The Original Hangover Dish

This recipe is one which we have come to love and perfect over weeks of nights out. A firm favourite and a hangover staple, this pasta dish will leave you with a clearer head and content stomach.

G was the first to read about this comforting meal on a blog. It was a firm favourite when she cooked a big batch of it to feed hungry housemates one windy night in November. But it was on a Sunday after a heavy night that we realised just how special this dish was. Upon being separated in the supermarket I came across G, in a hunched stance staring blankly at the pasta. Calling her name, she stood to attention with urgency and a snore-like sound; she was dangerously close to falling asleep in the pasta aisle. To make matters worse, there was also a jilted love interest of G's hot on our heals and a dissertation advisor circling the shop. We were keen to get out of there and back to the stove.

I'm fairly certain that the meal was followed by cups of 'Roobios tea' and three hours of 'Dr Zhivago.' We may have also gobbled down a couple of slices of chocolate cake, the recipe for which we shall include later..

Tomato and Cream Pasta -

Ingredients:
Fresh tomatoes (ideally cherry)
Cream, (double or single, it doesn't matter)
Onion, (shallots are preferable)
Bacon,
Fresh Basil to garnish
Dried chilli
Salt & pepper

Splash of Red wine vinegar
Pasta (fusilli is recommended)

Enjoy. For original recipe see onceuponacakestand

For a more simple (and cheaper) version, the tomatoes, cream and pasta will suffice.

For when Misery and Remorse Strike...

From time to time a hangover will strike with an all-mighty power, like a few Sunday's ago. This was a good night... with bad decisions. We shan't go in to it. But the next day proved to be a day filled with weeping and regret, and something delicious and easy for dinner was gravely needed: a meaty cottage pie, topped with mustard mash and a bubbling layer of cheese - and with a good slop 0f baked beans on the side.
Just the thing for when chewing anything besides an easy-to-swallow mush seems like too great a task.

Cottage Pie

Extra Lean/ Lean mince
1 Onion, chopped finely
A good glug of red wine (a glassful should do it)
A cup (mug or whatever) of vegetable or meat stock

A dousing of lea and perrins worchester sauce gives a great flavour

You can use Bisto gravy granules to thicken if you wish

Fry off the mince with the chopped onion: add the wine, some stock and gravy. Leave to thicken and reduce. While this is happening you should be preparing your potatoes.

For the Mashed Potato:

Simply boil as per and mash with salt, pepper, milk, butter and wholegrain mustard. Top with a sprinkling of cheese, and put in the oven for about 25 mins at 180.

* This is especially good served with Heinz baked beans whilst listening to '60s Sunday' on Radio Gold.

Fables from 6 Turner Road

So... this is our new blog. By 'our' I mean me (Grace) and Bethany. Having had a wealth of hangover experience on our hands we have had plenty of opportunities to cook accordingly. Our routine goes something like this: wake up (late), watch 'The City' for an hour or so, eventually get dressed and drag ourselves languidly to the Co Op, before throwing back a 'Whole earth' apple and rasberry drink at a local cafe. Then the fun really starts: we plan and cook our evening meal, a ritual that is treasured. It makes the dirty hangover completely worth it.

By the way, we are not a pair of complete ponces. These hungover days follow debauched nights with attractive men in seedy nightspots, 6am bedtimes are a regular occurrence - and we need these nights of merriment after respective part-time jobs and university: we live by the strict mantra of 'work hard and play hard.' Our hangovers are not for children. We often feel terrible for hours on end, but over the past year, these days have become the most enjoyable ones. Afternoons of wandering around Sainsbury's whilst incoherently mumbling and absent mindedly picking up tuna steaks are cherished; piecing together the night before whilst cooking our evening meals and settling down is the greatest of comforts. This blog is dedicated to all of those nights: good and bad, and the universal solace of a home-cooked meal with the best of friends.