I've been reading/hearing a lot lately about "Comfort Food". So hey, lets start our own discussion of this topic. What does YOUR comfort food have to be like--ie, what kind of characteristics and flavors, textures, temperatures, whatever? And more specifically, do you have any favorite comfort foods?64 responses total.
Chocolate, semi sweet. .with nuts or without. Chicken soup. . .with matzoh balls or without. Bread pudding. . . .without raisins. Hot Cocoa. . .with or without marshmallows.
Strawberries Chocolate Cookies If I'm really depressed, anything I like in large quantities.
squashed grilled cheese sandwiches, made on one of those waffle irons that has reversible surfaces (haven't been able to find a waffle iron like that in quite a while, though). waffles hot chocolate made with real milk cinnamon toast lasagna
Tomato soup, a grilled cheese sandwich, and a good dill pickle.
Comfort = warm and creamy. Spinach fettucini with Alfredo and lobster comes immediately to mind. Oatmeal. Stroganoff. Toast with peanut butter.
french toast grilled cheese tomato RICE soup (withut the rice, it's just not th same....:) shepherd: peanutbutter and strawberry-apple jelly
Re #3:
We've got one of those waffle irons, but one of its sides doesn't heat
up as hot as the other :( I think it's a Black & Decker model of some sort,
if you want me to check.
you don't need to check, but thanks for the offer. the waffle iron my parents have is one they obtained *years* ago with green stamps. i'm not even sure who made it.
I, too, respond to warm and creamy. Tuna cassarole made with muc\shroom soup and fat egg noodles. Stroganoff with yougurt and sour cream. goulash. grilled cheese. soups. oh, and good crusty bread with brie or gruyer.
Grilled Cheese, and a bowl of Cream of Tomato. Cheese Sandwich with mustard, same soup Chocolate pudding (the kind that's cooked) Lasagna Spaghetti with my mother's sauce Tiropita (greek cheese pie) Cheerios.
The concept of Comfort Foods mostly puzzles me. But I sure do like warm fresh-made-from-scratch (nonfat! high in calcium!) chocolate pudding.
I think you got the concept very well!
Valerie, what about the concept of "comfort food" puzzles you?
Everything? Maybe it's the idea of using food for comfort. To me, food is for eating. I enjoy eating food rather a lot. But if I'm in need of comfort, it doesn't occur to me to whip up a batch of something. I get comfort from my friends, not my food. It's really hard to have a sympathetic conversation with a chocolate pudding. :)
I don't know, valerie. Some of my best friends are puddings.
Some people found in their youth that people are unreliable sources of comfort. For us, at least the food was there. It may have been second best in some sense, but it was reliably there and it didn't blame when we needed sympathy. YMMV, of course.
Comfort foods are those that evoke feelings of safety and satisfaction, "all is right with the world". And mta makes a valid point about love/comfort and food. Then there are the parents who can only express love and nurturing through feeding.
Comfort food is what the sympathetic significant other(s) would prepare to salve your disappointments of the [time period]. I don't think of it as something to fix for myself.
Grace hit it on the nose for me. "Comfot foods" are foods I turn to which evoke positive memories of nuturing and comfort from my past. As a child, I was comforted mostly by others when I needed it. Now, I have learned to "comfort" myself and sometimes, it involves making an evocative dish. Not to say that i dont often turn to others-just that it isn't always necessary.
Misti, I agree... A lot of people [like me] didn't have reliable sources of friends/support/whatever and thus, was easier to turn to food for comfort. I often still turn to food when I'm stressed and/or tired [which is not always a good thing!] I think I have a hard time relating to people when I need the comfort and help that I'm seeking during the 'stressed' times [having been burned too many times in the past when having had the courage to ask for help when asked]; thus, food is the easy out.
I have less of that problem now, Denise, but when I was a kid my pleas for comfort and sympathy were most often met with "Don't be silly. Just cheer up." I didn't know how to "just cheer up." I did figure out how to open a can of soup and make a grilled cheese sandwhich, though.
When I was growing up, the first few years after my sister was born, everyone was too busy worrying about here to have time for me, because it was expected that I was already old enough to take care of myself. (I may have been physically a lot older than her but mentally, to this day, we are not so far apart in age) I turned to food for comfort. Nowadays I don't do it nearly as much, with e-mail and all :)
Any new thoughts on comfort food? For me, I still use food as a 'friend'-- for comfort, empathy, stress release. Its something that's always there for me, unlike family and 'friends'.
I keep a case of cans of v8 and packs of gum in my vehicle and office for such occasions.
