If it was snake oil, it would have gone out of fashion long ago, but it continues to be used generation after generation by concerned and conscientious caregivers. Every child has fond memories of being bundled in a mountain of blankets to sleep away the latest cold, with a steady diet of soup and crackers arriving periodically on a tray. Now as the season gets colder once more, we can try a new delicacy, chock full of chick peas and sausage.