Comfort ye, my people

by Marcia Talley

Outside my office window autumn leaves are falling like snow. When I fetched the newspaper from the driveway, there was a slight chill and the smell of wood smoke in the air.  Macaroni and cheese for dinner, I thought.  Creamy, cheesy, bubbly, lightly browned on top.

You’re right there with me, aren’t you?

Comfort food.

It’s what we crave when it’s nasty outside and we’re snug at home with our nearest and dearest (or simply wishing that we were).

According to the dictionary, comfort food is any food that “provides consolation or a feeling of well-being, typically any with a higher sugar or carbohydrate content and associated with childhood or home cooking.”  

Fried chicken.  Mashed potatoes.  Oreo cookies and milk.

I’m drooling right now just thinking about my mother’s Sunday chicken and dumplings, or her version of Campbell’s classic tuna-noodle casserole.   (SECRET:  Ditch the peas and substitute sliced olives with pimento.)

But it’s a lot more than missing Mom and waxing nostalgic about the good old days.  Comfort food can be cultural, too. 

I grew up in China.  Nothing like a heaping bowl of jiaozi (pot stickers) to chase away the blues.

For my husband, who was raised in rural Kentucky, it’s hot water hoe cakes, warm from the skillet, swimming in maple syrup. 

 Anneli Rufus explains it this way in an article in Gilt Taste. "It’s not only a rush of sensations that make us feel safe, calm, and cared for, but it’s a complex interplay of memory, history, and brain chemistry, and while some basics apply — most of us are soothed by the soft, sweet, smooth, salty and unctuous — the specifics are highly personal."

Food is the gift we give ourselves.

Food is the friend who never disappoints.

Food is the lover who never leaves.

There are studies that divide comfort food into four categories --indulgence, physical, nostalgic, and convenience foods.

Patterns have also been detected when it comes to men and women; some of the studies have shown that men tend to choose warm and vigorous meals such as steak, while women tend to choose snacks such as ice cream.

Speaking of ice cream, I think there’s a carton of Haagen Dazs Dulce de Leche in my freezer.

The upcoming elections.  My book deadline, ominously looming.  Excuse me while I go to the kitchen and self-medicate.  And while I’m rustling up a bowl and spoon, why not take a few minutes and tell me about your favorite comfort food?  

 

Click here for recipes!!

 

Comments

[Hank Phillippi Ryan]

Comfort food..hmmm. I used to LOVR tuna-noodle casserole! All that cornstarch...:-) And meat loaf. With ketchup. My mother made the BEST fried chicken, in a special cast iron pan that was only used for that.

Comfort food now..hmmm. Being on the road, on book tour, (which I'm LOVING!) comfort food is anything that's actually warm, with silverware, and not eaten in front of a computer. You know? Room service breakfast! I adore it.

[Marcia Talley]

Our meatloaf is also painted with ketchup, then slices of bacon are arranged on top before baking. Is there anything that can't be improved with the addition of bacon. ;-)

[Mare]

We had mac & cheese Tuesday night when my son came for dinner. It was drizzly and it just seemed the perfect end to the day.

[Kate Charles]

Mmm! I love your tuna noodle recipe - but I use lemon-stuffed olives instead of pimiento olives. Makes a subtle but very tasty change (lemon and fish always go together).

How about grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup?

And a personal favourite, in keeping with my roots, is Cincinnati chili.

[Marcia Talley]

Kate, that sounds yummy! I'll see if I can find some lemon-stuffed olives over here.

Tell us -- what's so special about Cincinnati chili? A secret ingredient?

[Mollie Bryan]

For me, nothing is as comforting as graham crackers dunked in hot Constant Comment tea. Lovely post.

[Linda Vaccariello]

Spaghetti with butter and cheese. It's what my mother fed us when we were on the mend after an illness and not quite ready to face the family's regular Sunday meal of spaghetti with tomato sauce, meatballs, and sausage. Sadly, it never tastes quite as good when I make it myself.

[Marcia Talley]

Linda, spaghetti is way better than chicken noodle soup! Your mom is inspired. My sister, Susan, makes a matzo ball soup that I swear could cure cancer it's so good!

[Marcia Talley]

Thanks, Molly. My tea/crackers combo of choice is Lady Grey tea with ginger snaps! It's also good for sea sickness.

