It’s not just about recipes…

If you type into a Google search window the following: “define: comfort food”, you’ll get back several hits that all, basically, say the same thing. They all say that its food that makes you feel good. However, the definition that I liked the best was the one that said:

“Certain foods that people associate with their formative years, or with “home”; frequently simple home-cooked style food, and often the staple of diners and other informal restaurants; Food that one eats to feel comfort or alleviate stress rather than to receive nutrition” (http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/comfort_food)

There really is no clear, or succinct, definition other than the one that says that comfort food is the food that gives you comfort. As long as its not for emotional compensation, then even that bowl of ice cream that you had last night while you’re watching your favorite reality show could be considered comfort food, if it made you feel good…

When someone asks you, “If you were to be stranded on a deserted island, what would be the one food that you would want to have with you?” Whatever your answer is could be considered a comfort food, couldn’t it? What was your favorite dish that your Mom (or Grandma, aunt, or sister) made for you when you were growing up? Certainly that dish could be considered a food that comforts you. When my wife is out of town and I’m on my own for meals, I’ll make what we like to call “bachelor soup”. It’s a tomato soup based concoction that I really love to make when it’s just me, and yes, it probably, somewhere, subliminally, reminds of childhood days when Mom used to make condensed tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for us. Comfort in a bowl…

What you won’t find in this blog is haute cuisine, nouveau cuisine, deconstructions, or technically challenging recipes. There is a ton of respect here for those who cook and prepare food professionally. There are some meals that I have eaten that have been wonderfully prepared by professionals, and sometimes, some breathtaking costs that come along with the privilege of being served one of those meals; not necessarily very comforting. This blog is not about those kinds of meals.

As we progress in this comfort food adventure together, I would like to share with you some of my favorite recipes for foods and dishes that I hope will give you some comfort. Along the way, you could get some back-story about the recipe that sheds some light on why it may be considered a food that gives comfort. I would also like to share with my readers a complete sense that, with very few exceptions, and with a few very simple basics and the proper motivation, anyone of any age, (even if all of the original ingredients aren’t on hand) can prepare food that can give comfort to the stomach, the heart, and to the soul.