Recently I was hit, like so many of my coworkers, with viral gastroenteritis - stomach flu - and am just starting to feel back to my normal self again. Besides a few sniffles and a cold this season, I am thankful that I didn't have too many major complaints this winter. However, this bug was something else!

It started with me feeling extremely tired and unable to focus last Friday. My head, eyes, entire body felt heavy and moving took real effort. Over the weekend and the early part of this week, it ran its course, seeing me in the bathroom way too many times and with that awful, constant malaise hanging over me like grumpy clouds. Come to think of it, I felt like a grumpy cloud myself.

You can imagine the food I've been eating as of late has not been the most vivid, but it certainly does the job, and that's what matters. Chicken soup, mashed potatoes, applesauce, bananas, toast, and coconut water got me through the worst of it. Now I'm moving on to foods like rice porridge, noodles, chocolate pudding, mild potato and carrot curry (Japanese style, so it's very creamy, thick, not the least bit irritating, and very filling).

It's wonderful to be eating more substantial and vibrant foods, and I'm looking forward to really saying 'sayonara' to this virus so I can get back to the greens and fruits I am missing right now. In the meantime, I am writing this in appreciation of the seemingly-humble and powerfully comforting foods we call upon when we are sick. These foods offer versatility so you can dress them up or down as much as you need, but more importantly, provide nourishment so your body can fight off the illness.

Frozen mashed potatoes that you microwave, dot with butter, mix with milk, transforming into a fluffy mush of potato goodness? Done, and please give me more :) Chicken soup - in lieu of freshly made because you're too tired to cook - from a can, from store-bought broth, or from the cafeteria, retains its virtue and healing properties, and offers electrolytes, starch, and protein to keep your body humming. One more bowl, please. And rice porridge, with some mushroom and chicken, soothes and warms you up. I'll be having seconds. Don't forget that little cup of Jell-O chocolate pudding, Kozy Shack rice pudding, or applesauce, and a fruit popsicle for dessert. Revisiting simple childhood joys is a real treat with these.

Here's hoping you are staying healthy and bug-free :) Some suggestions for livening up sick-time food should you ever need it:

1. Adding a bit of fresh lemon juice, herbs, and garlic to your chicken soup - it really brightens the flavor. If you roast the garlic, it is particularly good for keeping things together gut-wise, shall we say..

2. Adding that roasted garlic to instant mashed potatoes.

3. Making ginger ale and fruit juice popsicles - equal amounts of ginger ale and fruit juice mixed together, poured in molds and frozen with a stick - good for when your stomach isn't feeling up to eating that much. I would avoid orange juice and apple juice, the acidity isn't good for a very sensitive stomach. White grape juice is probably one of the safer bets.

4. If you're going to buy fruit popsicles, try to go for the kinds that use real fruit juice and don't have too much extra sugar added. Welch's makes nice fruit bars.

5. Toast, with peanut butter and sliced banana :)

**When you are sick (which is hopefully very, very rarely), what foods do you reach for to get you through? What do you do to 'keep things interesting?'**

My love affair with French cuisine - the philosophy, the history and culture, and of course, the taste - was neither nurtured from a young age nor drilled into me by strict training and formal coursework. It began with a wonderful friendship that was encouraged by a mutual love of music, food, and love itself.

We met each other when we were both in our early twenties, living on the same floor of the International House of Philadelphia. I was starting out on my first job after college, and she was a budding businesswoman from France studying abroad here in our very own City of Brotherly Love.

Our schedules kept us from spending much time together at first, but there was a mutual friendliness and understanding even in those early days. We discovered through a random conversation in the shared kitchen of our suite that we both loved music - she is an accomplished piano player and songwriter/singer, which was perfect - just who I was looking for since I wanted to continue singing and making good music after my college choir days had ended. The bond was further cemented swapping stories of love-gone-wrong woes, one early morning at a diner, after a late night out with our friends.

'But wait,' you are saying, 'what is this? I thought this was a food blog!' It is! Bear with me. We haven't even gotten to Paris yet!

I will be forever thankful to my friend for introducing me to the culinary delights and treasures of that most romantic and delicious of cities.

Have you ever had a moment of perfect clarity, an epiphany, the intensity so strong it remains with you and drives you to replicate it even years after it has already passed?

For me, that moment was spent with my friend in her kitchen in France. I had taken my first bite of baguette with Brie. But it wasn't just any ordinary baguette, and it certainly wasn't just any run of the mill Brie cheese. To me this was the real stuff, the bread crusty tender and fresh, the cheese - oh, the cheese! If I could find a way for you to experience that incredible awakening for my taste buds when the cheese started working its magic..I had never tasted cheese so heady, so complex, so utterly delicious it literally brought tears to my eyes. 'Now this is what it's supposed to taste like!' I remember thinking to myself.

