Sunday, February 08, 2009

Comfort Food

Roger commented on a list of "comfort foods", indicating his thoughts on each particular item. I, of course, shall do the same. Because I'm a follower, not a leader.

Apple Pie: Yup, that's a comfort food. Especially served warm with a scoop of French vanilla or vanilla bean ice cream. Oh yes. (But I just can't do the "apple pie with a slice of cheddar cheese" thing. That makes no sense.)

Baked Beans: I'm not sure I call them a "comfort food"; they're a nice and easy side dish. I do make a thing with sausage, baked beans and a few other condiments that I consider a comfort food, though.

Banana Pudding: Not really. I'm not that much into pudding, and I'm not wild about banana flavored stuff to begin with. Love bananas, but banana flavoring, not so much.

Beef Stew: I make a pot of beef stew a couple of times a year. Comfort food? I'm not sure I consider it "comfort" food, but I like it in the autumn.

Brisket Pot Roast: Not really. I like it and should make it more, though.

Chicken & Dumplings: This is probably one of the canonical comfort foods. I'm not sure I've ever had it, though.

Chicken Pot Pie: Yup. Comfort food all the way. I make a nice one, if I do say so myself.

Chicken Soup: Not really. My comfort soup is clam chowder, actually. I find chicken soup boring.

Chili: Again, a regular autumn and cold weather item for me. I'm not sure I call it "comfort food", though.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: Certainly. I love chocolate chip cookies. Homemade are the best.

Corn on the Cob: Sure. I adore it. Corn in all forms, really. And cornbread! A pot of chili without cornbread is unforgivable. (Well, beer bread is acceptable too.)

Fried Chicken: Absolutely. Especially if it comes in a bucket with biscuits, cole slaw, mac-and-cheese, and a wet-nap.

Gelatin: Meh. Not a big fan.

Green Bean Casserole: I don't like green beans, so no. The Wife insists on this being on the table every Thanksgiving or Christmas, though, whichever one we make ourselves.

Hot Dogs: I love them, but I'm not sure I consider them "comfort food".

Ice Cream: Sure. But then, I nearly live on ice cream.

Macaroni & Cheese: Certainly. Especially homemade. I make a baked version with sausage mixed in with the noodles, parmesan sprinkled on top. (One time I topped it with crushed potato chips, which I thought rocked, but The Daughter gave that thumbs down.) And yes, I like the box stuff. Sorry.

Mashed Potatoes: I don't like these. So no.

Meatloaf: Hmmmmm. I like meatloaf, but I haven't had it in so long that I don't think I can consider it a comfort food.

Potato Salad: Since I didn't like it until adulthood, I can't really consider it to have a nostalgic thing behind it. But I do love a good, mustardy potato salad.

Pumpkin Pie: Not really. I have one slice a year and I'm good. Mainly pumpkin pie serves for me as a contrast to the mound of whipped cream I consume with it.

Shepherd's Pie: Mashed potato topping rules this out for me.

Spaghetti: Hmmmm. Maybe. Never thought of it as comfort food; just a reliable, quick meal.

Tomato Soup: I loved it as a kid; I still like it but only have it maybe once or twice a year. But it cries out for a grilled cheese sandwich along with it. Now, if the sandwich is made from caraway rye bread and the cheese is sharp cheddar, then yes, we're talking comfort food.

Tuna Casserole: Sure.

What other comfort foods do I have? Tater tot casserole. Waffles and pancakes and French toast. Frozen pizza. Burgers at a drive-in, ice cream at a roadside stand. Vanilla and strawberry milkshakes.

Maybe anything I like is actually comfort food....

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I put a little shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top of a slice of apple pie and then microwave it just long enough for the cheese to begin to melt. Vanilla ice cream on apple pie is good too but usually I've gotta have my cheese!

Anonymous said...

... and I totally agree with "anything I like is comfort food". Otherwise I don't get the whole concept of comfort food.