A bowl of warm milk sweetened with honey, sometimes spiked with a pinch of cinnamon: simple, gentle evening comfort to soothe the throat and mind before sleep.

Why this dish? Warm milk with honey is the universal Central European grandmother's remedy for sore throats, insomnia and tired evenings. For a man who worked late, smoked a pipe and led an intense intellectual life, it was the soothing bedtime tisane in the homes of his time.

After a long evening covering paper with ink, when my pipe had rasped my throat, my landlady would prepare me a bowl of warm milk with honey. Whatever you do, don't let it boil — heat it gently, otherwise it takes on that nasty taste and always overflows at the worst moment, like troubles. A spoonful of honey, a pinch of cinnamon if you have it, and you'll sleep like a child. The simplest remedies are often the wisest — that's a truth that science is slow to recognize.

How it was made : Before pharmacy syrups, warm milk with honey was the most common "Hausmittel" (home remedy) for coughs and restless nights. Honey was kept in a stoneware pot all year; milk, delivered fresh each morning by the milkman, was consumed the same day for lack of refrigeration.

The contemporary twist : A touch of orange blossom water or cardamom transforms this wise remedy into a cozy drink worthy of a winter café.

Albert Einstein · Charactorium