What is your comfort food? What is the item that you crave when you are sick, lonely, depressed, or otherwise in need of solace? We know that the critic from Ratatouille relished the upscale version of ratatouille he received even though he was largely used to eating mango salsa lobster tempura with black truffle oil triple cream bleu and mint in a balsamic reduction over eel and squid ice cream. That is, he had all of the restaurants in the area eager to please him by trying to feed him whatever the most intricate and creative dish was that they could make. Yet, what really impressed him was an item largely considered a peasant dish.
I think that's what we all want when we seek comfort: simple dishes that may be regional or family favorites, meals that were served with regularity, for celebration, or for illness. What southerner doesn't appreciate and crave chicken and dumplings from time to time, or fried chicken? They are not complex nor hard to assemble recipes, but after being raised with them on the table here and there, they become more than their ingredients. Those of us who were raised in areas with a Cubano influence might crave chicken and yellow rice. Maybe the Brits think of bangers and mash.
For me, specific dishes my mom made with regularity definitely give a sense of peace that more intriguing and intricate foods would not. For instance, my mom's dad was Hungarian--as in, straight from Hungary. My mom picked up from her household how to make Hungarian goulash, and so she made it for us several times during the cooler months. It was a rich stew, replete with meat, potatoes, onion, butter, salt, paprika...no really, other than some water too, you're done with the ingredients. There is nothing subtle nor filled with nuances in that pot when you are done. However, with a bit of a swirl of sour cream straight into the mixture as you serve it, the damned thing becomes magical...soothing...delicious in a way that some upscale dish can't achieve.
Sometimes this level of comfort food is even too complex for the really miserable days when you just don't want to crawl out from underneath the comforter in your warm bed. For me, the ultimate rock a bye baby when I feel under the weather is a nice bowl of creamy mashed potatoes (with real, homemade gravy if you have it...with cheddar cheese if you don't!). It doesn't get more simple than that.
Nothing out there says it can only be a great meal if it has many ingredients--some of them expensive--and takes hours to cook. Sometimes, the most basic of dishes can be exactly what is needed. And that's why you'll always find potatoes at my house, Atkins or no Atkins.
4 comments:
It definitely would be a variety of dishes, all from mom's kitchen, that we had growing up. She's Portuguese, but can make some mean cabbage rolls.
That picture you posted looks like a pair of fried dongs on top of a bed of mashed potatoes au jus.
My ultimate comfort food (especially when sick) was a grilled cheese sandwich - plain white bread and American cheese - and Campbell's old condensed chicken noodle soup. When I'm ill, I want warm more than flavorful. Since switching to Japanese foods I don't really get sick anymore, so miso soup and rice (with maybe some egg) are my new comfort foods.
This is a simple food blog and you still won't allow anonymous comments? AND we have to do word verification? Wuss.
FF--you know, I'd love to try portuguese food. That's one of the few ethnic foods I haven't tried, I think!
Grant--there should not be word verification on here. I don't recall putting that on here, and it doesn't show for me. But yeah, anonymous comments are never allowed. It's not a wuss thing so much as a make me angry and smack people thing. I just have issues with chicken shits who think that the anonymous nature of the net means they can be giant jackasses without fear of reprocussion. If you write it, say it's yours...or don't write it. And the picture is actually of bangers and mash, but I see your point...
Once a week, my great-grandma made fried chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green beans and buttermilk biscuits. Nothing can from a box or a microwave. To this day, that's my go-to meal when I'm having a bad day.
On the other hand, my sick meal is wonton soup...it goes well with Sex and the City marathons!
Are you surprised none of my comfort meals involve pasta??
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