My friend had smiled and said 'You've never tasted anything like this before.' She was absolutely right. That moment was my 'point of no return,' the fireworks going off in Remy's (the rat from Ratatouille!) head, and I will defend that moment as the singular point in time from which my current food philosophy originated. It's probably also when I started becoming something of a Francophile, but that's a blog post for another day :)

One of my colleagues from work, an older woman with three children, once shared with me a story about her eldest who had just returned from his first European adventure. She described how her son searched relentlessly for just the right kind of bread and cheese, simply because, as he had explained, 'that's how it is in Europe.' Told with a mother's endless patience, and a tinge of amusement at her son's persistence, I loved that story because that was me when I came back from my own trip. The cheeses found here, more often than not, were bland and pale shadows of their cousins across the ocean; the breads, largely consisting of heavily processed ingredients that most home bakers wouldn't have in their own pantries, often would taste 'off' and a bit gummy to me.

I believe everyone processes experiences just a little bit differently, uniquely suited to and shaped by their psyches, personas, and their experiences.  Everyone remembers something slightly differently. On a trip to Paris, some may be awed by the architecture, some by the commerce, some by the landscape and scenery. That first trip, I was awed by the total sensory feast that was the food, whether it was the Ladurée macarons, the delicious ice cream in Quartier Latin, the red currants my friend's wonderful mother picked for me to taste, my first crème brûlée and savory crêpes. I would be amiss if I didn't tell you how delightful it was to eat my friend's and her mother's home-cooking. We used to cook for each other and share our meals in Philadelphia, where I would enjoy the elegantly simple and delicious foods she would prepare. That was just a preview before we got to France and I got to sample various dishes carefully made from incredibly fresh ingredients, many times unlike anything I had seen at home.

When all the glitter and rush of traveling to new places have settled, three things for me remain: the tastes, the people, and the sense of self that I inevitably keep discovering in new and strange places. All three of these are deeply connected and woven together. I cannot see these people all of the time, though I wish I could, because the distance and time difference make it too difficult. What I can do is carry a piece of them with me, and what they have given me, by incorporating some of their traditions and customs in my own daily life where it makes sense (and sometimes where it doesn't make that much sense, like the ridiculously expensive white asparagus I splurged on at Whole Foods last spring after a trip to Germany. Another post about that trip will have to be written, to try to do it justice!). Not to mention share these tidbits with you, my dear reader.

Food is incredible for the way it can bring people together, and for what it can teach you about yourself and the world around you. I know that many of you share this sentiment with me, and for everyone, may you always feel full and fulfilled after your meals (and maybe just a little tiny bit hungry for the next culinary adventure!).

 Mm, kale. Isn't the green pretty?

Hi everyone! Happy New Year, and also Happy Chinese New Year of the Dragon :)

I can't believe it's already February of the new year. I hope so far the year has been treating you well, and that you will have a wonderful year ahead. Full of happiness, health, and of course, good food!

 Things start heating up!

Thank you so much for reading my blog, your kind comments and encouragement, and staying with me.  This year, I want to make my blog a more constant part of my life. So from here on now, I will resolve to post something once a week. I hear it eventually becomes a habit, so I hope that will happen for me too - wish me luck!

A very pleasant surprise I wanted to mention - Camelia from the French recipe website - Petit Chef - left a nice comment inviting me to share my blog with their community!  I am very happy for the chance to be a part of this group, and excited about the prospect of contributing to and learning from the many talented chefs out there. My blog is posted in their General Directory - you may find it here - and I have been enjoying browsing through fellow members' blogs.  Merci beaucoup, Camelia and Petit Chef!

I hope you can check out their website when you get a chance, there is a plethora of gorgeous and creative recipes to be found!

And now, two recipes I would like to share with you. Both are simple to make, healthy, and nourishing. I made them a few nights ago, when I came home from work too tired to cook, and the thought of going out again into the cold to get take-out made me go 'mehh.' Since the second option is often not very healthy, that became even less appealing. So with encouragement from my boyfriend on the other end of the phone line, I rallied to make a fulfilling and healthful meal. It's very funny because I went from not wanting to cook, to improvising because I had run out of hot red pepper flakes, having fun with my mise en place, and ending up thoroughly happy and thankful that I didn't succumb to take-out. A lesson learned that most times, it pays to just get up (literally this time, from my seat!) and go for it :)

 Just showing some love :)

Taken together, these two can form the backbone of a great meal - just add a simply prepared, fresh vegetable or two (or as many as you like!). I had mine with lightly blanched green beans and sauteed kale. The quinoa salad, refreshing and slightly tart, also makes a nice snack on its own, and the eggs can be piled on top of some toast for a tasty tartine. All right, let's roll up the proverbial sleeves  - and go for it!


