Caldo de Pollo - 235

OK, so yesterday was supposed to be grocery shopping day, and I was going to pick up the ingredients for an appetizer we were going to take to a party later in the day. Somewhere in the middle of one of the grocery stores we like to shop at I started feeling sick. I started aching, and my head hurt. Being flu season, I immediately thought I'd been bitten by the bug. I found my husband eating samples in the store and told him that we had to quickly wrap it up and head home. I wanted to be near a bathroom, a set of covers, and some hot tea, all preferably in my own home.

We got home, and before going to bed I e-mailed my friend to tell her we wouldn't be coming. It was her birthday, and I didn't want to ruin the happy occasion by contaminating everyone with the flu. I then headed for bed, climbed under a comforter, and promptly fell asleep for the next two hours.

Javier came in to see how I was doing and to ask what I wanted for lunch. It was now 1:30 PM, so he wanted to get going on something quick. I suggested that we make a nice chicken soup, otherwise known as CALDO DE POLLO. After all, we'd just bought chicken at the store.

About two hours later the caldo was done. Javier had made it with chicken breasts, lots of garlic, carrots, squash, corn on the cob (broken in two) and cilantro. We served it with fresh mint leaves and a slice of a chipotle chile. These are put into the bowls ahead of the caldo (which means broth) and then the larger items (corn, chicken breast and any other large pieces of vegetables) are spooned in afterwards. Normally we'll eat a dish like this with corn tortillas and hot rice (which we often spoon into the caldo) but not yesterday. I just ate my soup and vegetables, and then climbed back in bed with a book. I am currently reading Mexico City by Nick Caistor. It is part of the Cities of the Imaginations series.

Later in the day it became apparent that I did not have the flu. I was totally exhausted and my body had called a halt to activities in the middle of the grocery store. I just needed a lot of rest and a good bowl of Caldo de pollo to bring me back to this world and a wonderful afternoon and evening with my husband. By the time dinner came around, we just ate a few Oaxaca cheese QUESADILLAS with a homemade tomatillo and chipotle chile salsa. Not bad for impromptu meals - two of them in one day!