltines and water. If I'm sick to my stomach for more than three days then I crave milk chocolate and actually can keep that down when nothing else stays down.

If my blood sugar is crashing, even with controlled food intact my hypoglycemia can act up, then I need sugar fast so usually reach for juice, 100% juice.

If I have physical pain then I need protein.


Since I've been on the Path I don't crave Chocolate nearly as much as I used to though it can still happen during that "time of the month".

redkathy said...

hope you are feeling better now! When I'm sick I don't usually eat much of anything. I drink lots of ice cold juices.

www.dhaleb.com said...

Yum! I would've loved to try pumpkin ice cream. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any from my local markets :(

Comfort food to me is anything that pleases my tummy!