[Nora-Adrienne]

The NY City Public Library on 42nd street is having an exhibit about food, and automats. My partner was in the city one day and went to see it. She came home with the original Horn and Hardart recipes for Mac and Cheese and one of the soups she used to love.

Comfort food in my home is always something with pasta.. I love tuna, noodle casserole with 3 cheeses, peas and corn.

[Kate Charles]

The secret ingredient in the Cincinnati chili itself is cinnamon. And the way it's served is also special. I love it 4-way, which means a bed of spaghetti, topped with the chili, then chopped onions, then a great pile of finely-grated cheese. Five-way adds beans as well - a step too far, IMHO.

[Marcia Talley]

I remember Horn and Hardart! On a class trip to NYC we couldn't wait to eat at one, I think it was on 14th street. Creamed spinach!!!

[Marcia Talley]

Kate, I was just at the Fresh Market and Frontier Soups has a Cincinnati chili mix that has cinnamon and CHOCOLATE in it!

[Carolyn J. Rose]

Oh, yum. Double yum. I was already planning to make mac and cheese for my gal pals on Sunday.
Now that I'm watching my cholesterol, I can have just a little. Fortunately, my most favorite comfort food is on the list of things I can have. So there will be a bowl of cashews for a pre-dinner snack.

[Donna Andrews]

Steak and fries, or a loaded baked potatoes. Chili with a lot of ground beef. Potato leek soup. Pepperoni and sausage pizza. Bacon and hash browns. Utz potato chips. A good chicken
Caesar salad. Macaroni and cheese. Spaghetti with a meat bolognese sauce.

The list goes on, but I have a chicken Caesar salad and a couple of croissants waiting for me.

[Marcia Talley]

Donna, it's only 4:30 but you are making my mouth water! Dinner is going to be early tonight, I think.

[Brenda]

The comfort food I crave at the moment is chicken pot pie.

[Elaine Viets]

Chocolate chip cookies! That's my comfort food.

[Marcia Talley]

My mother's chicken and dumplings was sublime! I make it now in my crockpot, but it's never as good as Mom's.

[Sandi]

Bread. My comfort food is homemade bread, preferably still warm. I usually make do with a nice artisanal loaf from the grocery store popped in the oven for a few minutes, but sometimes I break down and make cream biscuits then slather them with butter and honey.

[Marcia Talley]

Sandi, oh yes! And angel biscuits!!

[krisneri]

My childhood comfort foods are cream of tomato soup (mixed with milk, not water) and grilled cheese sandwiches, my mother's creamy, rich, lump-free mashed potatoes, and homemade chicken & rice soup. In adulthood I've added cheesy pizza and my own (truly excellent!) lasagna. When life gets tough or the weather gets nippy, I often need a lasagna fix. What a wonderful topic, Marcia! Thanks for inviting us to share our comforts.

May I add that I also have comfort reads. On the days that I yearn for comfort foods, I also often crave a re-read of a favorite book.

[Marcia Talley]

Kris, you remind me that my grandmother used to make me tomato soup (with milk, natch!) and Kraft olive/pimento cheese spread on her homemade whole wheat bread. Remember the little jars that the Kraft cheese came in?

Glad you mentioned comfort reads, too. My favorite comfort read -- and you have to be in it for the long haul! -- is Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series. Her Niccolo series is excellent, too, but I have much affection for Lymond.

[Neil Plakcy]

My comfort food is shell or elbow macaroni with butter and grated cheese. Or ice cream.

Horn and Hardart! I fondly remember their whole-wheat donuts-- a special treat after a visit to the dentist (who was in Brooklyn.)

[Mary]

Oh my goodness, y'all have just made me eat a candy bar. My Mom used to make the best apple dumplings when it got cold outside. Lots of butter and cinnamon. YUM.

My husband loves spaghetti with just butter and cheese, too. Now that it's chilly down here, that and maybe some crock pot soup would be just right for tomorrow.

[Marcia Talley]

Mary, with Hurricane Sandy approaching, I may just have to put some baked apples in the oven!!

[GM Malliet]

Vegetarian chili.

[krisneri]

Marcia, they still sell those jars of cheese spread, still with the little metal lids. My market has Old English and Pimento Cheese and maybe something else. I've seen them in passing, but I've never bought one, since I figure it's the same stuff as in the aerosol cans. But in case you grow nostalgic for them, they're still available. Baked apples would be a great idea as you're hunkering down for the storm.

[Marcia Talley]

Kris, not the same as aerosol cans, trust me. :-)