ottawa foodies

I know that normal people are technically out of the woods where cold season is concerned but I have been absolutely knocked out by a cold these past three days.

I don't think my diet of saltines, leftover easter eggs and Lipton chicken noodle soup is really cutting it.

Any suggestions for something restorative? immune boosting? extremely spicy?

Advice appreciated!

Hard liquor?

Interestingly enough, I haven't tried that. I do have quite a quantity of dark rum though so perhaps I will call my mother and ask for her recipe for hot rum toddies....under the assumption, of course, that drinking alone can be excused!

Just don't mix copious amounts with the cold medecines (acetominophen, or pseudoephedrine...)

Jules I hope your cold clears up soon! I was coughing and wheezing for 5 weeks last January which is highly unusual since I haven't had a cold in a couple of years. Perhaps it was payback time... I find LOTS of garlic really helps. I eat alot of fried rice, stirfries, soups when I have a cold. I start with 4 or 5 cloves of garlic and take it from there. When my kitty was still alive he would run for the hills everytime I tried picking him up!

I just remembered after posting this that fresh ginger is also supposed to be a good cold remedy. If you have any ginger handy you can always grate a little in your chicken noodle soup. If worse comes to worse you could try adding a really hot spice to your meal - hot chili flakes and wasabi come to mind. That would probably clear up your sinuses in no time!

Thanks Pasta Lover! I really love garlic so that won't be a stretch... and your comment about ginger made me remember that I have some very spicy but highly effective hot ginger and honey drink in the cupboard.

I hate eating when I have a cold or flu.
Its so hard for me to taste anything and keep it down so I just refuse to eat.

Lots of sleep and some vitamins (I find Zinc is the best for me) is normally what I prescribe myself.

One of the ways I won over my wife when we were dating was by making some home made chicken noodle soup right from scratch, and sending it to her in a taxi since I did not have a car at the time and she lived way out in the country. This was when she was sick.

EDIT : oh yeah, and I took the day off work to do it.

A couple of remedies that work for me...hot ginger tea (I like to grate fresh ginger)with a hefty squeeze of lemon juice, a little honey and for kick a bit of cayenne pepper. Also you just can't go wrong with real chicken broth (the marrow in the bones is loaded with nutrients). Unfortunately Lipton doesn't cut it but I always keep some homemade in the freezer or you can freeze The Glebe Meat Markets stock; it is preservative and sodium free. And mother was right...rest and plenty of liquids.
Note--The stock is also available at The Butchery in Bells Corners and comes in chicken, beef and veal.

I always go for hot and sour soup. It gets my nose running to break up all that congestion, plus it has the same benefits that a normal chicken soup would. I had mono in grade 10 and I swear that hot and sour soup cured it :P

I'm a big fan of the hot and sour soup as a remedy also but you can't go wrong with chicken noodle either.

ginger tea is absolutely the way to go, it is also a great cure for a hangover don't forget lots of echinacea as well. Also when buying honey always buy it from within a 100 kilometres of where you live.

I eat pho with lots of chili sauce added to it to help out. It's not a cure, but it certainly helps with the congestion.

Mix equal parts of honey and lemon juice. Put two tbsps of honey/lemon mix in a cup of steaming hot water. Really works well to clear up congested lungs.

I do the same as W.C. and Bruce-the-Chef. Lots of fresh ginger, lemon slices, touch of honey and cayenne powder in a pot with water, and simmer 15 - 20 minutes. But - I find it works best when you first feel like you are getting a cold. Once it has settled in, I still drink it, but then I go with Pete-in-Ottawa and add some liquor - usually a splash of dark rum!

mmmmmmm DARK RUM !!

I drink this stuff as a prevention, as well as a cure. In fact I drink so much dark rum that I rarely get sick ( only once every few years).

If it's not Old Sam, then it's either Cabot Tower (57%alc/vol.) or Eldorado (5 Year old). I used to like London Dock, but I noticed it had changed over the years.

An ounce (and a half) of prevention is worth a pound of kleenexes.

My remedy is similar to the others, homemade chicken soup or camomile tea with honey &/or ginger. I find honey really soothing for a sore throat.

A friend of mine swears that oregano oil will cure anything, including a cold. But I gather that the taste is a little hard to get over! I haven't tried this one yet.

eat a raw lemon, wash down with a glass of whiskey, then sniff some tabasco sauce

LOL, looks like we all believe those "Gramma" cures. Why not, I too think the old ones are the best ones... Hot Tea, Lemon, Honey, OJ, Chicken Soup, Hot & Sour Soup, Garlic, Onions, Ginger, Hot Peppers. I believe they all work in their own way. And oh ya lots of sleep.

But if you are a modernist, then my successful products to recommend would be: Multi-Vitamins, Vitamin C, Echinacea, Neo-Citran and Cold FX (not necessarily all at once). Take with a large heaping of kleenex and hours of snuggling on the couch under a blanket with an overdose of tv.

Hope you are feeling better soon!

I always keep a bottle of King-to Nin Jiom Pei Pa Koa (京都念慈菴川貝枇杷膏) in my fridge. It is black, sweet and thick syrup - a traditional Chinese natural herbal remedy for the relief of sore throat, coughs, and loss of voice.

It is manufactured in Hong Kong and is available worldwide (you can buy this from Yee Cheong Tong ( Yee Cheong Tong ). It looks like they company has expanded into China. My nephew took this photo when he traveled to Guangzhou, China.

More details can be found at:
en.wikipedia.org