What are your top ten comfort foods?
Recently I read an article in a popular food magazine and it really sparked my interest.
The article was interesting because most people listed a few of the common toppies (mac n' cheese, lasagna, pot roast...) but many chose an array of other dishes that simply made them feel all warm and fuzzy inside...ones that might surprise most.
It really got me thinking- what dishes have stood out to me over the course of my life? What foods, when eaten, transport me to another time and place? Or simply bring satisfaction and happiness?
I am a firm believer in food-as-a-vessel for comfort (and not in an indulgent way). I really do believe food brings people together, whether it's a meal at a favorite restaurant, a big holiday feast, a gathering in a hut in bushland Africa, or simply a weekly meal at the dinner table.
Food unites, inspires, revives, and creates love.
Does that sound overly sappy? Sorry. But really, just humor me. You know it's true.
So what are my top comfort foods? Well...I actually have 20. Come on, are you surprised?! I really probably have closer to 50 but I wont bore you. However, I'll do this post in segments. We'll start with the first few now and keep you waiting for the next installment.
Here are my first six, with descriptions, in no particular order:
1. My Dad's Spaghetti n' Meatballs
Every year, on my Dad's birthday, he makes homemade spaghetti n' meatballs. The recipe was his mother's (my Grandma Shirlee). I can recall, from a young age, sitting on the counter watching Dad throw this and that into a HUGE stockpot and sticking his pinky in at random times for a taste test. He would talk to me while the bright red sauce bubbled and thickened, recalling his own childhood love of the meal. His homemade meatballs are to. die. for. and as he mixed, then formed them, he would stress the importance of the meatballs' size and how I could not be trusted to help him until I was old enough to gather the significance of the perfect meatball. He was totally joking. But I've loved helping him make them ever since :)
Here's a photo of Dad (and younger sis!), forming the meatballs:
2. My take on "Monster Bars"
This is a fairly recent favorite. My mother in law gave me the recipe she uses for monster bars not too long ago because I was in the middle of an I'm-pregnant-and-need-sugar-NOW craving. I wanted something with at least a few redeeming qualities (oats, peanut butter) but not too healthy, obviously. I made her version and then kept tweaking it to make it a bit healthier, while still retaining the "dessert" aspect. I do believe I've wholeheartedly succeeded. I have perfected my version and make at least a batch (okay, two) a week. They freeze beautifully and are amazing
3. Aunt Sue's Salsa
My Aunt Sue (Dad's sister) is a phenom in the kitchen. She has this incredible knack for making things from scratch (and if she doesn't, she's a darn good liar, ha!). She makes the. best. apple pie, apple butter, applesauce, beef and noodles, goulash, I could go on and on and on and on. However there is one thing that is absolute perfection. Her salsa. The family FIGHTS over it. Fights. I'm not kidding. Really. Some have been known to steal it. Not me, of course. I'm honorable..mostly. She's usually very generous with donating a jar or two if needed, but never more than three. Unless you are a favorite, like me. Just kidding ;) Susie tends a salsa garden every year and her incredible husband Art assists her in the DAUNTING task of jarring the salsa in the fall. They are a perfect pair. I hope my husband and I continue to complement each other over the years as well as these two. Unfortunately, I do not have a link to this recipe because it is guarded under lock and key (and I don't have the key or the lock, for that matter). I'll have to learn the ropes of salsa-making someday. However, if you want to purchase a jar, I know a gal. The proceeds go to purchasing supplies for a garden that donates all their produce to the Iowa City (IA) Crisis Center- a worthy cause, indeed!
3. Aunt Peggy's Marinated Tomatoes
5. Rudy's BBQ
So. I have this amazing friend. How we met is ridiculous, it's one of those bizarre stories where you've never before talked to a person, meet them, have a two hour (or so) conversation, and realize said person is one of the most incredible people EVER and you have obviously always been friends...you just didn't realize it until that moment. Doesn't everyone have someone like that in their life? No? Well then, bummer for you. This is my Randi. She has the biggest heart, the biggest tears (seriously- crocodile tears, my friends), the biggest love for Jesus, and the sweetest persona of anyone ever. And I get to be her friend. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. We have some hilarious adventures together, some even better stories, and we both love a good glass of wine and chocolate to go with. Thus, during one of her visits she made me these and I was never the same. You wont be either. These bad boys are just. so. good. And so dang easy it's ridiculous. Make them, and thank this person:
She's as fun as she looks. And she's going to hate me for posting that pic.
That's all I have for now!
I'll share a few at a time but would love to hear some of your all-time comforting dishes.
Keep on seeking joy and make food for people.
It's just right.