Volume 7, Issue 155 - December 31, 2004

Hello Recipe Club,

We do not encourage over drinking, but it happens and it happens frequently on New Year's Eve. I have heard people say that they have a "Cure" for a hangover and I hear that there are pills you can take for this, but I don't think I have ever heard of a sure fire cure. At least not one recognized by any medical authority. Below are some common sense tips, a humorous quote and a few recipes for the day after! Happy New Year to you all from the team at Chef2Chef.net.

Next Day Hangover Helpers

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Hangover remedies:

"I'll never drink again!" The world's most popular New Year's Resolution!

Most bartenders and police officers agree that abstinence from alcohol is the surest way to avoid hangovers during the holidays or anytime actually.

Most druggists advise against taking ibuprofen or Tylenol for hangovers as the active ingredients in both of these pain relievers might further inflame the liver tissues already affected by drinking.

Avoid mixing different types of drinks in a single outing. This is very dangerous.

Drinking a glass of water in between drinks might make your stomach feel full and your body less dehydrated due the diuretic properties of alcohol.

Eating before a night out at the bars can help absorb much of the alcohol before it enters your bloodstream. Heavy drinking on an empty stomach is a sure fire way to a vicious hangover.

Dark-hued drinks - such as red wine, bourbons, scotches, porters and stout beers - contain greater levels of toxins known as tannins that require greater effort by the liver and kidneys to purge from your system. Clear alcoholic beverages will still produce hangovers, but with less adverse effect on the body.

For those who unfortunately do have a hangover the following are some suggestions that MIGHT help.

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Eating fruits and vegetables during a hangover helps replace many of the vitamins and nutrients that were washed out of your system during heavy drinking. The potassium in bananas is especially helpful as a pain reliever.

Bananas Foster

Serves 8, just in case all your buddies are hungover too!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter
2 cups brown sugar
3/4 ounce 151 Barcardi Rum
1 dash allspice
2 oranges, juiced
3 bananas, sliced

Preparation:

Melt the butter, add the sugar and melt over low heat until the mixture is thick and bubbly. Add the rum and flame. When the flame dies, add the allspice and orange juice. Blend in the pan until well mixed. The consistency should be syrup like. Add the bananas and heat for 1 minute. Ladle the sauce onto bowls of a fine French vanilla ice cream.

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Many say a fast food breakfast like a trip to Micky D's will cure you. I can not in good conscience tell you to do that. You might try a healthy plate of homemade hash and two fried eggs over-easy! The meat in a hash can be anything you have around. The meat in the one below is smoked duck. Sub it with anything you like if you don't keep duck around.

Smoked Duck Hash

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes, washed and diced 1/4 inch
4 slices bacon
8 ounces smoked duck breast, 1/8 inch dice
3 tablespoons red onions, 1/4 inch dice
2 tablespoons red pepper, 1/8 inch dice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
couple dashes cayenne pepper to taste

Preparation:

Bring 1 quart of water to a boil and add the potatoes. Cook them until just tender (about 7 to 8 minutes). Do not over cook them or they will fall apart when you brown them later (this can be done the night before). When are potatoes are done, drain them well in a strainer.

While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon in a large skillet until very crispy. Remove the bacon and drain it on a paper towel. Once cool, chop the bacon into small pieces. Reserve.

Cook the onion and pepper in the hot bacon fat for 4 to 5 minutes until they begin to brown. Add the potatoes and continue to cook for 10 to 12 minutes until they browned and begin to get crispy. Season the hash with salt and both peppers to taste. Add the chopped bacon pieces and duck. Stir for a minute until the duck pieces are warm.

Place a generous pile of the hash in the center of four warm plates and top each pile with 2 eggs over-easy.

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"What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch?" --W.C. Fields

"Hair of the Dog" is a remedy that I will not endorse here, but many swear by it. Many people also swear that drinking some tomato or V-8 Juice helps there stomach feel better. Some people like spicy food as a hangover cure. So I think a spicy Bloody Mary without the "Hooch" might be in order. You could always add just a tiny bit of vodka if you had no where to drive!

New Year's Day Bloody Mary

Ingredients:

4 ounces tomato or V-8 Juice
juice of 1/2 lime
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
6 dashes Tabasco Sauce (or more)
celery salt
freshly cracked pepper
1 lime wedge

Preparation:

Add tomato juice, lime juice, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce to a shaker with ice, adding salt and pepper to taste. Shake vigorously. Strain over ice cubes into a highball glass and add a lime wedge. I like to add a couple jumbo jalapeño stuffed olives or maybe hang some cold steamed shrimp on the side of the glass rim.