Today, we have adapted well to the virus, although not necessarily as we used to be. Remember that we are also about to usher in the flu season, which is very helpful and healthy. (If you have not received the flu vaccine yet, please hit Takao.)

As for other help, if the flu invades you, there is hot soup. Many soups in the world are traditional folk medicine. Here are four soup recipes suitable for this flu season, two without meat (one vegetarian and one vegetarian) and two with meat (one is chicken, the other is Is pork).

The hot soup warms the trembling body from the inside out; it fills the stomach and moisturizes the body. Its liquid retains the vitamins and minerals in the food cooked in it, because you will not pour its water out. The steam of the hot soup has an anti-inflammatory effect, clears mucus and opens the respiratory tract.

Hot soup is usually just a bowl of healthy eating: it is usually a vegetable carrier, usually low in fat and rich in fiber. If it has noodles or other carbohydrates, it is an energy source. Because it contains enough salt, it can enhance or awaken dormant or blocked sense of smell and taste.

It is easy to prepare with modern appliances such as Crockpot or Instant Pot. It is easy to freeze and reheat. Its fragrance permeates the whole house (or ward). Usually, someone serves you, so it is a reminder of love and care.

For its part, chicken soup is rich in tryptophan, which increases serotonin and improves mood. Get more tips and recipes from Bill Saint John.

When you are depressed, especially during the flu season, what dislikes hot soup?

2 carcasses from roasted (not raw) chicken

2 medium-sized onions, peeled along their "equator" and cut in half

3 stalks of celery (leaves are fine), cut in half

2 medium-sized carrots, scrubbed but not peeled, cut in half

4 cloves garlic, unpeeled but crushed

2 sprigs fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 Whole raw chicken, cut at the joints, cut the breast into four equal parts, including ribs and spine, skin

Break or cut the carcass of the roast chicken into pieces, especially at the joints. The more pieces the better. In the pot used to make the soup, scorch half of the 4 onions over a medium-low heat until the cut surface becomes a very beautiful brown.

Add the remaining ingredients except for the whole raw chicken, then cover everything with cold or room temperature water by an inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3-4 hours, just partially cover, skim the fat or foam that may rise, and replenish it with boiling water if necessary to keep everything submerged.

Strain out the solid ingredients, then put the whole raw chicken part back into the pot. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 1/2 hour, partially covering, skimming fat and foam. Take out 4 pieces of brisket, set aside, and continue to simmer for an hour.

If you want it to be clearer, you can filter the doubled stock through cheesecloth and then remove the meat from the bone, including the reserved breast meat, for other preparations.

Cook's Variation: Use this stock as the basis for any number of possible decorations. For example, put vegetable slices in it and boil it (1/2 inch chunks of carrots, celery root, parsnips, waxy potatoes or sweet potatoes, cook for 20 minutes; very thin slices of onion or leek, cook for 10 minutes; corn kernels, frozen For peas, cut beet leaves or Brussels sprout leaves into thin slices for 5 minutes). Add the chicken pieces you like.

Or, for Asian-style dishes, boil 1 cup of raw jasmine rice, 1 inch piece of peeled ginger, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, and 8 cups of stock for 20 minutes. At the end of the simmer, add 1 cup of chopped raw mushrooms and 4 teaspoons of soy sauce (you can add a little black sesame oil if you want), cook the mushrooms until they are just cooked, then add the chicken pieces to heat according to your preference. Sprinkle sliced ​​green onions when serving.

Make 8 small bowls or 4 large bowls.

4 cups fennel bulbs, trimmed leaves and stems, cored and chopped

2 medium-sized leeks, only white and light green parts, rinsed and finely chopped

1/2 pound waxy potatoes (such as Yukon Gold), peeled and chopped

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

Melt butter in a large thick-bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add celery, fennel, leeks and garlic and stir over medium heat until soft, about 15 minutes. Add potatoes and stock, simmer until the vegetables are fully cooked, and cook for another 30-40 minutes. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly to avoid splashing back in the next step of mixing.

In a blender, divide the soup into 2 cups and puree until very smooth. (Alternatively, use an immersion blender on the entire batch.) Return the soup to the pot and add half and half of the lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate overnight to "marry" and develop flavor. When serving, slowly heat to the temperature you want, and then add a small amount of fruity extra virgin olive oil, or a small amount of dry sherry or light madeira to the preheated bowl.

Most (if not all) posole recipes prescribe the use of Mexican oregano (Lippia Graveolens), a member of the verbena family. In fact, some people think its earthy, citrus flavor is most suitable for Mexican cuisine. Servings for 8-10 people.

5 cups canned pozo (white polenta), rinsed and drained

6 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed, 3 cloves in each group

3 pounds pork shoulder, bone-in if any, remove excess fat and cut into chunks

1 pound country style ribs with bones

2 medium or 1 large white onions, peeled and sliced

4 quarts of light broth, preferably homemade (pork, chicken or combination), or plain water, or a combination of broth and water

1/2 pound fresh poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 pound roasted peppers, peeled, seeded, and chopped (hot or mild or a combination)

Garnish of grated semi-hard cheese or cotija cheese; chopped serrano pepper; chopped cilantro; avocado chunks or slices; chopped or sliced ​​cabbage; more oregano; and lime wedges.

