Best dishes for sick girlfriend

[mojoman]

My beautiful, gorgeous, smart girlfriend has a bad upper respiratory infection.

What would you make for your ill SO besides good chicken soup?

I'm thinking (besides the best chix nood soup I can make) panna cotta with orange supremes and an orange-ginger reduction, cheese, and bread from Le Pain Quotidien.

I know that people say that dairy leads to more mucus production but I don't believe it.

ETA: I fixed my misspellings. "Mucous" is the adjectival form of "mucus."

Edited December 1, 2007 by mojoman (log)

[prasantrin]

I know that people say that dairy leads to more mucous production but I don't believe it.

←

Having had many URI's, I think it's true. Stay away from dairy, unless you want her to be your ex-girlfriend.

Some kind of warm ginger and citrus beverage with honey is always nice, like yuzu-cha with a bit of ginger thrown in (just a bit, though). Whenever my URI is at its peak, the last thing I want to do is eat, so warm, soothing liquid-y things are always best. Cold things feel like they hurt, and I find strongly flavoured things make me feel like throwing up.

Jook is good, too.

[sanrensho]

Congee/jook for sure.

[Lilija]

As far as dairy...It does, I suffer from chronic respiratory problems, dairy KILLS me. Pana cotta sounds light enough to be alright, but the dairy thing isn't a myth.

Me? I go for pho. Meaty, warm, rich without being heavy, nourishing, spicy enough to clear my head, and lots of bright herbal bites to spark through my dulled tastebuds.

[dockhl]

besides the best chix nood soup I can make

Make sure you add ginger and garlic to the soup, and consider rice rather than noodles. Parsley, too.

Warm brothy anything, I think.

[mojoman]

I know that people say that dairy leads to more mucus production but I don't believe it.

←

Having had many URI's, I think it's true. Stay away from dairy, unless you want her to be your ex-girlfriend.

Some kind of warm ginger and citrus beverage with honey is always nice, like yuzu-cha with a bit of ginger thrown in (just a bit, though). Whenever my URI is at its peak, the last thing I want to do is eat, so warm, soothing liquid-y things are always best. Cold things feel like they hurt, and I find strongly flavoured things make me feel like throwing up.

Jook is good, too.

←

With regard to the bolded sentence above, I'm assuming you're being sarcastic, since there's no scientific evidence that the dairy-mucus theory is true. You say you think it's true. Since I don't notice any difference in my mucus production with differences in dairy consumption, I don't see any evidence that it's true. That's the problem with anecdotal evidence.

I do like your idea of a honey-lemon-gingerade to be consumed either hot or cold.

Edited December 1, 2007 by mojoman (log)

[joancassell]

A poached chicken. Fit a really high-quality small chicken in a pot that just holds it, and fill all the interstices including the chicken's cavity with cut up celery, carrot, onion and, if you wish, garlic. Add water or, if you wish, chicken stock and cook with small bubbles until done. It's great hot, it's great cold (I like it with mayonnaise), and VERY comforting.

[Jaymes]

Where are you? If you're anywhere near the US southwest, she needs some chicken-tortilla soup.

I've got a quicky version that's good for tucking away in the cupboard and mixing up when you need it.

Take one family-style can of Campbell's Chicken with Rice soup and put it in a saucepan. Dump in a small jar (or to taste) of salsa - either your own or some good store-bought brand like Herdez Casera. Add one small can of white chicken chunks. Heat through. Ladle into individual serving bowl. Top with a generous handful of tostadas and a small mountain of grated "Mexican blend" cheeses and eat immediately.

Chicken Tortilla Soup, a perfect marriage of traditional chicken soup and spicy salsa is the number one go-to dish when you get the sniffles down here, pardner.

[Katie Meadow]

I love the dairy vs. no dairy controversy! Everyone has a strong opinion about it, including, of course, me. I've never seen any empirical evidence either but I'm very strongly in the "no dairy" camp when feeding sick people. Even if it doesn't actually increase mucous it does coat the throat with bacterial inducing agents. At least that's my theory--based, naturally, on my extensive knowledge of nothing. When reason fails we fall back on this: it's just plain wrong. My husband poo-poos me, my daughter agrees with me, so that 2 out of 3 right there.

Another vote for Pho! With a slice or two of jalapeno and a generous squeeze of lime it's my number one sick food. The poached chicken idea sounds yummy too.

[prasantrin]

I know that people say that dairy leads to more mucous production but I don't believe it.

←

Having had many URI's, I think it's true. Stay away from dairy, unless you want her to be your ex-girlfriend.

Some kind of warm ginger and citrus beverage with honey is always nice, like yuzu-cha with a bit of ginger thrown in (just a bit, though). Whenever my URI is at its peak, the last thing I want to do is eat, so warm, soothing liquid-y things are always best. Cold things feel like they hurt, and I find strongly flavoured things make me feel like throwing up.

