LESLIE BUDEWITZ: The seasons are changing, and with it, what we eat. No more fresh peaches or berries. Up here in the north, the pots of herbs are coming inside, there's a colander filled with the last tomatoes on the counter, and the deer and bears have left a few apples on our ancient Red Delicious tree. It's the season for comfort food.
A few years ago, a friend went into rapture, fantasizing about a fresh ragu -- an herby tomato sauce -- simmering on her stove, and called it the ultimate comfort food. I laughed -- to me, the ultimate comfort food is mac 'n cheese, smooth, creamy, maybe with a few herbs and toasted breadcrumbs for crunch, but none of the spicy bursts of flavor of a rich tomato sauce. I gave that conversation to my girl Erin in the Food Lovers' Village Mysteries, but she plays the part of the surprised Italian girl who goes to college and discovers that to others, comfort food was grilled cheese, custard, or bread pudding. Pumpkin muffins. Breakfast for dinner. (I swear, I was probably 40 when it occurred to me that my mother made pancakes and sausage for dinner occasionally not as a treat for the kids, but because she needed a little mothering herself!)
What says comfort food to you, dear readers? Include your email address in your comment for a chance to win a terrific Mystery Lovers' Kitchen tote bag! (US and Canada addresses only, please.)
🍁

natural "anti-inflammatory." LOL Ah, comfort food. Do we need autumn and winter to enjoy it? Nope. Year-round comfort food is definitely a necessity.
🍎
But a more important clue is how often I've made a particular dish over the years, no matter what the source. For that one, I think Apple Goody stands out. It's a recipe that comes from the mother of one of my long-ago roommates, back in the 1970s. I knew her mother for years, and I still get together regularly with my friend. The recipe is simple: apples, cinnamon, flour, sugar (brown and white) and butter. Bake and enjoy. I can't begin to count the number of times I've made that, both for guests or to take to a pot-luck, or just to eat myself. I even included it in one of my Orchard Mysteries.
So while the collected works of Julia Child are dear to my heart, Apple Goody is the all-time winner.
🍴
It makes me think of being tucked up in a soft bed under a warm comforter or sitting on the couch while a storm rages outside. Of course, I'm always eating in these thoughts -- applesauce, it would seem.
I have to admit, I've never made applesauce but obviously, with such good memories attached, I should make the effort real soon. Maybe you can supply me with a tasty recipe, Sheila!
🍒
Krista: Linda, I remember my mom grating apples as a home remedy when I was a kid. She made applesauce, too, but it's the raw grated apples that I recall because I never could figure out why they were supposed cure anything.
Mac and cheese is a favorite comfort food for me. We never had it growing up. Never! I don't often make it now, but I do love that creaminess.
Like Daryl, I'm a complete fool for ice cream, but mostly in the summer. As the weather cools, my consumption drops off until the special flavors come around for the holidays. Peppermint anyone?
But I'll go out on a limb here and suggest something that I have been known to whip up very late on cold nights-warm chocolate pudding. Pudding is fine when it's cold, but there's nothing quite as soothing as warm pudding, eaten straight from the pot.
🍇
Peg: Like Krista, we never had mac and cheese growing up! I don't really remember any comfort foods from my childhood--the association is really with things I make now like shepherd's pie and sauce bolognese and pretty much any kind of soup except tomato (which I don't care for!). I could eat a whole bowl of mashed potatoes for dinner--that's comfort to me. And pair them with roast chicken, and I'm in heaven!
Lucy: I love love macaroni and cheese, but eating salty stuff is a no-no for me right now. On Sundays as a kid, we had cheese toast, baked beans, and potato salad on TV trays in front of whatever program was on--that's comfort food to me. All those carbs! These days, how about a nice peach or cherry cobbler, right out of the oven, with whipped cream?? Or a chicken pot pie?
🍞
Victoria: I find this whole discussion very comforting. Food in general offers comfort to me, but there's something special about the smell of fresh bread or biscuits, warm from the oven and served up with butter. I love it when they area bit savory, like these with chives. There should be a pot of tea nearby and someone to chat with, over the warm biscuits.
