Foods To Eat When You Have a Cold

[I_call_the_duck]

Chicken soup if I have enough strength to open the can.

And bologna on white bread. It's the only time I ever have the craving for that.

[onehsancare]

Pickled ginger, straight from the container!

Not gari, the pickled ginger you get with sushi (although I wouldn't turn my nose up if it were available!), but the three-flavored kind, cut in shreds. The flavor is strong, and combines sour, salty, and sweet flavors. Yum.

[dsquare]

I always have highly reduced chicken stock in the freezer. I take a container and add 3 times the volume in water to bring it back to soup like consistency. Then I add garlic, salt, and a lot of Tabasco. The finished product goes in large cappuccino style cup for drinking. It seems to relieve the congestion some and make me feel better.

I also recommend my homemade NyQuil. It is 2 parts vodka, 1 part Chambord, and 1 part orange juice. Shake it with ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. A few of these and you will not care if you have a cold. Hell, drink enough and you will not care if you have a head.

To all that are ill I hope you feel better soon,

[moosnsqrl]

I am eating some of the spiciest papaya salad I've ever had in my life (eyelids sweating) and it occurs to me that this would cut through just about anything, if you can tolerate the heat. Whew! I think they got a little carried away on this batch but it hurts so good.

Edited November 7, 2005 by moosnsqrl (log)

[Pontormo]

Recipes, anyone?

[SuzySushi]

Pickled ginger, straight from the container!

Not gari, the pickled ginger you get with sushi (although I wouldn't turn my nose up if it were available!), but the three-flavored kind, cut in shreds.  The flavor is strong, and combines sour, salty, and sweet flavors.  Yum.

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What do you mean by "three flavor" pickled ginger? Do you mean beni-shoga, red pickled ginger (actually a deep rose color)?

[Busboy]

Hot, hot, hot indian food. Washed down with a half bottle of burly Zinfandel. This is not only tasty, it has curative powers, as well.

[onehsancare]

What do you mean by "three flavor" pickled ginger? Do you mean beni-shoga, red pickled ginger (actually a deep rose color)?

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That must be it!

I didn't know the name, so I googled. The only site I found (not showing up in my history, so I can't give you the real address) was about preserved food in Thailand, and it called it three-flavor.

Thanks for the real name!

[bigcat39]

Pho. It's worth the trip. With plenty o' rooster sauce

My Ex got me started on a thing called glop ... X number of pieces of toast, with X number of softboiled eggs, butter, and salt and pepper to taste. All mashed up together.

[shrek]

I too go for Pho when I have a cold. The other thing I crave is potato chips. But then I crave potato chips most of the time any way.

[tejon]

Chicken soup, preferably a bit more salty than usual with lots of pepper. I also love congee with lots of ginger, bok choy, and pepper. Something about the warmth with clean, clear flavors works well when I'm feeling nasty.

[Rinsewind]

Hot water, lemon juice, honey and (here's the salient point) rum. It clears me up long enough when I'm miserable that I can then actually taste some food. Make sure to breathe the steam from the cup as much as possible while drinking it. After that, I usually just eat whatever is available, but hot and sour soup is awfully nice.

[Chris Amirault]

I also head to House of Noodles for pho when I'm sick. The combo of a good stock with those chiles, cilantro, and sriracha hits the spot.

edited to add: I just merged several "feed a cold" threads into one. A quick glance suggests that chicken soup is, without question, the cure for what ails you!

Edited November 8, 2005 by chrisamirault (log)

[Pumpkin Lover]

Whiskey in any form--tryska mentioned hot toddies before in this thread, and I have to say, it works AND it's delicious.

Was feeling a little ill this past weekend, but whiskey came to the rescue again--a can of PBR mixed with a shot of whiskey...whew. I felt much better after a couple of those.

[mizducky]

Fighting a cold today. I made a sort of "extreme congee" -- rice cooked in leftover dashi broth, with shiitakes, several crushed cloves of garlic, and a few slices of ginger root. Garnished with a couple cubes of fermented bean curd with chilies, plus a bit of chile bean paste. Warmth from the inside out. I don't know if it's having any effect on my cold, but it's making the rest of me very happy.

[miladyinsanity]

Chicken porridge with sliced young ginger and green onion, with sesame oil and more soy sauce than normal.

I also crave light fish soup (boil fish bones until the liquid turns white) with lots of ginger, with noodles.

Sometimes it's mashed potatoes.

