feeding the sick

A tall, three-storied dark chocolate cake, slathered on the outside with 2-inch thick dark chocolate ganache frosting. Inside, the cake layers are first covered with a thin layer of chocolate frosting before being topped with a delicious sour-cherry filling, with squashed juicy cherries embedded. I ate that cake all by myself, with a large bowl of whipped cream as side. With a dainty silver fork. That cake was all mine. And I was not in rags, looking like I just dragged my sorrowful feet through a three-month trek across the desert. I was dressed like royalty, like someone who knows how to enjoy a three-storied chocolate cake with a dainty silver fork.

When you are sick, and when there is not much that you can eat, your mind goes crazy. Above was the feverish fantasy I had one day when my limbs were wrapped around my belly button, fighting off aches and chills, determined to starve off the fever (and those nasty bugs causing my misery). But even as my body fatigued itself to fend off the attack of the mysterious but ferocious bug, my mind was alert and awake. It hungered for images of food. I know, I know. More noble minds crave for wise words, beautiful sounds and maybe even complicated mathematical problems to solve. Mine was the twisted hungry mind. I do not apologize.

::

So we've been sick for more than a week around here. Today is the first day we are all feeling human around here, with energy to hop around the house, and it's because we found out what we had was not the flu but the strep throat. Everyone else is on antibiotics except for me. I am the only soul without a temperature, and truly feeling on the good mend. I attribute that to my yoga practice and the bar of dark chocolate I secretly took bites of, an experiment to see if there truly are valuable anti-oxidants in dark chocolate. Apparently, there are. (And of course, all those garlic must have helped!!)

Today was a difference from the last days, when all of us were sick, coughing and sprawled around the house.

But, as S said it beautifully to me one day, "Though we are all sick [to a different degree], we help each other out."-- fetching straws, paper to blow our noses into, making tea, bringing food.

Food. It's tricky when you are sick: how to "starve the fever" but still keep the body nourished, and help it on its way to rejuvenation.

Food is even trickier when you are sick and your throat hurts from all that coughing.

First option we gravitated to was chicken soup. Something that will just slip silkily pass our tormented throats and soothe it. Of course every family has THE must-have ingredient and special recipes but I tend to use what we have or what we feel like. But first I marched off to Whole Foods to get chicken legs, chicken drumsticks, ginger, carrots, and literally took off with all the organic garlic they had in the store. (Also bought some ripe organic pears on sale. These delicious fruits with soft, sweet, and juicy flesh did not last long.)

Back in the kitchen, I browned the chicken legs lightly in some coconut oil (for its antiviral, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties), then threw in a million cloves of smashed garlic, some quartered onions, some carrots, a stick of cinnamon. Added water, brought to a soft boil, skimmed the froth, and then let simmer. It was well-received, sighs of relief heard around the table as we noisily slurped the warm soup. And I whole-heartedly believe we all slept better that night because of the soup.

I repeated same recipe a couple of times, using chicken drumsticks, and about the same ingredients, and probably more garlic every time,  thinking sinisterly that I was going to get to all those awful germs this time with the potent garlic. I think I even secretly whispered to those adorable little cloves of garlic to go get 'em.

But soon V began to complain: "We are having chicken soup again?"

This from the sickest person in the household.

I responded with, "What do you mean again? We are still sick. Moreover, when aunt M's family was sick, all her kids wanted to drink and eat for days was chicken soup."

"Yeah," V replied. "But can't we have something different? How about chicken porridge?"

I thought to myself, "Isn't that about the same thing? It's essentially chicken soup with rice added! I can handle that... ..."

So I made chicken porridge, adding a knob of smashed ginger, rice and some sweet peas to the chicken soup "recipe." V declared it "yummy!" I just wanted her to be able to eat something, and I also desperately wanted everyone to be healthy again.

Then we went back to another meal of chicken soup. But after that I made something slightly different. I think when children are sick and offered the same things over and over again, they begin to feel there is no end in sight, it is the same again and again and likewise they will never feel better. When served something different they are delighted and I absolutely believe that little perk in their moods contribute to recovery.

So I made noodle soup in chicken broth, with meatballs. It is the same recipe as the asian-style meatballs, except I made them smaller, and they were dropped in a diluted chicken broth to cook. It takes a bit more time and effort, having to cook the meatballs, noodles and spinach separately. But it was worth the effort, as the girls were pleased the flavor (and the departure from chicken soup). And, when the children have been feeling unwell, nothing is worth more than seeing their little faces brighten up with a smile. I took a quick picture of Sophia's bowl before she dug in (she loves this Japanese soup bowl, always eager to get to the bottom so the cute kitty cat can be revealed):

Noodles in light chicken broth, with tiny meatballs and Chinese spinach

And because I myself needed to find some cheer amidst the gloom of our ailments, I played with my food:

Fishies want their noodles too!

