FOR THE SOUL, For the Relationship, For the Cold and Lonely Nights. For those Pesky STIs.

Speaking from experience (minus the last), this soup can cure them all. Just ask my boyfriend, who said, “It’s the most amazing chicken dish I’ve ever eaten in my life. It makes me feel better even when my day sucks. Even when life is hard, Arroz Caldo is good.”  And then he asked me to marry him. (ha…ha)

The recipe comes from my grandmother, one of those super cute old Filipino ladies that still raise all kinds of hell. Make it, and taste the rainbow joy.

ARROZ CALDO (Chicken Porridge)

2 small pieces of fresh ginger (available at Trader Joe’s)

2 tbsp. canola oil

6 cloves chopped garlic

6 chicken thighs, defrosted

Salt and pepper to taste

2 cups of rice

1 cup of chicken broth (if necessary)

1 lemon

Soy sauce

1. Take one gigantic pot. Set it on the stove.

2. Peel two small pieces of fresh ginger, and cut them into thin strips.

3. Peel six cloves of garlic, then chop them finely, into small cubes.

4. Pour two tablespoons of canola oil into the pot. Turn on the stove.

5. After one to two minutes, take the pot handles and swirl the oil around so it covers the bottom of the pot.

6. “Saute,” or fry the chopped garlic and strips of ginger.

7. Add the chicken thighs to the pot. Brown both sides, flipping each piece with a wooden spoon or plastic spatula.

8. Add enough water to cover the chicken.

9. Boil! Then, add salt and pepper to taste.

10. Twenty minutes later, check to see if the chicken is cooked by removing a piece and slicing it open to the center. If

it is still pink or bloody, continue boiling. Check this every five minutes.

11. When the chicken is cooked, add the two cups of rice. As a rule of thumb, add 1 cup of rice for every three cups of

water.

12. Lower the heat to make sure the pot does not overflow. Mix often with a wooden spoon to prevent the rice from

sticking to the bottom of the pan.

13. If necessary, add 1 cup of chicken broth to continue cooking the rice.

14. When the rice is cooked, turn off the heat.

15. Serve the Arroz Caldo in bowls with lemon slices and soy sauce.

Note: Warn everyone to remove the ginger slices when they see it in their bowl. It’s a necessary sacrifice, but truly, it’s

worth it.

(Also known to cure bouts of swine flu and seasickness. Colic. Ebola. Hunchbacks. Elbow pain. Midterm stress…)

Sarap naman!

(Super delicious!)

–Allie Cuerdo