[SheenaGreena]

didn't have a cold, but like the above 2 posters I made juk today as well. Mine was incredibly dull though. I cooked my rice with chicken broth and garlic, but hey it all came together with a few dashes of delicious msg.

when I have a cold I eat spicy foods. A favorite past and present remedy is bean sprout soup with lots of gochu garu (korean chile flakes). You make a basic broth with some dried anchovies. Then you add bean sprouts and garlic. You garnish with gochu garu and sliced green onions. Easiest soup in the world. It's also nice to put a few scoops of rice in the soup.

spicy foods clear up your sinuses and your nose and makes your nose run. Its also a great hangover cure

[maggiethecat]

Pho is sovereign against colds.

So is my Nana's toddy: Boiling water, lemon juice and honey to taste, a huge splat of black current jam and tot of whatever's hanging around. Inhale. Sip. Sleep.

[Kouign Aman]

sour spicy soup. It provides fluids, steam, "flow" stimulator (spicy), throat soother (sour). Plus the spicy can numb a raw throat after the agony of the first sip.

I usually make a bastardized version of avgolemono, and add as much tobasco as I can stand.

[snowangel]

I felt so crumby and stuffed up today that I fixed some Mama Brand ramen noddles -- the spicy creamy tom yum kind. Very yummy, especially given how much worse I felt after trips to two home improvement and three grocery stores.

[lancastermike]

on Thanksgiving eve I too feel like crap. Lots of cooking to do and a full day of food tommorow. I know it is nothing special but I will have a big bowl of chicken broth with sliced jalepenos tonight. The spicy stuff is good for me and helps unclog my head.

Sicker than a dog and I'll be out in the rain tommorow smoking my turkey. Oh well, Happy Thanksgiving

[LindsayAnn]

on Thanksgiving eve I too feel like crap.  Lots of cooking to do and a full day of food tommorow. I know it is nothing special but I will have a big bowl of chicken broth with sliced jalepenos tonight. The spicy stuff is good for me and helps unclog my head.

Sicker than a dog and I'll be out in the rain tommorow smoking my turkey. Oh well, Happy Thanksgiving

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Hope you are feeling better in a few hours (in time to spoke the hell outta that turkey that is...).

To all - happy T-day!

Me, a lil under the weather...thus tonight I enjoyed a big bowl (two cans) of cambels chicken rice soup....mmmmmmm. I added in some pepper and seasoning salt....oh yeah and some parmesan ramano shredded on top...gotta keep the foodie theme going....even with the cambels soup....haha

[CDRFloppingham]

What do you like to eat when you feel sick?

I have the worst early season bug.

Fever, muscle aches, cough, tired.

[Tri2Cook]

This won't help with your question but, for me, it's nothing at all. When I'm sick (really sick, not *cough* *cough* "Ummm, I won't be in today because I'm sick. Huh? I know, but I'm still talking to the boss. Errr, so yeah... I'm sick." *cough* *cough* I love getting those calls. ) I want a dark quiet room, a warm bed, a big bottle of ginger ale and leave me the %$*# alone... I'll be out when I feel better.

[LindsayAnn]

I know you're asking for eats...but I will start with 'drinks' because when you're sick, whether you've got the latest cold or stomach flu, liquids are of utmost importance also.

Drink: Hot tea, chicken broth, GATORADE (I capitalized that because it's often all I feel like and restores some of my energy when I am drained from throwing up too much

Eats: Chicken noodle soup, or just noodle soup. I like very salty broths when I have a bug or feel under the weather - so often I turn to cambels original chicken noodle soup...so salty, soft noodles (I normally like my noodles anything BUT soft, love al dente noodles or maybe even slightly less cooked than al dente, but when I am sick I love the cambels soft overcooked noodle goodness).

Saltine crackers (with said soup, or just plain). Who knows, maybe its the same salty theme going on here (Gatorade, soup, saltines are all higher in salt).

FlavorIce pops...I could eat these all day/night long - even when I am not sick (and I do eat them - had about 15 tonight...so so high in sugar but how I love thee). Whether your throat is hurting or your tummy is aching these are yummy on the sick tummy/head/neck/throat. When I have the flu its often all i can keep down - even when the Gatorade retaliates and comes back up.

That's all I have - might seem a little odd - but it works for me.

P.S. Almost forgot, fruit smoothies. When I am sick I don't use dairy (no yogurt or milk, just a blend of fresh fruits, juices, ice, or frozen fruits if I have them stashed in the freezer - which I almost always do) - at least not when I am stomach sick. My tummy just doesn't want milk based products at times like these. However, if I have a cold or I am getting over being sick a yogurt based smoothie can be a godsend - all those healthy active cultures to restore the activity in my body.