What exactly is comfort food?

[vagriller]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but here goes. I always hear people talking about comfort food. I have a vague idea what it is. Can you guys clarify for me?

 

[Toots]

Comfort food (to me) is good old fashioned home cooking like the kind of stuff my grandma or mom would make.
Meatloaf and mashed potatoes, fried chicken, pot roast, chicken noodle soup, etc.
Its food that you remember from your childhood and makes you feel like everything is going to be OK.

 

[GB]

My definition is food that you grew up with that brings you back to your childhood when you eat it. Food that makes you feel warm and comfortable, not physically, but mentally.

For me it is things like grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato soup, bagles and lox, matzah ball soup, brisket, things like that.

 

[vagriller]

My definition is food that you grew up with that brings you back to your childhood when you eat it. Food that makes you feel warm and comfortable, not physically, but mentally.

So it's different for everyone. That makes sense. Some people might consider M&Ms comfort food if it is associated with fond memories, eh?

 

[lulu]

I'd take it as a good sign that you don't know!

Comfort food is the stuff you want when you want reassurance and somthing emotionally fulfilling as well as gastronomically satisfying. By the nature of this they often include a good dose of carbs, like mashed potato, pasta carbonara. The food is filling, comforting and not challenging. Its usually, as Toots says, the stuff your mother made to cheer you up and its usually hot, not cold.

 

[Andy M.]

So it's different for everyone. That makes sense. Some people might consider M&Ms comfort food if it is associated with fond memories, eh?

Right on. It is connected to those happy childhood days that always elicit fond memories.

 

[lulu]

I think its beyond childhood memories...I think a vital elemant of its comfort is that its from our childhood, but I think its also got to be physically comforting - thats I think why so many have carb content because of the soporific nature of carbs. I think that its important there is little challenge in eating them too.

But yes, they are different for everyone and culture has so much part in it. In England I would say we find "nursey foods", ie, things we were fed as kids....things like sausages and mash ...to be classed also as "comfort food". And sad as I am about it my mother has never made a carbonara, but I find that to be "comfort food" too.

 

[daisy]

I regard comfort food as anything you eat when you really don't need anything to eat. Mostly the urge hits you when you're lonely or bored or both. It frequently occurs when the advertisements are on the TV, or when you're reading a good book in bed on a rainy day, or (if you live in a family), when nobody is looking. It's the little treats you stash away where you hope nobody else will see them. Whatever takes your fancy at such times is almost certain to be bad for you! (chocolate, dip and crackers, confectionery, cream cakes.....) It's the foods that supply the Sweet Fix or the Savoury Fix or the Fruit Fix. For me, it has very little to do with childhood memories. The food from my childhood is largely what I still eat!

 

[GB]

Here is the Wikpedia definition which I felt was pretty accurate.

 

[SizzlininIN]

Comfort food to me are those meals that take me back to my childhood.

Fried Chicken, Mashed Pototoes & Gravy and Green Beans
Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans
Chicken Noodles & Mashed Potatoes


Plus many, many more as mom was a wonderful cook.

 

[YT2095]

mine has little assoc with childhood, but centered more around quick and easy that you can curl up in front of the TV and just take your time with and enjoy.

one of mine is Mashed potatoe with plenty added cheese melted in it, served in a bowl that I eat with my index finger (fingers were made before Knives and forks!).

I like plain boiled rice in a bowl too with a Large chunk of salted butter on the top (use a fork).

Natchos chilis and melted cheese is my other usual.

as for Beer, that`s a Staple part of my diet anyway

 

[vagriller]

Chili with cornbread would have to be a big one for me. Not so much from my childhood as since I learned to make good chili. Homemade bread too. Now if only I could combine them into some sort of chili sandwich it would be the ULTIMATE comfort food!

 

[lulu]

I am ashamed to admit that I like chili sandwich, vagriller. Its incredibly messy, its not culinarilly sophisticated and its not nutritionally good. But its how the last scrape left over from a big vat of winter chili gets used. I am amazed at what I'll admit to online, but, its best if the chili is cold. Yes, I eat cold leftover Chinese food and pizza too. I deserve to be shot, but I like it!

 

[JoAnn L.]

Here is the Wikpedia definition which I felt was pretty accurate.

Thanks for the web site. I put it in my favorites. I think their definition is right on.

 

[vagriller]

I am ashamed to admit that I like chili sandwich, vagriller. Its incredibly messy, its not culinarilly sophisticated and its not nutritionally good. But its how the last scrape left over from a big vat of winter chili gets used. I am amazed at what I'll admit to online, but, its best if the chili is cold. Yes, I eat cold leftover Chinese food and pizza too. I deserve to be shot, but I like it!

Wow, I was kidding! I didn't know there was such a thing. Let me try again. Lulu, have you ever had chili cheesecake?

BTW, cold pizza is the best! Don't know about cold chinese though.

 

[Loprraine]

I'm with YT2095. To me, it's something I can eat curled up on the couch under a blanket that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. Mac & Cheese, long fat macaroni with tomato juice and cheese, mashed potatoes with butter and gravy.

 

[BreezyCooking]

"Comfort food" is always going to be different - like snowflakes - because every human being has different views & experiences of what foods they associate with "comfort" while growing up.

One person's tomato soup & grilled cheese sandwich might make another person gag at the thought. Vice versa for that person's mac & cheese.

My "comfort foods" were/are Goodman's Noodle Soup (with that cute little seasoning "egg", that my mom always let me drop in); english muffins with butter & cream cheese; "Fleetchkee" (spelled phonetically) - a Czech dish of baked noodles & cheese with diced ham; & spanish garlic soup (once I got a bit older).

I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones I remember best.

 

[vagriller]

Some of the things I loved most that mom used to make were the simplest. French bread pizza, nachos, etc. I still make the nachos on occasion. My wife loves them!

 

[kimbaby]

comfort food to me is the concept of going back into
time mentally, when my grandma was still alive, and she would be cooking her specail dishes, that know one else could make like her.

 

[pdswife]

"what mom made when I was sick"... still today I reach out for it when I'm ill or just feeling down.

Chicken soup
and
vanilla ice cream.

( brownies and warm chocolate pudding don't hurt either)