Did Valentine's Day get you down? Was it perhaps a day for comfort food instead of a romantic menu? Here's a question for you, from reader Ci:
I just went through two romantic break ups last year and one of the comfort foods that got me through both of them was chicken wings. It was the only food that could I found appetizing. I am curious as to other 'odd' foods that people use as comfort foods while going through a rough patch.
Ci, we'll take any chance to talk about comfort food; it doesn't even have to be something dramatic like Valentine's Day. Chicken wings, like the Broiled Chicken Wings with Spicy Apricot Sauce, pictured above, do sound like heavenly winter comfort food.
Lots of our recipes would fall into comfort food territory. Here are a few favorites that come to mind:
• Creamy Cheesy Potatoes
• Broccoli Spaghetti Frittata
• Ma Po Tofu
• Pasta with Greens and Feta
• Lemon Rice Pudding
• Homemade Chicken Stock
None of these options are particularly "odd," though, and we think this question was mostly directed at you readers. What's your comfort food of choice this winter, and is it perhaps an offbeat pick?
(Image credit: Romulo Yanes for Gourmet)
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break-up comfort food? martinis, lined up on the counter. garlic and cheese mashed potatoes and pickles after, to nourish ached everything.
Whole wheat pasta w/ricotta cheese, salt and pepper. Why is this break up comfort food? Because it takes about zero energy to prepare, can't be ruined by inattention or poor technique, but it's actually quite nourishing. I realized I was coming out of my fog of misery when I started adding sauteed shallots and broccoli, pepper flakes, and other flourishes appreciated by people who aren't consumed with angst.
Broccoli casserole, roasted Brussels sprouts, and/or braised lamb shanks--easy, hot, soft food.
Not a post-romance rough patch but I am more sick to death of winter than I ever remember being -- so last night I made hot dogs (Oscar Meyer Turkey) in a household where we normally consider such rare picnic food. The bun, the dog, slattered with sunny yellow mustard helped me remember Spring is but a calendar page or two away!
When I studied abroad and got a little homesick, all I wanted was a "coca light" and half a hershey bar. That exact combo was weirdly comforting.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara, dude. It takes so little time to prepare (just as long as it takes to boil the spaghetti) and is perhaps the most comforting, happy-making dish ever.
Macaroni & cheese (from the box) embellished with some black beans, salsa, and hot sauce. Plus, it's just as good cold as hot =)
Oh, pretty much anything with potatoes in it will make me feel better about anything. :)
I vote for Ma Po Tofu! Yum!
Peanut butter eaten from the jar with a spoon. And a cup of tea.
Hot and Sour soup - a tasty variation of good old chicken noodle soup which helps/fixes most all ailments.
Chicken pot pie.
Tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Especially if the tomatos were home-grown and -canned.
Cheese, pepperoni, and crackers in bed.
meatloaf and mashed potatoes or mom's yankee chili
Chicken fried chicken topped with white gravy and served with fried okra, corn, mashed potatoes, and dinner rolls with honey. I like big meals when I'm down.
Cinnamon toast. I caramelize the cinnamon-sugar topping in the toaster oven. Frozen York peppermint patties are always comforting...YUM!
Mashed potatoes, garlic bread, wine and 7-Up.
Pea soup and a grilled cheese sandwich
Fried mozzarella. Tomato soup with cream.
My best friend got dumped by the guy she thought she was going to marry and ate nothing but Cheerios for about three months. That's college for you.
Grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup.
Like a few others on the list, our winter comfort food at home has a lot to do with bringing summer in. For V-Day we had hot sausage and peppers on kaiser rolls with a spring mix salad. Not exactly romantic, but we pretended the sun came out for a little while. For breakups, I agree with anyone who put down grilled cheese sandwich and soup, but I also remember spending an entire month eating saltine crackers and celery sticks with peanut butter. And Guiness. Lots of Guiness.
We had pretty much the worst Valentine's Day we'd ever had. We both work for the newspaper in Rockford, Ill., not far from DeKalb, Ill. My husband and I worked about 13 and 15 hours respectively. The weekend after the Northern Illinois University shootings, I made us lasagna and a pork roast and a broccoli casserole. Those are my comfort foods.
My comfort foods are kind of 'odd for a white Canadian woman':
-falafel dripping with tahini;
-injara and lentils;
-squid in black bean sauce over rice;
-spicy tuna cones
I do like the 'traditional' comfort foods like mac 'n cheese, mashed potatoes, and grilled cheese, but the four items above not only comfort but also satisfy me so I don't have to eat insane amounts of them.
Add chocolate mousse, tons of it, for dessert.