Chicken Soup

Does chicken soup really help fight a cold? There's some research indicating it does, although other research indicates it's really just the warm moisture going up your nasal passages -- suggesting that even a bowl of warm water would do the same.

I've been taking Airborne for four days straight now, trying to fight an annoying cold, and yesterday I took a turn for the worse. Christine says think about how much worse it would be if I hadn't been taking the Airborne, but I don't buy it. There are two kinds of people in the world: Those who believe in herbal remedies, and everyone else. Group me with the latter. There's no scientific evidence to show that Vitamin C or any of the ingredients in Airborne can prevent or shorten a cold, and yet some people swear by it. Even when they get sicker while they're taking it (i.e., me), there's always someone who's going to claim it could have been worse.

Advil -- Now there's a drug I can believe in. Morphine would be pretty nice right now, too.

Flying Time

Time flies when you're ... cooking! Or not.

Between working, commuting, cooking, and blogging, it's blogging that loses out. I wonder, in all the hype about blogs, how many people keep blogging beyond the first couple heady months of seeing everything you've written in print? Like cooking for kids, it's hard to find the inspiration day after day.

Speaking of which, we had hamburgers for dinner last night, with Israeli couscous, salad, and chopped carrots. I made a salmon steak on the side for Christine, burnt it, and it was still not cooked enough for her taste. Today, both Simon and I are home with colds, and we had matzoh ball soup and hot dogs. Nothing better than sitting in bed with your son, nursing a cold, eating great food from the deli that reminds you of your grandmother.

Tonight feels like a good night for chili (continuing the meat craving), but I need a recipe that's not so spicy -- that's more meaty and beany than cumin-y. Anyone got some suggestions?

My favorite meal

As sick as I am of pesto pasta, I have to admit it is still one of my favorite meals. So easy to make, and such a perfect combination of chewy, tangy, and nutty. It's been my son's favorite meal (and I mean any meal -- he will eat it for breakfast if it's offered) for at least 3 years. It's odd how a food item can go from being exotic to routine. "Pesto" is definitely one of those 1980's foodstuffs that seemed trendy and avant-garde, and is now a staple for plenty of kids everywhere. ("Pasta" is another one; although we've always it -- it just used to be called "spaghetti" or "macaroni"). I'm not sure arugula has quite gotten there, but it's close. Falafel? There are streets in New York where you can't walk a block without passing a cart selling them.

I would also eat a meatball every day, if I could. Of course, living with a vegetarian I don't get too many chances, but there is something great about a round ball of chopped meat simmering in tomato sauce. The less "fancied" up it is, the better. (I'm with my kids on this one -- I don't like meatballs with raw onions, peppers, or other added ingredients).

And there's also a chicken salad sandwich. Nothing beats it. The creamy mayonnaise and the salty chicken. Maybe some iceberg lettuce. White bread.

Let's hear it for comfort food. I'm going to get some now.

New Year's Dad

It takes a tough man to make a tender filet mignon. Or something. That's me, preparing New Year' s Eve dinner. The filet was not for my kids, but I've gotten to the point where I can make them pasta and not worry about it. I'd say that's progress.

The filet was pretty darn good, for which I really take no credit. 90 percent of cooking, it seems to me, is all about the shopping. If you buy a good steak, it's hard to mess it up, unless you overcook it. On the other hand, plenty of disgusting chickens have probably been disguised by equally disgusting sauces. That's called French cooking.

If you have a good steak, and want a great sauce, try this recipe for a reduced balsamic wine sauce: 1 cup beef broth, 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/2 cup red wine. Boil down the beef broth to 3/8 cup, then add vinegar and wine, and continue boiling down (on medium heat) until you have about 1/2 cup left. Add a pinch of salt. Set aside for 15 minutes. It should be syrupy when you serve.

Of course, you'll have to make something for the vegetarians. Let them eat cake.