Madame. Some Vindaloo for You?

I had strep throat and was in bed for three days. Last night my dear husband made a curry. It was a pork and potato curry to finish off our gigantic Christmas ham. He started at 5 or so. Is there anything more wonderful than having someone cook for you? I mean a big meal that just sends wonderful aromas through the house and you get to lie there and do NOTHING???? It's my heaven. At 6 he came up and said he thought the curry might be too hot for the boys. I said fine, feed them eggs. He kept cooking. It smelled better and better. I came to sit with the boys. I walked to the stairs and the spices were so potent that I started gagging and sneezing as I walked down. By the time I got to the kitchen my eyes were watering and I couldn't stop sneezing. But it smelled divine. O so delicious. LIke cardomon and cumin and turmeric and garlic and paprika and pork and potatoes and mustard seeds. We surmised the spice would burn off a little as it simmered. I came down an hour later. The whole house smelled like curry. It was a gift from the Gods! He served it up on a bed of rice. It was so powerful our eyes started to water. We gulped down beer and ladled on sour cream to dilute the power of the vindaloo stew. But it was one of the best curries I have ever ever had. I couldn't believe my husband from Jersey whipped up this Goan curry that transported me to India. I know--and believe--that spices have powerful curative properties. Research shows that turmeric -- even tiny amounts--which is all that is in a curry -- can help prevent and cure cancers, and other diseases that are caused by inflammation (diabetes, Alzheimers, and more). Doctors at places like MD Anderson and UCLA continue to work with turmeric to figure out how best to use it. Ancient cuisines tend to do amazing things with spices to bring out certain properties in food. Whatever the case may be, I believe that curry cured me. Today I woke up and I felt better. I think the spices burned that bacterial infection out of my throat, my lungs and my body. And I can't wait to have Goan curry for dinner tonight--with a big, cold beer.