Eventually, even I tired of chicken soup and noodle soup and variations of those. One of the favorite food options in this house is salmon, and we were all beginning to crave some miso (perhaps a gut reaction to the antibiotics prescription), so I made for dinner last night a miso-salmon soup, based loosely on this recipe.I used what vegetables I had (carrots, asparagus, broccoli) and added some soba noodles (cooked separately) to the broth, as the girls love those. It was a very comforting dinner, full of goodness. I am thinking this could be a good (and relatively fast and speedy) dinner for a crisp autumn evening too. Definitely a good base recipe for numerous variations.

I did not work on the "presentation" for this one, I just wanted a snapshot to remember it!

So that's how and what we have eaten the past days. We are very much looking forward to 100% good health and lots more good food (I see the delicious champagne mangoes are on the market! Can't wait to get to them!!)
What about you?? What do you eat when your health is down? What nourishes, what entices??

Lemons and Chocolates

lemons & chocolates

First, I have to confess that I am prejudiced against white chocolate. No, it has nothing to do with its color, but I just find it too sweet for my taste. Moreover, it is not really chocolate, as it is made from cocoa butter. Be definition of the FDA, chocolate must contain cocoa solids from chocolate liquor. I know many people who enjoy white chocolate, I am just a die-hard fan of dark chocolate. I enjoy the bitterness of it.

Second, what has lemons to do with chocolates? It is not a common pairing, although it has been done before. Once I treated myself to a dark chocolate-lemon truffle and truly enjoyed it. The citrusy notes of the lemon cuts the sweetness of the chocolate and heightens the character of the latter, what a treat!

And so, next time life gives you lemons, consider making some cookies instead of lemonade.

Normally, I disregard recipes that calls for white chocolate (I know, not a good habit, but I am trying to be more open-minded) but this one in Shirley O. Corriher's "BakeWise" caught my eye because of how she named the cookie: "Taste Sensation Lemon-White Chocolate Butter Cookies." I was immediately intrigued and totally hooked onto the idea. Chocolate is great, dark chocolate is divine, but sometimes the palette craves some taste sensation: to try something different, to experience new flavors and to just be wowed. Corriher noted that "the sharpness of the lemon is balanced by the sweetness of the white chocolate." I could see how the lemon and the white chocolate can marry so well together in this recipe, and truly shine. I could already feel the tingling of the lemon on my tongue. But my memory also did not forget that dark chocolate-lemon truffle I once had. I decided I will make Corriher's recipe, using white chocolate chips for half the recipe, and chopped dark chocolate in the other half, just to see if dark chocolate and lemon will get along well in this recipe. I guess a part of me believes that dark chocolate is the congenial ambassador of the cocoa kingdom, and that he will go well with everything.

white chocolate chips and chopped dark chocolate

Well, I was not disappointed. Though I was also a bit scared how addictive these cookies can be -- be forewarned!! I have to concede though, that the lemon paired much more superior with the white chocolate. Those cookies were tangy, bright, citrusy but they do not make you pucker up, because the sweetness of the white chocolate only makes you welcome the next bite of the lemony cookie. However, I will suggest you get a block of white chocolate and chop that up instead of using white chocolate chips, as they tend to break and chip when you slice the cookies, and if you have some chips around the edge of your cookie roll (as I did), it results in a broken cookie. Also, I think it will make the sweetness more subtle and distributed, versus having chunks of sweet.

A stack of the lemon-white chocolate butter cookies- I didn't say this is one serving!

The visual impact of the chopped dark chocolate in this cookie is fun to look at. I know it is not exactly the same but they remind me of leopard spots. I enjoyed the richness of the dark chocolate and thinks it goes well with the lemon. This is certainly a cookie to be slowly nibbled and savored!

I don't know why but these cookies look cute to me.

I aim for the dark chocolate chunks when I nibble.

As I have mentioned, this cookie can be addictive- I'll let you decide if that is a good thing or not! When my home panel of tasters were asked to pick a preference the answer was "Both are good!" Whether you decide to go for the white chocolate only, or make both types as I did, I hope these cookies will delight and cheer your day up. Corriher's recipe is below, I added notes for the dark chocolate version in parnthesis).