Add polenta and 3 garlic cloves to a large pot, add 2 inches of water; bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, and cook gently for at least 2 hours. If necessary, add more water to keep polenta submerged. Drain and set aside, keeping any garlic flakes if needed.

In a large pot over medium-high heat, fry the pork belly in oil until browned; remove, then add the onion, scrape off any brown parts when the onion sweats for 4-5 minutes, then add 3 cloves of garlic, heat 1- Make sure not to burn the garlic for 2 minutes. Add the pork cubes and broth or water back, and simmer the pork for at least 2 hours, skimming any gray foam or fat. Remove the meat from the broth; skim the broth and keep it; cut the meat off the bone and keep it. (Doing all this a day or two in advance will make it easier to remove fat and produce more flavor.)

In a large pot, add cooked polenta, shredded pork and broth; add seasonings and prepared chili. The liquid should be more like a stew than the soup; just adjust the liquid like this. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30-40 minutes while stirring. Taste the taste of salt (Pozo absorbs salt; you may need more). Serve with tortillas and decorations.

Moroccan Muslims often eat harira, a rich soup, as an iftar meal during Ramadan. This recipe comes from an interview with chef Amina Zarkat of the Ramada Hotel in Fez, Morocco. Usually made with mutton soup, this version is based on vegetarian food. The chile sauce called harissa is another harira ingredient, although it can easily be replaced with chile sauces from other countries. However, it is easy to find small cans of North African Harissa.

Instead of the prescribed water or vegetable broth, you can use chicken or vegetable broth (or if you can use or make lamb or veal broth; dark brown beef broth will be a bit too burly). Makes 10-12 servings; store in the refrigerator or freeze well.

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 celery stalks, with leaves, cut into small cubes

4 cloves garlic, chopped or finely chopped

1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

1/4 cup packed flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

2 teaspoons harissa hot sauce (or other chile sauce), plus more garnish

4 cups tomatoes (diced and crushed whole, or 5 cups fresh, peeled)

2 quarts or premium of water or vegetable broth

1 cup lentils (red or brown, not green), rinsed, soaked in water for 1 hour, and drained

1 14-ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed, or 1 cup dried chickpeas or broad beans, rinsed, soaked overnight, then cooked and drained

1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 pound of elongated pasta (vermicelli, thin pasta, or angel hair), divided into 1 inch pieces

Wedge lemon and dried dates

On medium-high heat, in a thick-bottomed pot large enough to hold all the ingredients, cook the onions, celery and carrots until they become soft and transparent, about 7 minutes; then reduce the heat a bit, add the garlic, and stir for another 3 minutes, being careful not to remove the garlic Burnt. Add coriander and parsley leaves, then add ras el hanout and harissa hot sauce, cook for another 2 minutes and stir slightly.

Turn the heat to medium high and add the tomatoes, making sure they are crushed (use a potato masher if it helps); cook for a few minutes until the mixture thickens slightly. Add water (or broth, if you are using), lentils, chickpeas or fava beans. Add salt and pepper, stir well, bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Open the lid slightly and let the soup boil for an hour or more until the lentils are completely cooked, very soft and creamy. To maintain the consistency of soup (not stew), add more liquid to the harira while cooking.

Adjust the salt. About 5 minutes before serving, add the crumbled pasta flakes, stir, and let them cook. Serve with more harissa sauce, lemon wedges can be used to squeeze the soup in large quantities, and the dates to eat, bite by spoonful.

A key ingredient of Moroccan harira is a spice blend called "ras el hanout" ("best store"), which mixes 10 to 30 or more different spice powders, each of which is unique to a particular merchant or chef of. Most ras el hanout mixtures are based on the powder of several "warm" spices (such as chili powder, cumin, coriander, turmeric, cayenne, and black pepper) and are combined with some "sweet" spices (such as cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and Five spice powder).

But, in the final analysis, there are no rules; mixing ras el hanout is a special art for every businessman or family. It is also difficult to find outside of North Africa, although you may encounter it in specialty stores or gourmet grocery stores in Colorado. The simple way to assemble the do-it-yourself ras el hanout is as follows.

You can modify this mixture to suit your taste; after all, this is the idea. For example, using chili powder instead of chili powder will slightly reduce Chile's heat index. Makes 4 tablespoons; easy to multiply.

2 teaspoons each: coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric powder

1 teaspoon each: ginger powder, cinnamon powder, chili powder (or chili powder) and black pepper

1/2 teaspoon each: cardamom powder, five-spice powder and nutmeg powder (or nutmeg powder)

1/4 teaspoon each: clove powder and crushed saffron thread

Mix the powder thoroughly. Stored in an airtight jar away from light, it is admirable. For cooking preparations that require any savory spice mixture, for example, you will use garam masala, or meat or fish sauce, or adobo.

Contact Bill St. John at billstjohn@gmail.com

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