People fall in love with looks, for somebody’s nature, for the way someone speaks, but some food lovers go crazy over how good of a cook someone is. The love story of José Andrés, a world-renowned Spanish chef, and his wife, Patricia is set to this premise. In fact, Andrés told the world that one of his wife’s recipes was the reason he proposed to her in the first place. During an interview in which Andrés’ daughters, Carlota, Inés, and Lucia, tagged along with him, he revealed how one of his wife’s recipes had him getting down on his knees. The recipe in question is a cold soup, widely known to people as Gazpacho.

A Winter Dish – Cold Gazpacho Soup

According to José Andrés, gazpacho soup is a winter dish with mostly staple ingredients such as tomatoes, green peppers, cucumbers, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, and salt. All of this is added to a blender and mixed until smooth. Patricia knows about this recipe well as she’s from Andalucía, the cold-soup capital of the world due to their gazpacho. He added that if there was one item that you would find in his refrigerator during summer, it would be this cold soup. Although his wife doesn’t like getting into the kitchen much, this is something she loves to make for the family.

The Choo-Cho Pastry

Along with his wife’s soup recipe, Andrés also talked about the beautiful pastry that xuixo is. The wonderful pastry, pronounced “choo-cho,” was created in Girona, Catalonia, in the 1920s. According to the chef, xuixo got its name when a great acrobat fell in love with the daughter of a pastry cook. The pastry chef heard the acrobat sneeze (‘shoo!’), and that was that. The pastry chef was then given the acrobat’s xuixos recipe, along with a promise that he would wed the pastry chef’s daughter.

People try to protect their immune systems, especially during cold and flu season, in order not to get sick. Aside from washing your hands, it’s essential also to pay attention to your diet. Foods are full of vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and other nutrients that can help your body fight bacteria or viruses.

Avoid Getting Sick

To decrease the chances of getting a cold or catching the flu, people may look into altering their diets or adding some immune-boosting foods to their everyday diet. Here are some foods to consider:

Blueberries

Blueberries have pterostilbene, which helps the CAMP gene function. It works to fight bacterial infections, but it needs vitamin D to work. That’s why it’s crucial to ensure you are getting enough from sunlight, food, or supplements. Blueberries can be eaten whole, added as toppings, or used as an ingredient in various recipes.

Turmeric

This spice has been known to treat infections. A chemical called curcumin is found in the seasoning, and it gets into the cell membranes to improve their ability to fight the infectious microbes that can get people sick. Tumeric can be used as a spice for seasoning vegetables, and it can also be beneficial by adding a spoonful to your smoothies or morning tea.

Garlic

While it can cause bad breath, it’s also an herb that actively fights diseases. It aids your body in the process of producing cytokines, which are cells that are released by immune systems to fight the bugs. Adding a few cloves into meat or vegetable dishes can be enough to get the process going. If you’re not opposed to it, you can also just pop a garlic clove into your mouth and eat it raw.

Spinach

Spinach is full of antioxidants, vitamins E and C, and other nutrients that aid the immune system in fighting infections. Blending it into smoothies or juices is the ideal way to activate its benefits, according to experts. Studies have shown that chopping up the spinach leaves into small pieces can release a large amount of lutein, which is an antioxidant that aids in reducing inflammation.

Oysters

To some, oysters are delicious whereas to others they’re less than appealing due to their slimy texture. If you’re a fan of oysters, though, there’s no reason not to eat them. They’re rich in zinc, which is a mineral that can help white blood cells reproduce faster and, in turn, easily fight off colds and/or the flu.