Re: Cold And Flu Cures That Actually Work

[Guest guest]

Chicken soup may or may not have curative powers, but when you're sick it sure is tasty.Lee <jackalope_lepus@...> wrote: Remedy Realities Cold And Flu Cures That Actually Work 05 Feb 2008Winter means cold and flu season. But should you really feed a coldand starve a fever? And even though chicken soup was yourgrandmother¹s favorite remedy, will it really cure what ails you?It turns out your grandmother may have been right after all, says Durham, Pharm D., community pharmacy resident at the USCSchool of

Pharmacy.'Chicken soup is great,' she says. 'The steam from the soup helps toloosen and unclog mucus that could be causing congestion, andresearchers have found that chicken soup actually reduces inflammatorychemicals in the body, which helps to soothe sore throat and otherrespiratory symptoms.'Other common remedies such as Vitamin C, Echinacea and zinc may alsohelp prevent illness. Powder mixes that contain concentrated amountsof vitamins C and B stimulate the immune system, provide energy andhelp the body deal with the stress of illness, she says. Taken at thefirst sign of a cold they can help prevent it from occurring orshorten the duration and severity of the illness.However, once the cold is in full-force these remedies do little tohelp, she notes. The best way to alleviate the symptoms of cold andflu is to choose over-the-counter medications that treat specificsymptoms.'Read labels

carefully to ensure that you are only getting theingredients you need. Drink plenty of fluids, get lots of rest and eathealthy,' she advises.One of the most common myths is that cold weather causes colds andflu. It¹s not the temperature that makes you sick, Durham says.Illness is caused by microorganisms spread from person-to-person, andpeople get sick more often in the winter because they spend more timeindoors and around others in close quarters.'We close our homes to keep the cold out, but in turn we keep thegerms in,' she notes. 'The best way to prevent getting sick is to usecommon sense. Get a flu shot. Wash your hands and commonly toucheditems in your house often, avoid others who are sick, staywell-rested, eat healthy and exercise regularly.' http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/96225.php . Do one thing every day that scares you. Eleanor Roosevelt

[Guest guest]

Hearty stock from vegetables and bones adds zesty foundation to many

dishes Wednesday, February 6, 2008 Joanne McFadden

What most of us would throw into the garbage are the essential

ingredients in what makes for great dishes — stock.

" I'm a person who doesn't have the heart to throw anything away, " said

Marjorie Druker, chef and author of " New England Soup Factory

Cookbook: More than 100 Recipes from the Nation's Best Purveyor of

Fine Soup " ( , September 2007).

But making stock is not about using up leftovers or the inedible parts

of meat and fish. " Stock is the foundation of our cooking, " said Larry

Schepici, chef and owner of Tosca Grille and Illium Cafe in Troy.

Tosca's kitchen always has a pot of stock simmering, be it lobster,

fish, vegetable, wild game, beef, veal, duck or chicken. " A lot of us

old-style chefs swear by that, " he said.

If you're one to toss a bouillon cube into a cup of boiling water when

your recipe calls for stock (and don't be ashamed of this if you do,

Druker said), you might want to read what chefs have to say about this

flavor-packed kitchen staple. They'll tell you that any dish goes from

just OK to " wow " with the addition of a little stock. That's why they

say that even though it's time-consuming to make, it is well worth the

effort.

Basic ingredients

Stock is basically made with bones, vegetables, seasonings and water.

The bones are essential because they contain collagen, explains

Druker, which gives the stock body, texture, flavor, depth and

strength. Some chefs will roast the bones in the oven before adding

them to the pot. For example, to make beef stock, Druker buys beef

bones and knuckles, brushes tomato paste on them, and then roasts them

in a 375-degree oven for about 40 minutes. She adds these to the pot

with water, carrots, celery, onions, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves

and fresh parsley. She also adds some beef bouillon to enhance the flavor.

" People can cringe about using bouillon or base, but there are so many

good products out there that you don't have to be ashamed, " she said.

That mixture simmers for about four hours, minimum. At her restaurant,

some stocks even simmer overnight.

After roasting the bones for his stocks, Schepici deglazes the pan

with some wine so that he can add all of that flavorful substance to

the stock. If the thought of cleaning the pan turns your off, Druker

suggests using a foil one that you can throw away afterwards.

The standard vegetables for stock are leeks, celery, carrots and

onions, said Schepici. These make what chefs call the mirepoix. Other

vegetables are fair game, too, and may vary depending on the type of

stock. For example, carrots don't go in fish stock, because they add

too much color. (Fish stock also simmers for less time — two hours max

— lest it become bitter.)

Add the standard spices — peppercorns, bay leaves and thyme — and

stock is born. Variations are always allowed. Schepici might add a

paste of sun-dried tomato to his lobster stock because of the color,

flavor and body it gives. " Chefs all have their own little additives, "

he said.

The water added to the pot should always be cold, Schepici said. That

way, fat and any other impurities will float to the top. Stock should

never be boiled, because that makes for a cloudy stock, he said. Once

the water comes to a simmer, the heat should be turned down so the

stock can cook at a slow, rolling simmer.

Tender care

At this point, the stock requires a great deal of babying, Schepici

said. The foam and fat should be skimmed off the top periodically to

make it clear. For a stronger stock, it can be cooked longer so that

it is reduced. Once the stock is cooled, it should be strained.

Schepici strains some of his stocks three times.

