Adopted comfort foods

[Philanthrophobe]

Adopted comfort foods....

I was raised in a gastronomically impoverished household. Our introduction into the scary foreign world of Tex-Mex came courtesy of Frito-Lay in the early 70s by way of a bag of Doritos, which we called "tor-till-ah chips." My first taco came from Jack in the Box when I was 18. Garlic came from a little bottle stored next to the gas range where, along with the other elderly herbs and spices, they could absorb plenty of heat from whatever happened to be cooking. So, basically, everything I now consume is "adopted."

I especially love middle eastern and Indian...

hummus bi tahina

tabbouleh

fattoush

yoghurt! yoghurt! yoghurt! (Especially once I learned to make my own.)

bhindi masala

eggplant bhartha

mattar paneer

Great. Now I'm hungry.

[Pan]

[...]So--what are some of your own favorite comfort-food dishes that you didn't grow up with, but it feels like you did? (Stories about how you came to discover and adopt that dish would be cool, too.)

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One would be congee. I discovered it on board the Hai Xing Shipping Company vessel that conveyed me from Hong Kong to Shanghai in two days and three nights in 1987. Congee was an item from their Chinese breakfast, and I still believe theirs was the best I've had. There's nothing like rice porridge with scraps of fish, blackened fried onions, scallions, and egg drop to start the day.

In Malaysia back in the 70s, I found that there was nothing more comforting to the soul than a bowl of steaming bubur cha cha (the "cha cha" part was never mentioned in the village I lived in, though; it was just bubur), made with coconut milk, palm sugar, and starchy foods like beans, sweet potatoes, taro, and regular potatoes. Many types of Malaysian food are now comfort food for me, reminding me of a joyous two years of childhood that I spent in that country. If I could ever again have the sura (aka asyura) that was served up from big vats in the village...but that's too much to hope for.

Panforte is also a kind of comfort food for my soul, albeit well-nigh impossible to eat in large quantities. I've loved it since the first summer I spent in Siena as a student (1991). Similarly, really great macedonia di frutta con gelato is wonderful comfort food, and come to think of it, I don't think I've had any great examples since the last time I was in Siena, at my favorite bar on the Campo, which I think was called Bar Il Palio. That was in 1998, during my third visit to Italy. In terms of savory items, zuppa di verdure and ribollita are much appreciated, especially during colder months.

I'm thinking about what I considered comfort food while in France, the other foreign country I've spent a good deal of time visiting and studying in. I think that the foods that have given me the most comfort in France have usually been sweets: Tartes rhubarbe, pomme, poire et amande, blette; pates de fruit. But there are some savory comfort foods, too. I love gougeres, and really good soupe de poisson is a wonderful comfort food for me.

I think that I've accumulated comfort foods through my travels, more than any other way, but one other thought occurs to me:

Pylos, the very good somewhat upscale rural Greek restaurant near me, has a section of the menu entitled "Greek comfort food." I agree with them that pastitsio and moussaka are wonderful comfort food.

And I discovered pho in New York and agree with others that it's a great comfort food.

So what do all these foodstuffs have in common? Really, not much other than the way they make me feel.

Edited January 12, 2006 by Pan (log)

[snowangel]

Larb

[McAuliflower]

I too had noticed a lot of people mentioning risotto, as well as starchy dishes in general. For what it's worth, this Wikipedia article says that some people think carbo-loaded dishes provoke some kind of opiate-like effect in the brain. Mind you, Wikipedia articles sometimes vary widely in reliability, and I don't necessarily want to wander *too* far off into a discussion of the properties of carbohydrates in the diet, but still, I thought the point worth presenting.

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there are also those tasty casein opiates from cheese... yum

my adopted comforts:

- I kiss the earth for showing the way of Chilaqueas. My favorite style is made with masa and skips the tortilla chip part of the process. When served up as a thick slab with sour cream, I always think of it as a sort of savory cake.

- I know its not a particular food, but dim sum is an amazing comfort food group for me.

- pad thai, its a wonderful marriage of sweet, and crunch, and salt and tang. Pad thai was also my gateway drug to tofu, especially when fried up.

Edited January 13, 2006 by McAuliflower (log)

[tejon]

kheer

congee

pho

carnitas

Bolognese sauce

[nakji]

Curry-rice (the Japanese kind) and Hobak-jook (pumpkin jook). Serious, stick-to-your-ribs kind of food.

Oh yes, and possibly Australia's greatest contribution to the pub-food canon:

Fried potato wedges with sour cream and sweet chili sauce.

( we really need a drooling smiley!)

[Jensen]

kheer

congee

pho

carnitas

Bolognese sauce

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If I knew what kheer is, I'd just say "Ditto".

Especially the congee.

[misgabi]

Excellent topic MizDucky.