I don't think I can point at a truly specific comfort food - but those I derive comfort from are cheesy and fattening. ;-)
McDonald's french fries - don't ask me why. And Ramen noodles.
Yep, cheese is good and I suppose most of MY comfort foods are fattening, too... [chocolate, ice cream, cookies, stuff like that]. When I need a meal for comfort food, chicken's always good, as is some various types of pasta, grilled cheese, mashed potatoes, and the like.
I hadn't had Ramen noodles in years but just a couple days ago, I got some on sale, a 6-pack for a dollar, if I remember right--at Krogers. And I agree, as far as french fries go, McD's are great!
i like pepper jack cheese or bagels with cream cheese...carbo city..yikes i've got a ton of bigelow tea in my desk with some sugar free chewing gums to defray any crazy urges like that though
Tea is good. dunking biscuits (the UK kind, what you Americans call cookies) in tea - even better. Scrambled eggs - another comfort food
When I'm not feeling well it is Campbell's Tomato soup, made with milk not water, Fritos, Pepsi with or without a tuna fish sandwich on toasted bread. I float the Fritos in the soup and catch at least one with each spoonful, though the last few times I needed it, I got the Fritos Scoops and used the soup sort of like a chip dip. STeve gets worried when I ask for this particular meal cause I only eat it when I am sick. I will sometimes eat tomato soup, I will at times eat a tuna sandwich (rarely - had too many of them for lunch as a kid), and I often eat Fritos; but the only time I eat them together is when I am sick. Rice pudding and eggnog are also comfort foods. When we were sick as kids mom would make a quick version of eggnog by whipping an egg into milk and adding vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. Eggnog was for when you felt sick in the heat of summer, creamy warm rice pudding was for when you were sick in the cold of winter. I don't crave them as often when sick. I love them both enough that I will eat them whenever I can find good versions of them. Chocolate is the only thing that works for depression or PMS. Since I am currently in chemically induced menopause, I don't crave it as much.
Which chemicals?
When I am sick, I love putting miso into chicken broth! For pure comfort, I make cream of wheat with milk and honey!
What would people recommend for a neighbor who is sick and has been throwing up and not digesting things very well, other than a pepperoni pizza. I suggested something like white rice or plain spaghetti. Orange juice.
Back when I worked with pregnant Moms who had problems with nausea and had problems keeping food down, the doctors would put them on a 'BRAT' diet: eating only bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. And of course, water and sometimes other types of fluids as well. Maybe something like this would help?
Orange juice is one of the worse things to give to someone that is throwing up. Too acidic and causes more upset. The BRAT diet is great. Jello that is mixed up, but not chilled and set is good to combat dehydration and get a bit of sugar and protein in the system. Diluted Gatorade will help with dehydration, balance the electrolites, and raise the blood sugar. At least 2 parts water, more is often better, to 1 part Gatorade. When the kids were little and had upset stomachs or had diarrhoea was the standard, cheap, simple to make, rehydration formula: 1 liter/quart water, 1 level teaspoon salt, 8 level teaspoons sugar. Mashed banana or diluted juice can be added to it for flavoring. I gave to them a spoonful or two at a time until they could keep it down for more than a couple of minutes than gradually increased the amount I gave them. Hydration is more important than food. The salt and sugar are needed for electrolite and blood sugar balances. Then start the BRAT diet when able to keep the water down. Slowly, just a few nibbles at a time. Too many people overdo it and start the whole throwing up process all over again.
re #34 Chicken broth with egg noodles Gatorade I've served that to several folks I knew who suffered chemo illness and couldn't keep anything else down.
Hmm, that reminds me of a time years ago-early in the history of the Mnet/Grex walking group. I didn't go one Saturday because I was sick. So after the group had gone to lunch at Zingermans, Mary dropped off some wonderful chicken soup. I still remember that thoughtful act. :-)
A potential boyfriend brought over Zings chicken soup one time when I was sick. That went a long way towards overcoming some interpersonal flaws he had exhibited previously.
We suggested chicken soup and rice. He brought us pizza and fries (which sort of implies that is what he also cooked for himself). I suggested spaghetti but he can't eat tomato sauce and did not want it plain. I thought cheese would be hard to digest. I offered some dry baby cereal - not interested. Cream of wheat works for me.
Re: #38 I'd forgotten that. How cool you remembered though. Mostly, when people are feeling sick, if they stick to what they feel like eating, they do okay. Even if this means not having anything but water. The body pretty much knows. The trick is to listen and not be influenced by what others feel we should be eating.
The neighbor feels like eating pizza when he is sick.
Then he should have pizza.
He recovered anyway.
