Fried brains, beef tea, gruel and mutton broth: A short history of 'invalid food'
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- 31 May 2022
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Denise Irvine is a Hamilton freelance journalist and food writer, and a regular Waikato Times contributor
OPINION: When I was a child, the bonus of being unwell was the beautiful fluffy omelettes that my mother delivered to my bedside.
Omelettes were Mum’s go-to dish for sick kids; she considered them to be light, nutritious and tempting for a delicate constitution. They were always garnished with finely cut chives and neatly plated with small triangles of hot-buttered toast.
A few weeks ago, when I was laid low with the wretched Covid Omicron virus, I would have given anything for a few rounds of my mother’s omelettes.
They are never the same when I make them so I went for my next best sickbay thing, a decent brew of vegetable soup that I had stashed in the freezer for such emergencies.
The soup was a mix of random vegetables: carrots, parsnips, leeks, broccoli and pumpkin, sizzled in olive oil with garlic and a dessert spoonful of white miso paste for extra umami, everything covered with water, cooked until tender, and mashed with fresh herbs and a splash of olive oil, into a chunky mixture. It was heaven-sent at a fragile time.
It is interesting what we are drawn to eat (or not) when we are unwell. Mostly I crave absolutely simple food that is comforting and easily digested. I lived on the vegetable soup stash for the first few days of the Covid saga. That, and stewed granny smith apples soaked with oats for breakfast.
Stewed apples were the sickroom signature dish of my father-in-law, his premise being that the natural sweetness of the apples was a perfect energy boost. And, of course, they are easily assimilated.
I recall him making me a bowl of stewed apples once when I was laid low with a lurgy and I had lost all interest in eating. They were as good as he had promised.
Luckily, during the week with Covid, my fruit bowl was brimming with green grannies, so they were peeled, sliced and simmered as a pick-me-up.
Some cookbooks last century devoted entire chapters to “invalid food”, and I think my mother’s fluffy omelette inspiration came from one of these.
Her ancient copy of the Edmonds Cookery Book has an invalid section, with some delightful handy hints on serving food to the stricken: “Set the tray daintily; serve small helpings; cook the food perfectly and serve it attractively; use the most attractive china and linen; use a flower or a small posy on the tray; serve one course at a time.”
Perhaps not so delightful are some of the Edmonds’ recipes for patients, including fried brains, beef tea, gruel and mutton broth. There is also a rather dubious one for puffed eggs – using a steaming method – and I’m grateful Mum stuck to her omelettes.
Going back further, my grandmother’s copy of the celebrated Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management (new edition, 1906) has a vast compilation of invalid food. Read More...