Comfort foods I now turn to are ones that we never, ever had as a child growing up because my mother could not cook to save herself (and I took over at an early age):

Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Homemade Spring Rolls

Bread and Butter Pudding

Beef Strogannoff (sp?)

Plain jasmine rice with a big dollop of garlic butter (utter comfort food)

Leek and Broccoli Quiche

Banana Jaffles (this may be an Australian thing) with lots of brown sugar

These are all things I make when I want to feel better or cheer myself up - none of which I tasted or cooked before the age of about 18.

One that we did have as a kid - pancakes with lemon and sugar... mmmmmmm!!

[tejon]

kheer

congee

pho

carnitas

Bolognese sauce

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If I knew what kheer is, I'd just say "Ditto".

Especially the congee.

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Kheer is an amazing, rich Indian rice pudding scented with cardamom and topped with almonds and pistachios. It's creamy and subtle and just all around wonderful stuff.

[Jensen]

Kheer is an amazing, rich Indian rice pudding scented with cardamom and topped with almonds and pistachios. It's creamy and subtle and just all around wonderful stuff.

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Well then, I WILL say "Ditto"!

Rice pudding is a great comfort food for me. The last time I had it was when I was in bed, recovering from an unmedicated migraine. You can't get much more in need of comfort than that!

[Pan]

Kheer also has rose water in it, which I love. I think I prefer firni, which I haven't seen on a menu for some time. The first time I had firni was in a long-defunct restaurant called the Karachi Rice Shop, which included an actual visible layer of rose water on the top of the bowl. Here's a recipe for firni, with rather less rose water than the version I had back when. (Caveat: For reference only, as I haven't tried out this recipe.)

[Kim Shook]

I am the exact opposit of almost everyone I know. My mom is a great cook, but she made sort of 'upscale' (for the 60's & 70's - when I grew up) food. Pastas with light sauces, roasted meats, sautes, salad with every dinner, fish, etc. Love all of that still, but what did I grow up to adore??? Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, long cooked greens and green beans, corn bread, casseroles, meat loaf, pot roast. Momma only made pot roast after she tasted mine !

[tejon]

Mmmm...firni....

[esowchek]

I would add another vote for congee. My introduction to this wonderful comfort food came during a visit to San Francisco. I was staying with a friend who is Chinese and I was thrilled when she invited me to accompany her on her Saturday early-morning shopping rounds (some tourists visit landmarks and historic sites, I like to visit food shops and bakeries). It was great fun - a real adventure - and, of course, we had to stop for a mid-morning snack along the way. That first creamy spoonful was a marvel!

Another recent favorite is foul madamas. A new and rather short-lived Middle Eastern restaurant opened near my office, and this quickly became my preferred lunch. Their version used fava beans, garlic, onion, tomatoes, and a little lemon juice (I think), and was served with paper-thin pita bread made on the premises. The beans were so creamy and the onions so sweet!

I am neither Chinese nor Middle Eastern, but both of these dishes would rank high on my list of all-time comfort foods. The fact that hey come from culinary traditions that are totally different from my own makes them even more fun to eat.

[BCinBC]

First generation Canadian born to Chinese (mainland) parents.

Comfort foods not readily associated with being Chinese but from my childhood: Shepherd's Pie, Chicken a la King (using some sort of Campbell's cream soup). ETA: Oh yeah and spaghetti carbonara!

Comfort foods I started to make after leaving home: Meatloaf, Mushroom Risotto (though this really is just another form of rice, so in that sense it's understandable). Lately, Chicken Corn Chowder from scratch.

Comfort food readily associated with being Chinese but I disavowed early in my childhood: Jook/Congee. It tastes like nothing, people!

Edited January 13, 2006 by BCinBC (log)

[Jensen]

Comfort food readily associated with being Chinese but I disavowed early in my childhood: Jook/Congee. It tastes like nothing, people!

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Ha! Get thee to Lakeside Restaurant on 6th St. in Burnaby (just across the Burnaby/New West border). I've lived in CA for almost 7 years now and I still have dreams about their congee with pork liver.

[Sencha]

My mom didn't cook when I was growing up and still doesn't to this day, so the phrase "just like mom used to make" doesn't mean anything to me. Rather, it's more like "just like I used to make! No, wait...I still make it."

I guess my comfort foods are relatively simple though. I just LOVE grilled fish. Shioyaki....

That smells of my early childhood!

Fresh tortillas (both corn and flour) are good too and are at least 100 times better than anything from a package.

Rice. Simple. Rice. So comforting.

Fresh greens. Such a pleasing flavor as long as they're cooked right.

Grilled tofu! When I've lived in cold places it was my saviour.

Bread. REAL bread. None of that presliced stuff with a ton of ingredients with strange names. A French bread or sourdough, preferably.