On Comfort Food.
Dec. 27th, 2008 07:30 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
randomnessChristmas food--and boy, there was some yummy food on Christmas, thanks to various members of ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
bedfull_o_books's family--got me to thinking about comfort food.
As anyone who has been around me much at all can confirm, I get wacky food cravings. Many times these cravings are for dishes I consider comfort food.
This led me to consider what those dishes are, and why they have that place for me.
I think many of my comfort foods are ones I've eaten for many years, like 干炒牛河 (gān chăo niú hé: a. k. a. beef chow fun), or macaroni and cheese. Meat loaf is another. So are 水饺 (shuǐjiǎo: boiled dumplings), with some fairly pedestrian filling like 猪肉白菜 (zhū ròu bái cài: pork with Chinese cabbage). Some dessert foods are also, like ice cream sandwiches, or a 蛋挞 (dàn tà: egg tart). Or 杏仁豆腐 (xìng rén dòu fu: almond jelly/almond tofu/almond junket) but the kind made with agar, not tofu or gelatin (despite the names).
Occasionally, though, the craving is for something I never ate as a child, but nonetheless still fills the comfort food niche, like Cincinnati chili or Saag (साग/ساگ). (bedfull_o_books also considers Saag a comfort food. Neither of us grew up with it.)
I suppose it's all about keeping my not-so-inner child fed. That kid likes fat, sweet, and salt, it seems, and searches for the uncomplicated, unchallenging tastes I grew up with.
What foods say "comfort food" to you? What about them makes them comfort food?
bedfull_o_books's family--got me to thinking about comfort food.As anyone who has been around me much at all can confirm, I get wacky food cravings. Many times these cravings are for dishes I consider comfort food.
This led me to consider what those dishes are, and why they have that place for me.
I think many of my comfort foods are ones I've eaten for many years, like 干炒牛河 (gān chăo niú hé: a. k. a. beef chow fun), or macaroni and cheese. Meat loaf is another. So are 水饺 (shuǐjiǎo: boiled dumplings), with some fairly pedestrian filling like 猪肉白菜 (zhū ròu bái cài: pork with Chinese cabbage). Some dessert foods are also, like ice cream sandwiches, or a 蛋挞 (dàn tà: egg tart). Or 杏仁豆腐 (xìng rén dòu fu: almond jelly/almond tofu/almond junket) but the kind made with agar, not tofu or gelatin (despite the names).
Occasionally, though, the craving is for something I never ate as a child, but nonetheless still fills the comfort food niche, like Cincinnati chili or Saag (साग/ساگ). (
bedfull_o_books also considers Saag a comfort food. Neither of us grew up with it.)I suppose it's all about keeping my not-so-inner child fed. That kid likes fat, sweet, and salt, it seems, and searches for the uncomplicated, unchallenging tastes I grew up with.
What foods say "comfort food" to you? What about them makes them comfort food?
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2008-12-28 07:24 pm (UTC)A good thick stew.
Bacon egg and chips (dammit, no more eggs for me. Substitute grilled tomato).
Toad in the hole. (eggs again)
Roast chicken.
Yup, I grew up with all of those.
Duck in plum sauce. I didn't grow up with that, and now it, too, makes me ill.
I guess comfort food now is anything I can eat without spending hours making it. Like oatcakes and hummus.