Jook is good, too.

←

With regard to the bolded sentence above, I'm assuming you're being sarcastic, since there's no scientific evidence that the dairy-mucous theory is true. You say you think it's true. Since I don't notice any difference in my mucous production with differences in dairy consumption, I don't see any evidence that it's true. That's the problem with anecdotal evidence.

I do like your idea of a honey-lemon-gingerade to be consumed either hot or cold.

←

No, I'm being serious.

Sorry, perhaps there should be additional smilies for such occasions.

Regardless of scientific proof or not, if it might make her feel worse, then why give it to her? Or instead of asking a bunch of strangers, maybe you should ask her what would make her feel better. Then you'll find a sure way to please her.

[nibor]

In my opinion the ginger/honey/lemon thing works a lot better with some brandy thrown in. I'm not saying it is good for you, but you sure feel better!

[Fugu]

I am sure she is also feverish? In the Bahamas, lemon grass is known to local herbalists as fever grass adn it is used to lower fever temps. It might help to add lemon grass to your soups?

[Lilija]

Whether there's empirical evidence or not, dairy makes most of us that have dealt with URI and other related afflictions miserable, so why even go there?

Salads, too, make me violently ill, when I've got an URI, for some reason. Nothing sweet, either. Sweets just stick in my throat make me feel like I'm suffocating.

Other things I like, besides pho, when I'm down with it...saltines and other scratchy salty starches, like pretzels, dry toast, and crusty breads. Clear, refreshing liquids, and hot brothy things, with slippery noodles. Cool (not cold) grapes and citrus sections, sometimes. I also weirdly crave dal, and other beany spicy smooth things, with some body.

I guess this is close to my heart, because I just got over a vicious stint of bronchitis.

Edited December 1, 2007 by Lilija (log)

[scon]

Pea and ham soup is my stock standard illness recovery dish, lots of sustenance, easy to digest and just damn tasty! Another is a herby gingery/lemongrassy asian chicken soup.

[mojoman]

Many thanks for the great ideas. I'll Asian-up my chicken soup and I think the honey-lemon-gingerade drink is great.

Sorry about my short fuse on the dairy-mucus thing. It doesn't bother her, it doesn't bother me, there's no scientific evidence to support the conclusion, and there's no biologic plausibility to the connection. Therefore, it irks me when people purport it to be true.

[prasantrin]

I was thinking...it's not just dairy, but anything with a high fat content that makes me feel worse when I have a UTI. They don't necessarily increase the amount of phlegm, but they make my chest feel heavier.

[Stewart H]

As PubMed says, the whole milk-mucus thing is nonsense.

[joancassell]

If you can get to a copy, Barbara Kafka's book on "Roasting" has a marvelous spicy chicken soup with jalapenos, lemon juice, slivered garlic and scallions. It cuts through all the phlegm. She says she sometimes drinks the entire amount when she has a cold, and I've done the same. It's delicious, nourishing, and the spice -- while not excessive -- stimulates the appetite.

[ned]

When my wife of almost ten years was just barely a girlfriend she got sick and I made her campbell's chicken noodle soup with pace picante salsa and cheap smoked gouda grated in. We fought about it then and occasionally still do.

[mojoman]

Or instead of asking a bunch of strangers, maybe you should ask her what would make her feel better. Then you'll find a sure way to please her.

←

I'm not asking her because I want to surprise her when she comes home from being on call today. I ask here because there are some very knowledgable and inventive cooks here. Comprende?

Edited December 1, 2007 by mojoman (log)

[maggiethecat]

Dairy doesn't bother me, so:

I'd like Welsh Rarebit on toast, with a cold beer. If I were really wiped out, my boyfriend could feed me.

[Luckylies]

Congee/jook for sure.

←

I totally second this! yum jook!!!!!

[Bree20]

Hot and Sour soup always helps me no matter what when I am sick. Ramen noodles is something else that I crave only then also - I am not sure why thought.

[faine]

One nice thing to clear out the sinuses is tom yum soup...that's what I always gravitate to when I'm congested. Hot and sour is indeed another one of my standbys. Pho sounds scrumptious too.

As for the dairy thing..I've always adhered to it when I've got stomach complaints, but I've never heard of it being an issue when you've got a cold. Personally, I love having a little bit of yogurt or something bland and comforting like that when I'm down.

[Bree20]

One nice thing to clear out the sinuses is tom yum soup...that's what I always gravitate to when I'm congested. Hot and sour is indeed another one of my standbys. Pho sounds scrumptious too.

As for the dairy thing..I've always adhered to it when I've got stomach complaints, but I've never heard of it being an issue when you've got a cold. Personally, I love having a little bit of yogurt or something bland and comforting like that when I'm down.

←

What is Tom Yum soup???

I totally agree about the dairy thing when my stomache is acting up - then again the hot and sour seems to be like a chicken soup for me - it cures all illness even the grumpies!