☕
Cleo: All of your comfort foods sound good to me! I'll add homemade cookies to that list...
![]() |
Angel Wings (aka) Italian Bow Tie Cookies For the recipe, click here. |
As a little girl, I loved helping my Italian-born Aunt Mary make what she called "Italian Bow Tie" cookies. Some of you may remember them as "Angel Wings" or Chrusciki (the Polish version). In Hungary, they are called Csöröge. In France, Bugnes Lyonnaises. In the Ukraine, Verhuny. In any language, they are delicious and sweet comfort for those of us who remember eating them as children.
May you, too, eat with comfort and joy!
May you, too, eat with comfort and joy!
.
🍒 🍞 🍇 🍕
What says comfort food to you, dear readers?
.
Comfort food to me is something that I enjoy making for family get-togethers (i.e. family recipes that are always made/saved for special occasions). EMS591@aol.com
ReplyDeleteI feel that way too, Liz! Usually the special foods evoke happy memories! No that is comforting! Hugs. MJ
ReplyDeleteMy favorite comfort foods are my Mom’s meatloaf and pretty much any kind of soup.
ReplyDeletesgiden@verizon(.)net
I'm a soup girl, too! So warm and comforting! I think my meatloaf is comfort food for my kids and even some of their friends!
DeleteSoup for me. .love making it, trying new recipes. .the aroma, and tasting. I eat soup all year round. .there's something about the sound of simmering. .so pleasing.
DeleteMy comfort foods are what my mom made me when I was sick as a kid; grilled cheese with tomato soup, mac and cheese with hot dogs cut up in it, and grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Nothing hard to make, but they all make me smile when I am feeling blah.
ReplyDeleteI love grilled cheese and tomato soup. On cold or hot days. ~ Daryl
DeleteI used to always ask for my mother's fried chicken for my birthday meal. It was years before I realized that what I really wanted was biscuits with the gravy she made in the chicken pan with all those wonderful bits of crust!
ReplyDeleteLibby, too funny. I remember being "on the road" as an actress, and we were in the south, and I couldn't wait to have breakfast. The biscuits were to die for! That was really all I wanted. ~ Daryl
DeleteMy favorite comfort food is tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich (any kind of cheese -- the more exotic, the better). Add a piece of chocolate sheet cake, and I am in comfort food heaven! bobandcelia@sbcglobal.net
ReplyDeleteHear, hear for grilled cheese and soup! It's a gray, wet, chilly day here in NW Montana -- and after our terrible, horrible fire and smoke season, we're grateful for weather that cleans the air and knocks down those fires -- so I'd kinda like to crawl into any of your kitchens and enjoy the comforting warmth, friendship, and food!
ReplyDeleteYes, a great meal on a cold night with a nice glass of wine.
DeleteAhhh comfort food! Somedays it's grilled cheese and tomato soup, others mac and cheese or what is on my menu this week... Slow cooker chicken and gravy! We usually serve it over mashed potatoes, although you can serve it with rice or noodles. I love my slow cooker! meg85252 at gmail dot com
ReplyDeleteI'll have to try the slow cooker chicken and gravy. I love using my slow cooker and having dinner all ready when I get home.
DeleteNothing makes me feel comforted when I'm down like a bowl of cream of mushroom soup with buttered toast squares in it. As well as creamed peas on toast. Such simple foods, but they speak volumes to me and can change my mood almost immediately. ♥
ReplyDeleteComfort food is definitely homemade chicken soup with knaidlach and challah. When I was little and growing up in a northern clime this was wonderful. saubleb(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteMy comfort food is always German noodle soup. Simple, but it means love to me. Then I saw those chive biscuits and that made me happy too. Potato dumplings are also a big comfort food to me, just love them and they make me happy. Candy will also suffice if I need a quick fix of happiness, lol
ReplyDeletekayt18(at) comcast (dot) net
When I'm sick I want tomato soup and grilled cheese just like my mom used to make. If I'm down in the dumps any kind of cheesecake will do. pgenest57 at aol dot com
ReplyDeletePaula, I never thought of cheesecake as comfort food, but it is -- going on the list!
