Food for the Ill

This is a subject dear to my heart.

It's one of the more rewarding aspects of being the feeder to feed patients when they are ill.  Mummy's chicken soup and miso soup are healing soups when poorly.   One of rare joys of nursing ill children is the glow of  appreciation as the wounded  soldier is fortified.  I remember my mother's home made soup; a hearty broth with good things floating in it.  

I'm ill at the moment and feeling miserable and I have to rely on me to feed me.  Although I would love a delivery of some healing food, I have to do it myself!  Strangely this is satisfying.  I know exactly what I want.  My son offered and I snapped 'you don't know what I want; I want a spicy, lentil....... something'  I realise I'm an infuriating person at times like this.  The fussiness is at an all time meteoric high.  

I made my healing food like an animal in the forest.  It's a fascinating business to feed the ill, even if it is yourself.  When you have a miserable cold, as I have, the hunger is intensified.

Setting about creating that special medicine I chose onions, garlic, leek, chili, lemon grass, ginger, carrots, kale and puy lentils with chicken stock and probably way too much salt. I was so deliriously happy; it hit the spot completely, nobody else but me could have done this.  My misery is cloaked with a comfy blanket of spice and warmth.  

On the subject of healing foods, I used to make the good people of the music community when suffering from a cold or flu a tea of  cardamon, cinammon, ginger and cloves and lashings of honey.  On that note, that is what I am going to make right now.

Interesting that a cold calls for the most robost of food, spices, roots, broths with balls or the magic of miso.  Soup is a magic food which warms people deeply.

I send my culinary wishes to anyone who is feeling in need of healing food.  Get chopping the onion, garlic and chili.