S&M

I think just about everyone has a preferred hangover food. Before I started cooking as much as I do now I would always opt for some sort of take-out. For example, with a little guidance, PJ's in New Brunswick can throw together what is--for me at least--the perfect cheese steak. But alas, PJ's is no longer convenient for me and the take-out in Sunset Park, Brooklyn can be risky business if you don't know where to go--and personally, I don't. When I have a hangover, I am not interested in experimenting. 

My last hangover came with a craving for a definitively satisfying and comforting meal. After turning over take-out options in my head for a bit and weighing the severity of my hangover I decided to just go to the grocery store, buy some ingredients, and throw together some spaghetti and meatballs. Again, I turned to the Joy of Cooking, but mainly as a reference. The first time I made my own meatballs I followed the JOC Italian meatball recipe almost to the letter, but even then I thought, Dude, that's way too much parsley. But that's one of the fun things about meatballs. You don't have to be precise. I think meatballs are really more about doing what feels right. I put in what looks like enough of every ingredient listed--even egg. I never use a whole egg. It's too much for a pound of ground beef. I'm sorry, JOC, it's just too much. 

So, in a surprisingly short amount of time and really without even very much effort, I had a really wonderful meal that nourished my slightly hungover self with some of the most comfortable comfort food I can think of. This experience made me curious about other people's favorite hangover treats. Aside from PJ's cheese steaks, a few of my past favorites for an afternoon-after include: a bagel and a big thing of chocolate milk; ramen noodles with a little sesame oil and soy sauce; or a nice warm, mushy bowl of mediocre Chinese food (fried tofu and broccoli in brown sauce with white rice usually).