DeleteComfort food for me is mac and cheese, tuna melts, grilled cheese and tomato soup on a chilly day, my dad's chili soup recipe, oh and spike cake with caramel icing like my mom always made. barbie17(at)gmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteSomething like mom used to make, not a salad or full of vegetables - or healthy! Pot roast (well, there are vegetables there), something with mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese and tomato soup. Or McDonald's. Not sure about that one, must be some carryover from childhood.
ReplyDeletesallycootie(at)gmail(dot)com
I see a theme here--mashed potatoes, anything with cheese, gravy...
DeleteWhen I think of comfort food I immediately pine for a favorite in our family. The long, cold winters made this a popular and healthy meal. Roast Chicken, potatoes, zucchini and then for dessert apple cake. elliotbencan(at)hotmail(dot)com
ReplyDeleteI'm on board with roast chicken and potatoes.
DeleteMacaroni and cheese, pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, are all comfort foods that I love.
ReplyDeletececilialyoung(@)gmail.com
Mmmmmm, pot roast! I haven't had it in ages.
DeleteMy favorite comfort food is my mac and cheese. I became lactose sensitive a few years ago but found that if I use aged cheddar and lactose-free milk then I can enjoy my favorite food again. I use sharp and extra sharp cheddar cheese topped with bread crumbs and it makes me feel like a kid again.
ReplyDeletescarletbegonia5858(at)gmail(dot)com
Oh, what good tips! Thanks, Cupcake!
DeleteI have so many comfort foods that I love, but the one that first comes to mind is mashed potatoes. They just hit the spot when I need to feel warm and cozy inside. :-)
ReplyDeleteNicole
nicolev.girldetective@gmail.com
Oh, mashed potatoes! Mr. Right's are just about the best!
DeleteWarm tortillas with butter & salsa, chicken pot pie, Mac & cheese are my favorite comfort foods.
ReplyDeleteChicken pot pies are the very definition of comfort food!
DeleteOh my, I have so many favorite comfort foods and that probably explain some of my weight problem 😂 but my favorites are a huge roast chicken with stuffing, gravy and mashed potatoes, or meatloaf, of roast beef. Homemade bread and pecan rolls just out of the oven is special too. And pies. My mother's homemade cooked fudge was comforting and celebratory so that us also what I think if for comfort foods all if which I make often. What a lovely topic to think about today. We all need comfort after hearing daily news which is so sad. And wishing comfort and saying prayers for all of those people who are affected by all of the tragedies most recently. Hugs everyone.
ReplyDeleteCynthia B
Hmm. I'm sure there's a physiologic reason why so many comfort foods are high carb, but I don't really want to know it!
DeleteAnd you know, we planned this topic weeks ago, but it does turn out to be timely, doesn't it? Hugs to you all, with thanks for being part of the MLK community.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePlease excuse all my typos. My eyes are still a problem since my surgeries. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteMy mouth has been watering from reading all of the previous comments. I am one of the people who find comfort in many foods. Mac and cheese, crispy fried chicken, Jansson's temptation (potato slices layered with onion, anchovies, and a bit of butter, baked in cream) are foods I turn to in tough times. But one of the dishes that most mean comfort to me is garlic fried rice topped with chopped peanuts, green onion and fresh coriander, served with a small bit of chili garlic sauce.
ReplyDeletelittle lamb lst at yahoo dot com
Yes to crispy fried chicken!
DeleteHere's one more vote for grilled cheese with tomato soup! My second choice would be chicken thighs baked in mushroom soup, with either rice or angel hair pasta. Mmmmmm!
ReplyDeleteLizC
Congee (rice porridge) with beef or chicken.
ReplyDeletejtcgc at yahoo dot com