Some people are brilliant when their loved ones are ill, and know instinctively what face to make, when to chat, when to be quiet, when to make tea, when to plump a pillow and so forth. Others are terrible, instinctively avoidant, brusque and awkward. They need to ask themselves what they’re so afraid of. But in the meantime, a great way to show you care while you build your genuinely caring personality is to do convalescent cookery.
Soup is so famously a restorative that scientists with a bit of downtime often try to show the mechanism. This week, a study found four traditional broths that were protective against malaria, although there was no particular ingredient common to all four. The active property has yet to be identified, which is the fancy way of saying “we have no idea why”. It is unlikely, however, that you’re tending to someone with malaria. More probably, they have a cold (although my Mr currently has lockjaw, and if you’re wondering what to feed someone who can’t open his mouth, it is of course more soup).
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