Sprightly Quinoa Salad:

To cook quinoa:
-1 cup of uncooked quinoa
-2 cups of water, or broth (I love quinoa's nutty taste, and so usually just use plain spring water, but using a nice broth would really give it a lush flavor)
--Bring quinoa and cooking liquid to a boil, turn the heat down to low, cover, and let simmer and cook for about 15 minutes. The nice thing about quinoa is that it doesn't stick to your pot or pan, so you can stir occasionally towards the end just to see whether it's done.  When it's fluffy, and the germ has separated from the grain (you see the little white rings around the grains), turn off the heat, set aside, and let cool.

The additions:
-2 cups of cucumber chunks - I cut two medium sized cukes into quarters lengthwise, then chopped them at quarter-inch intervals. It actually would have ended up being more than 2 cups, so..I just ate the ones that didn't fit into my bowl :)
-almost half a cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes. I love sun-dried tomatoes! I picked up my current supply from the farmer's market. The flavor is intense and deep, and the brilliant red color adds vibrancy to any dish. Nearly half a cup of chopped tomatoes is probably 6 or 7 sun-dried tomatoes.

The dressing:
-3 or 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced. I ended up with a little over a tablespoon of chopped garlic, if that helps with measuring. Speaking of garlic, I was entranced by their gorgeous mauve-y pink color. I haven't seen garlic so rosy-hued, and they were crisp and juicy, a good sign of freshness! Thus they featured in a 'glam shot' of sorts, with is co-stars lemon and jalapeno pepper, please see below. Yes, I do love my food and garlic :)
-2-3 tablespoons of fiery Dijon mustard. Maille is great, and Grey Poupon also has a nice zing.
-Several splashes of rice vinegar
-about 1 tbsp of honey
-about 1tbsp of fresh lemon juice
-salt and pepper to taste. I like to use sea salt in my cooking, the flavor is more delicate and as a bonus, the grinder it comes in is fun to use

Bring it all together: Combine your cooled, cooked quinoa, veggies, and dressing ingredients, stir vigorously to mix together, and enjoy! If you like a milder garlic taste, I would suggest adding the garlic to the quinoa while it is still warm so the residual heat can help slightly cook and temper the garlic flavor.

Please admire the garlic, and - just one more recipe!

Chinese-style eggs cooked with tomatoes:

This is a classic and easy to make comfort dish, that gives you protein and veggies together in one. I would have liked to use red pepper flakes, but since I was all out, chopped up a red jalapeno pepper instead, and used half (the other half was used to flavor my sauteed kale, which you can make following my recipe here) to flavor the dish. I also really wanted a deep tomato flavor, so I added sun-dried tomatoes to the recipe, along with fresh tomatoes.

 Eggs with tomatoes, part I

Scrambled eggs:
-extra virgin olive oil, about 1 tbsp
-4 eggs, well-beaten, with a splash of milk, and a bit of salt and pepper all stirred in
For really tender and creamy tasting eggs, allow the pan and oil to heat up until you can feel the heat by holding your hand just above the oil (be careful!). Add in your egg mixture to the pan and do not touch for about 30 seconds or so to let it set. Then you can start gently pushing the eggs from the outer edge in towards the middle, allowing the uncooked egg to slide to the edge of the pan. Do this slowly and try not to do it too many times. It's important not to overcook the eggs, because you'll add them to your tomatoes at the end of the recipe for the final step, so when the eggs are nearly done and still just a tiny bit runny, slide the eggs out of the pan onto a dish (the residual heat will continue working) and set aside while you do the rest of the dish.

The tomatoes:
-extra virgin olive oil, about 1 tbsp
-about half a cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes
-half a jalapeno pepper, chopped
-about 1 tbsp of chopped garlic
-salt and pepper, just a dash of each, more pepper than salt
-about 1 tsp of honey

-4 plum tomatoes, nicely ripe, and cut into bite size chunks

Heat the oil on medium heat, then add in the jalapeno peppers first to allow their flavors to come out. After a couple of minutes, add garlic, dried tomatoes, and salt and pepper, stirring them together and letting the tastes blend.Allow them to cook for a few minutes - watch it and stir to make sure the garlic doesn't burn - turn up the heat, then add the fresh chopped tomatoes. Allow them to heat through and cook until they start to release some of their juices. At this point, slide those eggs back into the pan, stir everything together and let it cook for a few stirs (less than a minute), then turn off the heat. I let mine cook for just a couple more minutes before serving with the quinoa and veggies.

Part II!

Just one more thing to remember is to preserve the integrity of the tomatoes, heating them through just enough so they release some of their juices and fragrance, mixing with the zesty seasonings, and then stirring in your cooked eggs for just long enough to let them all play together. The tomatoes will be slightly yielding with a little bit of bite, and the eggs will be creamy tender chunks.

The sundried tomatoes really do give a deeper tomato flavor and overall rounds out the taste. More traditional seasonings include scallions cooked in the oil first with salt and pepper, and maybe some chopped cilantro or parsley to sprinkle on top when finished. Either way, now you know how to make the base, and you'll have an easy and tasty dish to add to your repertoire!

Happy eating :)