Almost three weeks ago Ellen texted me, “waiting to go to urgent care. I feel like shit. I’ll lykl”
I replied—WHATTTTT?!
Ellen lives by herself approximately 950 miles away in Florida and has taken care of herself for decades through many hardships. She always insists that she has a great support circle of a couple of people she can call if she needs to. No one, especially her, can convince me that she has a sufficient support circle because I’m not there.
When she didn’t text back right away I called her. She squeaked a barely audible hello.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
103 fever, a murderous cough, unable to sleep for the last couple of days. This was her away of confirming that she started to fall apart a few days ago and didn’t tell me.
Even though I am the most conflict-adversed person you’ll ever meet, I began to order her around. Call the doctor immediately! She’ll wait for her urgent care appointment in the afternoon. Who’s going with you? No one, she’ll drive herself. It’s only five minutes away. What if you faint or they send her to the hospital!?She’ll be fine.
Ellen told me I should stop worrying about her. Don’t tell me what to do, I said. LOL she replied.
A few hours later she reported back: she had the flu and her temperature was falling. Her support circle had picked up medicine and more cans of soup.
This was how it went for the rest of the week until yesterday when she admitted she had begun to wheeze. A bad case of sciatic from all the lying around had set in, too. We agreed this was the pits.
Not for the first time I twisted myself into a knot of frustration, helplessness, and dread and I didn’t sleep much through the night. If I was down there with Ellen I would run out to the supermarket with the following shopping list:
good quality white wine vinegar pearl barley raisines licorice Dutch cocoa port wine
When I got back to her apartment, I would start cooking all manner of dishes and drinks composed from invalid recipes. Pick up any old cookbook, say from the 18th century onward, and you will find a section devoted to dishes made to attend to the sick—soups and broths; refreshing cold drinks, teas and light suppers, elixirs, ointments, and potions. General nursing advice was offered, as well.
By the end of the 19th century, rapid advances in medical research and modern practices began to make the recipes appear quaint, if not down-right foolish, but they continued to be valued. The 1922 edition of Fannie Farmer’s Food and Cookery for the Sick and Convalescent was among the last books in my collection to offer the recipes. After that, they disappeared from general cookbooks and a lot of valuable advice was lost.
I first discovered invalid cooking along about the time my two young school-age children began bringing home every virus known to mankind. I had no idea what to do except spoon out whatever medicines were prescribed. Clearing out the drugstore’s cold and flu section occurred, too, as backup. I had a general faith in my doctors but not a lot of confidence in my ability to keep my kids alive, let alone comfortable and on the road to recovery. Finding invalid recipes gradually taught me many simple and effective ways to meet their needs. My panic reduced to a manageable stage and the household absorbed even the worse seasonal bugs in strides.
How I wish I was really in Ellen’s kitchen, my shopping ingredients spread across her countertop. She would be sniffling on the couch while I followed steps to make her feel better.
All I could do, though, is send her the recipes. The only thing missing from them was me being there for her.
A few recipes with an important announcement at the end
Queen Victoria’s Favorite Soup
This recipe comes from the Queen’s private cookery book. It’s been reported that she would go down to the castle kitchen and prepare it herself. That’s a very nice vision to contemplate but I’m not sure about it.
1/2 cup crackers or fresh bread crumbs 1 pint sweet cream 1 pint very strong chicken broth, preferably fresh 1 cup chopped chicken breast 3 hard boiled egg yolks salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Soak the crackers or crumbs in half the cream until soft. Meanwhile, bring the broth to a boil in a stainless steal quart pot and add the chop chicken. Turn the broth down to a simmer and cook the meat until it is very soft. When the meat is done, mix the cream and crumbs into the broth.
Press the yolks through a fine sieve into the broth. Taste and add salt and pepper. Strain the broth through a colander, pressing the meat and crackers or crumbs with the back of a wooden spoon. Return the strained broth to the pot. Add the rest of the cream a little at a time, stirring gently, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes to heat through.
Serves 4.
Hot Lemonade
A nice cold lemon beverage seems to cut through a nagging cough. It was recommended in an 1896 nursing manual for fevers that accompany colds and flu, as well as for the later stages of typhoid fever.
2 or 3 lumps of sugar 1 large lemon 1/2 pint boiling water
Rub the sugar over the outside of the lemon to extract a little of the flavor then dust it off into a tea cup, adding any leftover sugar. Cut the lemon in half, and squeeze the juice into the cup over the sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the hot water and stir again. Float a slice of lemon in the liquid for added potency.
Makes 1 serving.
A Vinegar Drink for Colds and Sore Throats
The following recipe was a favorite among traveling preachers on the Midwest revival tent circuit. It’s effectiveness in modern times was proven on air by NPR’s Terry Gross. She gasped, I cringed thinking she may sue me, but she reported that her scratchy throat felt much better right after she got over the shock.
1/2 cup icy cold good quality white wine vinegar (make sure it is very icy) 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or a smidgen less if it's your first time)
Dissolve all the ingredients together in a tall glass. Let it warm to room temperature then stir once more and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled again. Serve cold and sip gradually.
Makes 1 serving.
Pectorial Drink
A standard in the sick room.
2 quarts water 1 ounce pearl barley 1 ounce raisins ½ ounce licorice
In a large sauce pan, bring the water to a boil, then add the barley, raisins and licorice. Stir to mix and continue to simmer until reduced by half (it will get thick). Remove from heat and let cool.
May be served warm or cooled. Take it a teaspoon at a time, as needed.
Makes 1 quart.
Cocoa Cordial
From Fannie Farmer who suggested it as an evening drink sipped a little before bedtime. It helps to still the jagged nerves of the patient and caregiver alike!
1 teaspoon Dutch cocoa 1 teaspoon sugar 1/2 cup boiling water 1 1/2 tablespoons best quality port wine
In a medium-size sauce pan, mix together the cocoa and sugar, then add just enough hot water to form a paste. Stir in remaining water and bring to a boil for 1 minute.
Remove from heat and pour into a mug. Add port wine.
(Author’s Note: In case of a bad day, add more wine..........)
Makes 1 serving.
Handy recipes when life has you under the weather, whether with the flu, a cold, or COVID.
When you are not feeling well, having someone around who is handy in the kitchen beats out a pantry full of canned soup! Your recipes are both wonderfully weird and intriguing. I was instantly on the lookout for the licorice.