It’s mid-winter. It’s Friday. It’s a migraine morning, already. And my week has sucked.
That positive attitude? It hasn’t gone underground entirely, but let’s just say I won’t pretend this hasn’t been a nasty few days – with more to come. In fact, I’ll say it again. With feeling. THIS WEEK HAS SUCKED.
Ah… better.
Now what else might help when everything is going haywire? Zipping off to a tropical island? Right. But it’s not in the budget, or the schedule. New shoes? That, too. No, and no.
Last resort? Real life temporary fix? Comfort food.
My faves?
- Bread (preferably warm)
- Cinnamon rolls (yes, warm)
- Soup (piping hot)
- Aromatic teas (nice and steamy)
- Scones (heaven on earth).
Oh. And must I really add chocolate to the list? I’m female. Isn’t that a given?
God, Give Me Strength (or Baked Goods)
I’m definitely going to need every comfort food I can lay my languishing little fingers on over the next gnarly days, though likely, my stressed-out stomach will keep me from enjoying much of it. That comes in handy for the fit of my jeans, but it means nibbles only.
I nonetheless may feel compelled to turn on the oven and do my domestic thing – if only to fill the house with the aroma. Isn’t that a major element in soothing the senses?
What makes comfort food so. . . comforting?
Why we gravitate to certain foods when we need succor?
It’s certainly more than a matter of taste. Might memory play a role – consciously or otherwise?
Temperature, texture, even color combine to enhance the pleasure of those recipes that calm our nerves and evoke easier times. And come to think of it, my go-to comfort foods are primarily in neutral tones. Is that part of the positive psychological effect?
Go-To Foods?
Do you know your go-to comfort foods?
- Do they vary by season?
- Are they evocative of other days, other places, and special associations?
- Anyone else having the week from Hell?
- Care to join me in virtual chicken soup? Or Godiva chocolate?
Funny I saw this just after I inhaled the biggest scone I’ve ever seen in my life.
I’m all about comfort foods – when I’m homesick, making anything Malaysian instantly brings me back, and I welcome the embrace of a familiar scent or flavor. But it’s also comforting to have soups and baked goods in the middle of a frigid winter. Not just for consumption, but the way they make the house smell and radiate with heat is a wonderful respite from the cold outside.
Just a couple days ago I made a pan of apple crisp, and I should be embarrassed to admit this but we. ate. the. whole. thing. in. one. sitting. But you know what? It felt really good to be able to sit across from someone you are crazy about to (over)indulge in life’s simple pleasures. My thighs may not be happy with me, but my heart is. And sometimes, that just has to come first.
Justine – woman after my own heart. I stopped on the way back from driving my kid to school and bought myself a fresh baked scone! (Quite the indulgence.) Your apple crisp sounds delish. (Care to send a recipe?) And yes – sitting across from those we love and enjoying food – it’s wonderful!
Oh BLW. This is what I made for myself after I returned to school after an all-too-short Christmas break with my husband while we were doing the commuter marriage thing. I walked into my empty apartment and wanted to cry. These tasty morsels brought a little sunshine back to me. (Even tastier with lemon curd.)
Wishing you the soothing scent of stomach-calming tea and continued assistance from the people who are helping you set things straight.
Meat and potatoes all the way. I can’t find comfort in freshly baked good – breads or cinnamon rolls are delish but the guilt associated with that indulgence is stressful!
Nibbles reduce guilt. 🙂
Ah, comfort food, I just finished eating a nice hot bowl of beef stew for lunch (crock pots rock for single guys!) and read this post. Comfort foods are definitely seasonal for me, warmth in the winter (stews, soups, curries, pasta), cool, fresh flavours in the summer (insalate caprese with freshly picked tomatoes from my backyard; strawberries, cherries, peaches and apples when they are in season). This seasonal nature comes from my parents, my dad still synchronizes his wine fermentation to the full moon in the fall (no amount of explanation of the negligible effect of celestial mechanics on grapes in his basement will change his mind 🙂 ). Tradition trumps physics when it comes to wine.
Stews, soups, pasta – all such nice (sleep-inducing) comfort foods in cold weather especially. Sounds great, batticus. (Does anyone know the science involved in this – or is it purely psychological?)
Smells take me places- oh the places they can take me. Certain smells remind me of people and places. I get lost in them. The right ones always serve as an easy way to improve my mood.
Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Trader Joe’s chocolate chips suit me just fine. They’re not fancy, and once I open the bag I eat them in handfulls. (Not the best habit, I know.) But they are smooth and wonderful and provide a temporary respite from difficult times. And yes, this week has been somewhat sucky for me, too. Which is why I’ve gone through so many chocolate chips.
I agree with Batticus, stews, heaping mashed potatoes and gravy in the winter and garden veggies in the summer. Seasonal foods seem to hold memories. As do recipes from our youth.
What a great thought. I am home sick today and could use some comfort foods but alas my girls have other things going so I will sleep it off.
Yessssss, and a warm dawg at your feet whilst trading comments with the significant other… in your Pj’s. Sometimes life is sweet!
Sourdough and Chardonnay. Poetry.
Good Irish whiskey and French fries are very comforting when taken together—particularly at the sort of restaurant where you can eat at the bar. Sending you comforting wishes.
Almost anything in the crock pot. This is especially nice because my thermostat is at 55 always, save for company, when I move it to 60. I am greeted by a warm something:
chicken in lemongrass broth
bratwurst and red potatoes (son love this)
pork tenderloin in water with rosemary and cracked pepper
Italian wedding soup, with kale and canneloni
And, this easy no-knead artisanal bread once a week: Jim Lahey’s bread from Sullivan Street Bakery in NYC
http://www.sullivanstreetbakery.com/recipes
ALL of these suggestions sound like a little piece of heaven. (And a. . . dare I say it. . . “muffin” top.) How did we miss muffins in this mix?
How about chicken in lemongrass broth with a side of fries followed by stew and baked goods? 🙂
Oh. Might have to be followed by potatoes, puppies, and those Trader Joe’s chocolate chips (I’ll need to scout for).
Add risotto to my list of comfort foods on a cold winter day; a clear driveway, sunshine and risotto for lunch; a good morning.
Sometimes the best things in life are *so* taken for granted. Sleep, eating, sex, and being with my favorite people means so much to me. I know people who have problems in some activites which makes me appreciate them even more!
My idea of comfort foods seems to evolve with the seasons, but for now? Warm cinnamon rolls. Yum. Might have to sniff some out. Right now!
Most of my comfort foods involve carbs, butter, salt and pepper. Bowls of mashed potatoes, pasta, rice.
In summer, however, there is nothing finer than a tomato sandwich.
does coffee count as a comfort food?
Coffee is DEFINITELY comfort food (says the wowan waiting in the starucks drive-thru). . . 🙂
My comfort food is Coca-Cola. Since I have made a concerted effort to stop drinking it this year, anything with peppermint has become my alternative.