(43-149) Comfort Food

It's been a while since I've pulled a post topic from Mari's "Memories and Thoughts" jar; so I decided to let my kids pick my subject for today.  The only criteria that I gave the kids was, that I wanted the post to be something lighthearted.  I didn't want to write about something complex, or something sad, and I think they did a great job finding something that fit the bill, when they chose "What are some of your comfort foods?"

As soon as I heard the topic, "comfort food," I immediately conjured up the image of a bagel with lox, cream cheese, purple onion and tomato.  Oh my gosh; my mouth is watering.  Ironically enough, I discussed this very same meal with both (SMF) David and my cousin Jackie, JUST THIS WEEK; so something tells me, this sandwich is in my near future.

Sometimes comfort foods are those that bring us back to a certain place and time; and for me, many of my comfort foods are those that I remember my mom making.  Others are dishes that just make your mouth happy and put a smile on your face.  Kind of an A-HA moment, but with food.

I find it interesting that even though my mom was an amazing cook; it's not EVERY dish that she made that I would put on my comfort food list.  For example, I learned how to make baked ziti, Chicken Parmigiana, and Eggplant Parmigiana, from watching my mom; and even though I love all of those dishes; I wouldn't refer to them as my comfort foods. 

For someone who loves food, I don't think my comfort food list is very long.  At the very top of it, of course is that bagel that I wrote about earlier.  And then in no particular order, I'd have to include: Stuffed cabbage, brisket, potato latkes, kasha Varnishkes (roasted  buckwheat groats  w/ farfalle pasta and sauteed onions,) whitefish salad, rugallah, cappuccino (or any coffee really;) and cannoli.  And now that the list is in print, I can clearly see that ALL of these foods are dishes that are Jewish style foods (with the exception of cappuccino / coffee and cannoli; but most Jews that I know, LOVE Italian food;) so I suppose that my original theory is correct.  The foods that comfort us, bring us back to a certain place and time.
There is one food and one food only that I can think of to add to my comfort food list.  It's a food that had nothing at all to do with my mom.  It's not a food that I ever ate with her; nor anybody else that would give me a happy memory.  It's just a food that is such yummy goodness, that whenever I am feeling out of sorts, thinking about eating it always picks me up; and that's celery.  NO, of course not.  I'm totally kidding.  It's a food that I've mentioned before in "Swee treats,"  (drum roll please...)  Cracker Barrel's, Macaroni and Cheese.  YUM! 

Truth be told, I rarely eat any of the foods that I've mentioned; for a number of reasons.  First of all, most of them aren't readily available to me and secondly, I really try NOT to turn to food for comfort.  Since I love to talk about, write about, watch shows about; and of course EAT, food; it hasn't been difficult to imagine what I would like to eat if I was looking for something soothing; and yet I've found that even just the IDEA of these foods or thinking about these foods, has been very comforting to me.
Till next time...
Queen of EVERYTHING