Ginger tea is great for nausea. Take a piece of ginger about the size of your thumb. Chop or grate it. Simmer it in about 3 cups of water for 20 minutes. Strain and drink hot.
Peppermint tea is too....I give that to the hubby a lot who has issues with IBS.
Ginger's supposed to be good for the whole digestive tract. If hubby gets tired of peppermint, you could try it. :)
That's the back up...he doesn't drink carbonation anymore, and he's not crazy about ginger tea - but if he's feeling awful, he'll do pretty much what I suggest.
One comfort food is oatmeal. This morning we're walking to steel cut oats made in a mini-crockpot. I've made this with regular Quaker oats before but never the steel cut variety. The idea comes via Alton Brown. I haven't tasted it yet but the house smells oh so good.
I'd like to know the difference between steel cut and regular. I know generally, but I mean taste. Well I think oatmeal is a great comfort food to have! I like oatmeal and oatbran cereal (the kind that's like cream of wheat).
Er, we're WAKING to oatmeal. Walking comes much later. ;-) Jeanne, I know not about the difference in oats, but John seems to have a handle on why steel cut are the better nurtritional value. John or anyone else know?
In our household, I guess I'm the resident expert on steel cut oats, as I freqently cook up a one-serving portion for myself for breakfast. The way I do it is to simmer it in water with a tablespoon of ground flax seed and a dash of salt, until the water is absorbed - about 20 minutes. I top it with nuts, fresh fruit, and milk. Yummy and healthy! The taste and texture are nuttier and chewier than conventional rolled oats. I like it better. The crockpot method that Mary used this morning (resp:49) is new to me. Quite tasty in its own rather different way, although the underlying taste and texture of the steel cut oats came through quite well.
There was a diner in Durham that I enjoyed going to and they served breakfast all day [plus after 10-11 am, they also served lunch stuff, after 4pm, dinner stuff]. One of my favorites was their oatmeal breakfast: oatmeal with bananas and/or raisins [I usually got both] with brown suger on the side and warm milk on the side, too; plus an english muffin or toast [I would get the muffin] and juice or coffee [I would get juice since I'm not a coffe person]. And the oatmeal was really good, definitely not the instant kind. I also liked their made to order omelletes. I miss this diner! [and it was only a mile from my house...]
I used a 1 qt crockpot to make hot breakfast a lot. I would put the oats in a pyrex custard cup, along with the necessary water, put the cup in the crockpot at bedtime, and wake to hot cereal already in its bowl. I experimented by putting Muesli and milk in the cup, and loved the outcome. Just about any granola works nicely that way as well. Pyres cups come in an 8 oz size as well as 4.
How long does oatmeal need to cook in a crockpot? It sounds like you used it as an oven rather than a pot. Might work well for custard that way too.
6-10 hours
I don't think I've ever had the steel cut oatmeal, though my Mom used to make us some Irish oatmeal that was good.
re resp:50: furs, steel cut oats are nuttier, chewier, and a heck of a lot less slimy than rolled oats. They make me think of chewy Grape-Nuts. I like steel-cut oats with honey and raisins, cooked in a little extra water so they make their own milk.
I have to confess that I like slimy oatmeal. So what is this crockpot method of making oatmeal. I mean, how long does it take in a crockpot? My latest method for making oatmeal is to just put rolled oats in a bowl with boiling water. I put a plate over the bowl and wait 3-4 minutes. They are good that way but not nearly slimy enough. I bet crockpot cooking could make the oatmeal all gooey the way I like it.
They are gooey when cooked the way I described somewhere up there. The dried cherries / cranberries get all plump and soft too. But you really need to use a small crockpot, Lynne, like a one quart, max, for the proportions I gave to serve two. I have made crockpot oatmeal using regular, Quaker rolled oats too. That recipe called for butter, brown sugar, nuts, and less milk. It was quite good but due to the sugar the end color was very dark brown. I prefer both the taste and the look of the steel cut oat recipe. And if it's good enough for Alton Brown... ;-)
I have a very small crock pot! I think it is a quart size. I sometimes use it for making hot dips. But really, I hardly ever use it. But I love oatmeal! So how long do you leave it in the crockpot? Would it be ok to set it up the night before or would eight hours in a crockpot be too long for oatmeal?
I use a 1 qt crock pot for hot morning oatmeal. I pour the water on the oats just as I go to bed, and eat the oatmeal shortly after getting up the next morning. 8 hours seems to work ok in the small one, even with rolled oats.
You can plug into a timer and plug the timer into the wall.
Cool. I might have to try that this weekend!
You have several choices: