Sickie McSick

For the past four days, I've had a fever in the triple-digits, not to mention an astonishing amount of phlegm escaping my body. (Remind me again: What did I take that flu shot for??) It's been hard to muster the energy to do things like go pee, let alone cook. On Day 1, I managed to get up a couple of times to open the freezer, pop some bread into the toaster, and then eat it topped with a slice of cheese. I was definitely ready for something more by the end of the day.

On Day 2, my family, Dreamy and I had reservations for dinner at a fancy restaurant. I waited till the last minute to change the reservation, hoping against hope that I'd be up for it, but needless to say, it did not happen. Instead, Dreamy came over bearing armfuls of Trader Joe's chicken noodle soup. Damn, was that shit good. I don't think I've had canned chicken noodle soup since I was five or so, and it tasted like heaven in a box. I quickly put in an order for more canned soup with my mom and sister, who were coming over the next day to bring me supplies.

Now that I've been living on nothing but chicken noodle soup for three days, out of which days I've left my apartment once, and my spot on the couch maybe 10 times (mostly for bathroom visits), I'm again ready for a change. My fever is finally down, and I think I have just about enough energy to make this easy pasta recipe, courtesy of Marc Bittman:

SPAGHETTI WITH FRIED EGGS

Time: 20 minutes

Salt

1/2 pound thin spaghetti

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or lard

2 large cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled

4 eggs

Freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan or pecorino cheese, optional.

1. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Start the sauce in the next step, and start cooking the pasta when the water boils.

2. Combine garlic and 4 tablespoons of the oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the garlic, pressing it into the oil occasionally to release its flavor; it should barely color on both sides. Remove the garlic, and add the remaining oil.

3. Fry the eggs gently in the oil, until the whites are just about set and the yolks still quite runny. Drain the pasta, and toss with the eggs and oil, breaking up the whites as you do. (The eggs will finish cooking in the heat of the pasta.) Season to taste, and serve immediately, with cheese if you like.

It sounds like just the kind of protein-y, rich, scrumptious meal I need, although it's too bad I don't have any lard in my cupboard.

Hopefully by tomorrow I'll be back to my regular self, because I sure am sick of this couch. On the plus side, I am extremely well caught up on current events (just ask me about the situation in Egypt), Season 1 of Glee, and Muppets videos on YouTube. Here's the video that got me started on that kick, sent to accompany a feel-better email from Dreamy's friend Brian: