Pork Liver Soup... comforting

I was down with a cold and had to leave work early yesterday. As soon as I got home, I took some medicine and crawl into bed. As I was laying down, waiting for the medicine to kick in, I heard my stomach making some growling and gurgling sounds. I was pretty sure I wasn't hungry since I just had my lunch 3 hours ago and a chocolate chip cookie that my co-worker had given me and then snacked on some Pepperidge Farm's cookies...


When I was little, my stomach aches a lot. It happened so often that I almost feel like I would have at least a stomachache a week. Due to the high occurrence, Ah Po would worry sick, naturally (that's how Ah Po is, she worries about everything... with good intentions). When my stomach hurts, she would rub this brownish-colored, Chinese medicinal oil on my belly as she kept mumbling about something. And as she rubs and comforts me, those growling and gurgling sounds would be so profound, it's as if the liquid and solid in my stomach is having a rumble of their own! And then, that makes my grandma worry even more. I'm sure there has been sleepless nights that accompanied my silly stomach debacles!


So, when I was growing up, Ah Po always make pork liver soup specially for me (yes, only for me! since my brothers have no stomach issues). I know that the thought of pork liver itself may have turn off some of your appetite out there. To be frank, I'm not entirely sure what is the medicinal or comforting element in the pork liver soup, except for the fact that Ah Po made that for me growing up and at one point, I didn't need it anymore. But as I made and have some today, I found it very comforting... 


Since we're on the weird food topic, I might as well throw this in the picture: When my brothers and I were little, Ah Po used to make us Pig's Brain Soup! I kid you not. She said it makes us smart - I have not found any fact to prove or disprove this yet, but I think it's a myth. Of course, my brothers and I would find any thinkable excuses to escape. Alas, we would end up sitting in front of the bowl of Pig's Brain Soup, squinting at the floating brain, exchanging looks with each other. I would shut my eyes and down the liquid as fast as I can, and then run away.... for fear that Ah Po might just make me eat the brain too! That last bit was a joke. Thank god, she never make us eat the brain; we just have to finish the soup.


Do you have any unconventional, but comforting food stories to share?

Pork Liver Soup
1/4 lbs pork liver, sliced
2 inches ginger, sliced
2 cups of water
sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste

Marinate liver with salt and pepper and a drop or two of sesame oil
Cut ginger thin and long

Put marinated liver and ginger into boiling water. When the liver changes color, it should be done