When a person laments to her that they put their stock in the

refrigerator and it turned to a jelly-like substance, Druker says she

congratulates them. " It has a wonderful gelatinous texture, " she said.

" That's when you know you've got a really potent stock on your hands. "

In French, this reduced stock is called " glace du viande. "

For those who don't have the time to spend in the kitchen, Schepici

carries it already made in his recently opened gourmet market, Le

Marche Vert in Troy. He cuts the glace du viande up into little cubes

to use in sauces.

While making stock takes time, the benefit is that you can make up a

large batch and then freeze it to use later. Druker said that her

freezer looks like a grocery store, with different stocks frozen in

quart and 12- to 16-ounce containers.

" When you go to this effort, make sure it produces a lot for you so

that you have it in your freezer for when you need it, " she said.

" It's like a big fat ice cube that defrosts in no time. "

Some people like to freeze it in ice cube trays. Druker adds those

small cubes to sautées or stir fries. " At the end, you can pop out two

cubes of fantastic flavor and your little stir fry becomes a

masterpiece, " she said.

Roasted Chicken Stock

Recipe by Chef Larry Schepici of Tosca Grille and Illium Cafe in Troy.

2 whole raw chickens, breast meat removed

3 cups onions

2 cups carrots

2 cups celery

Wine, enough to deglaze pan

Water

Tomato ends or a bit of canned tomatoes, if desired

2 bay leaves

1 sprig of fresh thyme

8 to 10 peppercorns

3 to 4 garlic cloves

Roast the chickens in the oven for 35 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove

from pan and place in large pot. In the same pan, toss the vegetables

with the drippings and roast them in the oven or sautée on the stove

top until the vegetables are caramelized. Add to stock pot. Add a

little bit of red or white wine to the pan to deglaze and add dripping

to stock pot. Fill with just enough cold water to cover the bones. Add

tomato pieces if desired. Add spices and garlic to pot.

Bring to a simmer quickly, and then reduce heat. Simmer for 21 & #8260;2

hours, skimming the fat and foam off the top periodically. Cool the

stock and strain it. If desired, reduce by half.

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2008/feb/06/0206_stock/

>

> Chicken soup may or may not have curative powers, but when you're

sick it sure is tasty.

[Guest guest]

I wanted to mention to you, , that the reason that soup has to

be homemade is that some years ago soup maker 's Soup put an

ad in newspapers in Texas claiming that their Tomato Soup was healthy

etc. The Attorney General of Texas filed suit immediately claiming

that the only thing good about their tomato soup is the milk that you

add when you follow their instructions to make it. s Soup was

horrified and withdrew their ad because they did not want to have to

admit in court that their soup is junk. I have not heard anything

negative about other canned soups but suspect that they are all bad.

>

> Chicken soup may or may not have curative powers, but when you're

sick it sure is tasty.

[Guest guest]

's tomato soup is ghastly, utterly beneath contempt. I loathe it.Lee <jackalope_lepus@...> wrote: I wanted to mention to you, , that the reason that soup has tobe homemade is that some years ago soup maker 's Soup put anad in newspapers in Texas claiming that their Tomato Soup was healthyetc. The Attorney General of Texas filed suit immediately claimingthat the only thing good about their tomato soup is the milk that youadd when you follow their instructions to make it. s Soup

washorrified and withdrew their ad because they did not want to have toadmit in court that their soup is junk. I have not heard anythingnegative about other canned soups but suspect that they are all bad.>> Chicken soup may or may not have curative powers, but when you'resick it sure is tasty. . Do one thing every day that scares you. Eleanor Roosevelt

[Guest guest]

But Tomato is the most nutritious soup that 's makes, after

you add the milk. And no, this is not saying much.

Incidentally, I have added the below recipes to a RECIPE file in our

site Files. And thank you for the idea. Recovery food recipe's are

important.

Chicken soup... Can you think of any other recovery food for the sick?

>

> 's tomato soup is ghastly, utterly beneath contempt. I

loathe it.

[Guest guest]

http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:18005909

[Guest guest]

Chicken soup is the best I can come up with. I always think of it first when I'm sick.Lee <jackalope_lepus@...> wrote: But Tomato is the most nutritious soup that 's makes, afteryou add the milk. And no, this is not saying much.Incidentally, I have added the below recipes to a RECIPE file in oursite Files. And thank you for the idea. Recovery food recipe's areimportant.Chicken soup... Can you think of any other recovery food for the sick?>> 's tomato soup is ghastly, utterly beneath contempt. Iloathe it. . Do one thing every day that scares you. Eleanor Roosevelt

[Guest guest]

Hi , Agreed. But I was leafing through an old cookbook from

the early 1900's and learned that back in the n era the sick

were also fed things like hot oatmeal or hot cornmeal [aka the gruel

that Scrooge eats prior to the appearance of Marley's ghost in

Dicken's Christmas Carol], as well vegetable soup, and eggnog, and egg

brandy.

> Chicken soup is the best I can come up with. I always think of it

first when I'm sick.

[Guest guest]

That is what it seems to be, although I should prefer that it be

nutritious too. I have begun to wonder if anyone ever wrote a

cookbook of such foods. With all the cookbooks coming out, I want to

see what I can find. There are a few soup cookbooks, but beyond that,

I do not know.

>

> I don't know whether oatmeal and/or hot cornmeal gruel have any

curative powers, but when you're sick they do make you feel better.

Early 20th cent. comfort food perhaps?