Last week, after posting about Eudora Welty's description of champagne as a folk medicine, I started thinking more about the medicinal power of food and drink. We foodies talk a lot about comfort food, which connotes more of a psychological palliative, hangover cures and foods that contribute to life-long health. But what about the quick fixes we seek to alleviate colds, coughs, fevers, and flus? I bet each one of you can think of a couple foods or drinks that you reach for when you're under the weather. For many, it might be the old standby of chicken soup -- but I'm interested in that special, personal twist on the soup that you believe makes all the difference. To me, it's the side dish that always accompanied the soup when I was home from school with some ailment: one slice of soft sandwich bread, un-toasted, generously buttered and folded in half. Couldn't be more simple or more welcome. The beverage of choice was orange juice with plenty of ice (I normally drank apple juice with no ice), and dessert, invariably, was red Jell-O.
My guess is that many of you, like me, imported your food cures from childhood. Then again, maybe some of you have discovered new remedies. Do tell!
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