Taste Sensation Lemon-White Chocolate Butter Cookies
original recipe from Shirley O. Corriher's "BakeWise"
Ingredients: 

• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 2-tablespoon pieces
• 3/4 cup sugar 
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp light corn syrup (I found an organic one at Whole Foods)
• 1/2 tsp. pure lemon extract
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest 
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (if making half-recipe of dark chocolate, use 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, 1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate, I used 72%)

Directions:
1. In heavy-duty mixer with paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar, salt, corn syrup, lemon extract, and lemon zest until light and creamy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat with each addition, just to blend in thoroughly.
2. On the lowest speed, beat in the flour, scraping down the sides of the bowl and across the bottom once. Stir in the white chocolate chips. (** If making 1/2 recipe dark chocolate, DO NOT add white chocolate chips. Divide dough into half, stir in white chocolate chips into one half, chopped dark chocolate into other half.)
3. Divide the dough evenly into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a log about 2 inches in diameter. Wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap and refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.
4. About 30 minutes before you are ready to bake, place an oven shelf in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 F.
5. Cover heavy baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray.
6. Slice cookies into 3/8-inch slices and arrange about 1 inch apart on the sheet.
7. Bake one sheet at a time until the edges just begin to brown, about 12-15 minutes. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack. These freeze nicely.
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Ugly but Good Chocolate Cookies

This is possibly the ugliest cookie I've ever made. They looked like cow poop with mold growing on it.

I am not trying to be rude here, just being honest with the first dismal thoughts that entered my head when I took the cookies out of the oven. Nevertheless, we let them cool, and tasted them and they were good. Chewy and fudgy, and the texture did not betray the presence of flaxseed meal. They are truly like bites of brownies. This is another cookie that I baked for my friend K. It is again from Elizabeth Gordon's "Allergy-free Desserts" and in her book she named them "Chocolate Crinkle Cookies." But as those of you on Facebook already know, these cookies did not look one bit like those shown in the photo in her book: even-sized, rather flat and perfectly round, with cracks on them that look like how a dry cracking ground does, during a drought.

Maybe it's because I did not use palm fruit oil shortening as Gordon did. That was her replacement of choice for butter, but K is thankfully not allergic to dairy, and since I do not have any palm fruit oil shortening and am terribly in favor of butter, I used glorious yellow butter. Another thing I did different was to reduce the sugar a tad. I did not pack the light brown sugar and took out about 3 tablespoons of the granulated sugar. (I still find this cookie a touch too sweet for my taste, but I tend to not like my baked goods too sweet.) I found that the dough did not form into balls as easily as I thought they would, so I used fingers dusted with powdered sugar to form them into balls, then coat them with the powdered sugar, shaking off excess before placing them on the cookie sheet.

The truth is, with familiarity (having looked at the cookies more than 24 hours now) and with repeated tasting, I have come to accept this cookie. I fondly call it "The Dark Horse," but here I shall call them "Ugly but Good Chocolate cookies." They are a great gluten-free, egg-free choice and I am glad they turned out delicious. I can imagine how hard it is to be on a restricted diet, and having something good and somewhat familiar to put into one's hungry belly is a blessing. It makes me grateful that we can eat almost anything in our household.

So my friend M wisely told me to post a picture of the ugly cookie, as it would be a great life lesson to learn not to judge by looks. How true! I remember once I made a salad dressing with minced tomatoes and when I first poured it onto the salad leaves it looked like vomit to me. Maybe I have visual issues. But in any case, I am sure this example is not isolated, I am sure others have looked upon visually replusive food, and then tasted it to realize the virtue of its good taste. What is good for you may not look good either (example: kefir grains. But I won't tell you how I describe them, for otherwise this post will be composed of too many off-putting descriptions!).

To play off the ugliness of the cookie, I chose a dainty plate with one of my favorites flowers -- the peony. I actually had fun photographing it. I hope this recipe gives some food for thought, and may come useful one day for someone yearning for some chocolate goodness with no allergens in it. Below is the original recipe, with my modifications in parenthesis.

"Beauty and the Beast"

Gordon's Chocolate Crinkle Cookies
(hereby affectionately known as Ugly but Good GF, egg-free chocolate cookies)
original recipe by Elizabeth Gordon, "Allergy-free desserts"
  Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed meal
• 1½ cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 cup organic palm fruit oil shortening (I used one cup butter, at room temperature)
• ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar (I did not pack it in)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (used a bit less, probably 3 tablespoons less)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup confectioners sugar, sifted

  Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, combine the water and flaxseed meal and allow to thicken for 3 to 5 minutes. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the shortening (butter), brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add in the vanilla and the flaxseed meal mixture, and beat until it is fluffy and the flaxseed is thoroughly mixed in. Add in the flour mixture and mix the batter until thoroughly combined.
4. Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough into the confectioners sugar, rolling the cookies around to form balls. (If this does not work, dust fingers with powdered sugar, lightly form dough into balls and then roll in sugar.) 
5. Place the balls 2 inches apart, to allow for spreading, on the prepared baking sheets. 
6. Bake for 14 minutes or until the tops of the cookies no longer look wet (I baked both sheets at the same time, rotating about halfway through.)
7.  Transfer the baking sheets from the oven to cooling racks and cool for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies directly onto the racks to cool completely. 
8. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.