Take Comfort
“What exactly is the definition of comfort food?” EAKE asked in her Allrecipes blog, “EAKE.” The first comment arrived minutes later. Deborah D had an answer: Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes with creamy gravy. In a matter of just a few days, more than 60 people had offered their ideas on the perfect comfort food. And wouldn’t you know it? No two tastes were exactly alike.
EAKE also had an answer. “I would assume that it means, 'food that comforts you.' Am I correct? It just so happens that I do not like Shepherd’s Pie, Macaroni and Cheese, Meat Loaf, Pot Roast or Tuna Casserole. My friends are disgusted with me because I do not like comfort foods. They are so very wrong! I LOVE comfort foods!”
And the foods that comfort EAKE?
Deborah B
“For me, the be-all, end-all comfort food meal would be chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and LOTS of creamy gravy. BUT! I do get what you're saying. Having been married to a Thai man for almost thirty years, green chicken curry is a very close second (served over brown rice lately).”
Maggi
“I guess my definition of comfort foods are dishes that evoke strong childhood memories. A hearty chicken noodle soup is right up there. A rich pot roast is another. Got to admit, love the tuna casserole & meat loaf--but hold the mac & cheese! But if one of my favs is not cooked the way I expect, it's off the table!”
Kathleen
“I would have to go with Lasagna and garlic bread, Beer Cheese Soup and Sourdough, Chicken and Dumplings with Cheese biscuits, or a GIANT Chocolate cake with a glass of red wine.”
Mimosa
“Hmm, I have so many! My Mexican casserole, corned beef hash, pan fried potatoes with onions...I could go on and on!”
Amber
“Comfort food…butter chicken, my mom's potato salad, pancakes, homemade bread, cherry pie, grilled cheese. I also don't like most of the typical comforts. I think just non complicated wonderful flavors that fill you up, and make you want to eat like real people eat!”
sassyoldlady
“Brownies, sour cream chocolate cake, Chicken & Dumplings, fried chicken with mashed potatoes/gravy and fried okra and homemade creamed corn and biscuits. My mom’s beef stew.”
Nobody’sGirl
“Turkey dinner with stuffing and all the fixings is the most comforting food I can think of. When I'm feeling really low and want to feel like I do during holidays with my family, that's usually what I end up making.”
Christine M
“I think most of my ‘comfort foods’ have some connection to childhood memories--my mom's spaghetti and meatballs, roast beef dinners, creamed salmon over mashed potatoes. I also think of apple pie. I’m not a big apple pie fan. But I love the thought of them because my dad and I once made one together when I was about 7 or 8...the kitchen was a DISASTER afterwards, flour on the ceiling, pie crust in the bottoms of our shoes, me wearing a cinnamon-sugar mustache from eating so many apples. Haven't had an apple pie that tasted that good since!”
Trishie
“My ultimate comfort food is Chocolate! Chocolate cookies, chocolate cake, chocolate donuts, chocolate mousse...the list is endless! Oh and cheddar cheese. Oh, and Chinese food mmm...!”
Missivy
“Roast chicken and mashed potato dinner with gravy. Jaeger schnitzel and spaetzle with gravy. Biscuits and sausage gravy. Pork chops in mushroom gravy. Yeah, I am gonna go with gravy! But it has gotta be good, homemade gravy, or it's just not worth it. And a big loaf of fresh baked bread to mop it all up with! A plate of something with gravy will lift my spirits any day.”
barncat
“PIE, ROAST BEEF, YORKSHIRE PUDDING! And many others. Brownies, chicken and beef soup, chili, popcorn, French toast.”
Foodelicious
“Maybe it's a holdover from my early childhood in Japan (I only started out there; I'm not actually Japanese) but my ultimate comfort food is a simple rice bowl dish called oyako donburi. It's just chicken and egg over rice, with onions and a light broth, but boy does it hit the spot when I need to eat my way back to less complicated times.”
Bessie Cocker (aka GoodEatNZ)
“I started thinking about my faves: split pea soup, butter beans (lima beans) and ham, refried beans, pinto beans, black beans. Uh, maybe I should just say LEGUMES!”
kiss the cook
“It seems that many of us have our favorite comfort foods. Mine are fried chicken, vegetable soup, popcorn, homemade ice cream, watermelon, apple cinnamon oatmeal, turkey with all the trimmings. Hot tea when I don't feel well, milk toast, and roast beef. Very good topic and I feel comforted just thinking about the subject.”
