THE HANGOVER and BULALO with RED CORN

"Study hard, party harder" was a cliche I used to live by in my college years.

I had, after alcohol binging at a bonfire with friends at the UP Sunken Garden, gone home with just one shoe, the other having been swallowed by a muddy creek. How and why that happened, I have no idea. At all. Once, after a party where I downed about 10 vodka cocktails, I had gone to a restaurant to meet up with a friend. He found me dozing in a corner holding on to a cold cup of coffee. 

But, hey, don't judge me. I'm not particularly proud of those moments but they did happen and now seem comical to me.

In those days, one of the best ways to get the booze out of my system was to have some hot and filling bulalo before heading home. Doing so steered me clear of a hangover the next day.  It turns out, alcohol dehydrates your body and re-hydrating it before going to sleep makes your brain less anxious when you wake up after a night of drowning yourself in alcohol. So, hooray for bulalo!

It's not just a great soup to avoid hangovers but also a great dish to share with the family on cold, windy nights.

Below is a recipe I developed using red corn.

Red corn  is a type of sweet corn that has a sweet and nutty flavor. The ruby brick red kernels are colored by anthocyanin, an antioxidant that has anti-inflammatory properties. These are not widely produced so you have to get some to try if you do come across them. I found these at the Salcedo Weekend Market.

Anthocyanin, the pigment that creates the red color in this corn, are antioxidant flavonoids that protect many body systems - See more at: http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Red_Corn_2852.php#sthash.vh3v3HxK.dpuf

Anthocyanin, the pigment that creates the red color in this corn, are antioxidant flavonoids that protect many body systems - See more at: http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Red_Corn_2852.php#sthash.vh3v3HxK.dpuf

BULALO WITH RED CORN

Ingredients:

• Half a kilo of beef chunks (I usually get the pochero cut)
• One kilo of bone marrow
• 1 cabbage, quartered
• 1/2 kilo of squash, cut into 2 1/2 inch squares (or trapezoids)
• 2 red onions
• 1 onion leek, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 3 pieces red corn, cut into 3 pieces
• 3 liters of water
• rock salt
• peppercorn

Use a big pot so the broth won't spill and all the meat is submerged in the water. Put all the meat in the pot. Add the salt, pepper corn and onions before pouring in the water. Let the water boil in high heat. Then turn the fire down to medium and boil for 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender. Taste the broth and adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Once the meat is tender, lower the heat and add in the squash and the leeks. The squash should give your soup some sweetness.

Serve hot with a dipping sauce of patis (fish sauce) and calamansi (citrofortunella).