Sick Day

Hit with a virus that knocked me out. Plain Cantonese-style rice congee, served with a preserved duck egg.

Chicken & Purple Potato Salad

Last night I made a big salad with chicken, purple potato and dill. To this I added some gobs of good mayo, extra strong dijon mustard, pepper and a generous dash of cumin. At 12:30 am this morning, I realized I couldn't fall asleep unless I polished off the rest of the bowl. So I did. In bed! And on the seventh day, I rested.

Still Rainy

Pan-fried udon noodles with shredded beef, shiitake mushroom, sesame and onions.

Comfort Food

Whenever I got sick as a child, I remember being fed macaroni in vegetable broth, with assorted protein and veggie combinations. It was usually frozen peas and strips of ham, and/or an egg.

To this day I can't bear to eat macaroni in any form.

But ever since I was old enough to cook for myself, I quickly discovered a new comfort dish to tide me over any illness--udon in soup.

Start off with a tablespoon of miso in a small pot of boiling water to make the miso soup base, add a packet of udon noodles, small cubes of tofu, enoki mushrooms, dried seaweed, and a sprinkling of furikake or S&B shichimi for a bit of kick. It may not look like a feast, but when I'm a grody wreck from too many long days and late nights or the muthafuckin' flu, it's a godsend to chow down on something that can be cooked in 15 minutes.