Savoring the flavor of comfort
They seem like two such simple little words, but when put
together, they create a term of many different meanings to each of
us.
In its simplest context, comfort food refers to a food or drink,
usually homemade, inexpensive and easy to prepare, and a food which
many of us turn to in times of stress, when we need a sense of
familiarity or when we just want to treat ourselves to something
special. And while the term comfort food was added to Webster’s
Dictionary in 1972, its
”
true
”
meaning is best left to the eye…er, mouth…of the
beholder…
Savoring the flavor of comfort
They seem like two such simple little words, but when put together, they create a term of many different meanings to each of us.
In its simplest context, comfort food refers to a food or drink, usually homemade, inexpensive and easy to prepare, and a food which many of us turn to in times of stress, when we need a sense of familiarity or when we just want to treat ourselves to something special. And while the term comfort food was added to Webster’s Dictionary in 1972, its “true” meaning is best left to the eye…er, mouth…of the beholder…
The reasons a dish becomes a comfort food vary, but comfort foods are typically associated with pleasant memories. A need for comfort foods can develop early – “small children often seem to latch on to a specific food or drink (in a way similar to a security blanket) and will repeatedly request it in high stress situations,” according to Wikipedia.
I don’t know what role stress plays in a child’s comfort food picks, but as a mother of four, and a former child myself, I do know children definitely have favorite foods. When my oldest son, now 20, was little, he loved mashed potatoes. (He still does.) My now 16-year old hated mashed potatoes (he eats them now, but not if the skins are left on the potatoes), but he loved chicken nuggets. My youngest daughter, now 10, will eat any type of Popsicle at any time of day – I once caught her eating one for breakfast.
When I was growing up, one of my favorite things to eat was a fried egg sandwich, made by my dad. I never asked him how he made them – when I was little, I didn’t care, and when I was a teenager, well, I guess I thought he’d be around forever, because I didn’t think to ask him. Shortly after he died in April 1990, my mom made me a fried egg sandwich. It didn’t taste the same. Today, I make them for my family, but I don’t eat them. I still consider them a comfort food, however – my kids like them, and as I flip the sandwiches on the griddle, I can’t help but think of my dad.
Where we grow up can play a role in our comfort food choices. In the south, fried chicken is comfort food to many; in the mid-west, casseroles and baked goods are top choices, according to Wikipedia. Even ethnicity can determine a comfort food choice – tamales are one of my husband’s comfort foods. Tamales bring back memories of Christmas tamale night, when his mother, aunts and sisters would gather in the kitchen making tamales while the men in the family hung out talking and laughing and the kids would run around playing. He also misses arroz de leche, a rice pudding his mother used to make for him when he was little.
Movies and television try to tell us what comfort foods we should enjoy and when we should enjoy them – in so-called “chick flicks,” women are often pictured eating pints of ice cream under times of stress; men hang out with their buddies eating pizza and drinking beer.
And of course, some dishes are considered comfort foods just about anywhere, such as chicken noodle soup, macaroni and cheese, and of course, mashed potatoes.
Today, both of my boys claim to not have a comfort food – the oldest still loves mashed potatoes, but he really loves eating in general, and the 16-year old says he finds comfort only in kicking pads in his Tae Kwon Do classes.
The girls, however, each have one. My 12-year-old daughter loves a chicken and stuffing casserole dish that she can now make on her own. The youngest enjoys a casserole dish my mom used to make, tater tot casserole, which is simply 1-1/2 lbs. of browned ground beef mixed with two cans of cream of mushroom soup, a half packet of dry onion soup mix and a little bit of milk, put into a 13-by-9-inch pan, topped with frozen tater tots, then baked until the potatoes are crispy.
Pasta is my number one comfort food. Any pasta dish (without seafood of any kind) makes me feel good, especially after a long day at work. Other comfort foods are my homemade apple pie, my peanut butter milk chocolate chip cookies and chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes. Another favorite is a meal from my childhood, a hot sandwich my mom calls… hot sandwiches.
Comfort foods can be any food, really – anything that makes us feel good when we are sad, stressed out, or just wanting to remember a pleasant time in our lives. After all, there’s nothing wrong with needing a fried egg sandwich once in a while.
Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Chip Cookies
My sister is the queen of chocolate chip cookies, so when I started baking, I picked a cookie she didn’t make. Peanut butter cookies were also one of my dad’s favorites. The recipe originally came from my mom, but I’ve modified it a bit and added the chocolate chips.
1 c. sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. fat-free Crisco shortening
1 c. creamy peanut butter
2 eggs
2-1/2 c. unbleached flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 12-oz. package milk chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix sugars, shortening, peanut butter and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients. Shape dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten into a criss-cross pattern with a sugar-dipped fork. Bake approximately 15 minutes or until slightly brown. Makes approximately 4-1/2 dozen cookies.
Hot Sandwiches
These are a simple sandwich, yet really filling. My mom started making these when I was in high school, and they quickly became a family favorite. The first time I made them for my husband, he felt like the sandwich needed an egg on it. I refused, but he’ll occasionally fry an egg the next day and put it on a leftover sandwich.
12 sourdough French sandwich rolls, sliced
1-16-oz. package frozen Southern style hash brown potatoes
1 lb. deli ham, thinly sliced
12 slices American cheese
mustard, any type you prefer
1 c. melted butter or margarine
Cook hash browns according to package directions. As potatoes cook, assemble sandwiches by spreading mustard on one side of roll, then putting a few slices of ham and one slice of cheese on each roll. After potatoes are done, put potatoes on top of ham and cheese. Dip tops of each roll into melted butter, then place on top of sandwich. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 12 sandwiches.
Pumpkin Bread
My sister hates pumpkin pie, but she loves pumpkin bread. When she was pregnant, it was one of her most persistent cravings, and I made several of these loaves, although I traditionally bake them only at Thanksgiving and Christmas. This is another recipe I received from my mother.
1-3/4 c. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ginger
1-1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. shortening
2 eggs
1 c. canned pumpkin
1/3 c. milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices; set aside. In large bowl, beat sugar, shortening and eggs until fluffy. Add pumpkin. Then add dry ingredients alternately with milk and vanilla. Bake in a greased loaf pan for 60 minutes.
(½ c. chopped walnuts are optional.)
