If I have a cold, I always crave a really hot bowl of udon with a delicious and light fishy broth. I put extra shichimi in there for a kick. I usually make it at home, but the udon/soba at Tsukushinbo is THE best in town. If I'm really congested, I go for pho.

If I have tummy problems, I make my self a simple miso soup (fish stock, seaweed, miso), a bowl of japanese rice, roasted seaweed (the mini packs of teriyaki kind), with a bunch of umeboshi or ume paste (or any other japanese pickles I have in my fridge). I take the seaweed, ume, and rice and make miniature rice balls. It makes my tummy feel better every time.

I like to go to Senor Moose (where I work, for the record) for lunch and get the tortilla soup with chicken. I then add to it as much hot stuff as I can from the salsa plate + Cholula + extra tortilla chips. I eat half of it for lunch and put the rest in a cup to take home and eat for dinner. I usually do this two days in a row and by the third day, I've found that I feel about 70% better and only $15 poorer.

Miso broth with udon noodles is the best sick food I can imagine.

For sick food, I especially love miso soup, garlic broth, or a combination of the above. With a poached egg in it if I think I can handle it.

Miso soup or vegemite toast when feeling poorly. Or noodles. I think it is the combo of carbs and salt.

When feeling sad, chocolate all the way. Preferably hand made with interesting flavors, rather than bulk

Matzo Ball Soup, bar none. I know the spicy, whole-food dishes would be healthier, but how can you refuse the taste of a mother's hug?

When sick I go (or if I'm can't-get-out-of-bed sick, my sister goes for me) to my favorite Ma and Pa Mexican restaurant and get a large to-go order of their abondigas soup. Every restaurant's recipe is different but this place uses rich, homemade chicken stock full of cooked slices of carrots and spuds and then beef meatballs that are full of rice. It satisfies both body and soul.

When I'm down, a small bowl of premium ice cream, eaten slowly, is very nice.

For me, it's all about creamy tomato soup and grilled cheese. Partially because this is what my mom made for me when I was sick as a kid, partially because it's one of the few things my husband can make extremely well with no supervision, and partially because it's fucking delicious.

The grilled cheese should be made with sourdough, sharp cheddar, and a few paper-thin slices of onion. Um num.

Miso and white rice with furikake (a tasty combination of bonito flakes, seaweed and shiso leaf) sprinkled on top ; no question about it. YUM!

Chicken Pho with lots of chiles. Pollo e Capellini with lots of red pepper flakes. Or if I'm low energy, just pull my chicken stock from my freezer and add white rice and sometimes garlic to kill those sick bugs! Hope you are feeling better soon!!

I'm on the spicy soup bandwagon when I'm cold-and-fluey. Thai soups like Tom Kha or Tom Yum are best, and I go all the way to Ballard (Thaiku, formerly the Noodlehouse) for it.

Pancakes and bacon

I shouldn't do this to you when you're ill, but you asked. Might want to have a barf bag handy.

Comfort Food #1: can of Campbell's Cream of Celery soup, made with milk, with four slices of whole wheat bread submerged in it.

Comfort Food #2: package of Kraft Macaroni'n'Cheese, with a can of tuna fish and two handfuls of frozen peas thrown in after the cheese powder/milk/butter.

Comfort Food #3: BLT sandwich. Oh, who the hell are we kidding? It's not a sandwich, it's just a pile of bacon. Cooked very chewy, not crisp at all.

As you can see, the common theme is "salt and fat".

Comfort food when I am feeling down is the Icon Grill.

Tater tot casserole. The Midwest really does comfort food best.

For sickness, unhappiness, neither, or both, a pint of Haagen-Dazs dulce de leche is my personal go-to food item.

Pad thai. I don't know why that is, but it always is.

Baked ziti.