Comfort foods

[Kamen]

When the world sucks, and you have a tummy ache, what do you make?

I have several recipes, but this is my favorite. It is very easy, feel free to adjust the proportions as needed. I put in a lot of garlic, and I like my soup very thick. Some of my friends prefer more orzo, some less. If you do not like it thick, add more broth. This recipe is extremely forgiving, so experiment at will.

6 garlic cloves, chopped (increase or decrease to taste)
2 cans of Cannellini beans, rinsed
¾ cup of Orzo
1 can of low sodium chicken broth
Ground black pepper to taste
Optional- a splash of lemon juice to taste

Sauté garlic in a splash of olive oil until translucent. Start orzo in a separate pot; take off 1-2 minutes from the suggested cooking time. Mash 2/3 of the beans. Add broth and mashed beans to the pot with garlic, stir. Simmer 10-15 minutes on low. Add cooked orzo and remaining 1/3 of the beans. Cover; simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pepper and lemon juice to taste. Curl up with a bowl, turn off the phone, and enjoy.

[LadyShea]

I make my mom's cure all, homemade egg custard (or I buy a plane ticket on a whim, depending on the severity of world suckiness, and have my mom make it for me) .

3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whip up eggs with a whisk, pour all ingredients and eggs into a Pyrex baking dish and stir gently, sprinkle nutmeg on top to taste. Bake at 350 until set and knife inserted comes out without goo (10 minutes? 15? Somewhere in there)

[viscousmemories]

That looks really good, Kamen. I don't really have any comfort food that I make, I just eat whatever is available to excess or I don't eat at all.

Edit: Yum, that custard looks good too. I had no idea it was so easy to make custard. I'll have to try it.

[Kamen]

I make my mom's cure all, homemade egg custard (or I buy a plane ticket on a whim, depending on the severity of world suckiness, and have my mom make it for me) .

3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whip up eggs with a whisk, pour all ingredients and whiped eggs into a Pyrex baking dish, sprinkle nutmeg on top to taste. Bake at 350 until set and knife inserted comes out without goo (10 minutes? 15? Somewhere in there)


Damn, that looks great! Am going to make it tonight and post my report. :D


Before I forget the obvious- chocolate!!! If anyone has a good recipe for thick chocolate fudge, I will give you my firstborn.

[LadyShea]

That looks really good, Kamen. I don't really have any comfort food that I make, I just eat whatever is available to excess or I don't eat at all.

Edit: Yum, that custard looks good too. I had no idea it was so easy to make custard. I'll have to try it.

It's definitely not a creamy, flan type custard. It's quite eggy. I love it though.

That soup sounds yummy. I'll bet it freezes well too for emergency microwaving.

[Kamen]

That looks really good, Kamen. I don't really have any comfort food that I make, I just eat whatever is available to excess or I don't eat at all.

Edit: Yum, that custard looks good too. I had no idea it was so easy to make custard. I'll have to try it.

It's definitely not a creamy, flan type custard. It's quite eggy. I love it though.

That soup sounds yummy. I'll bet it freezes well too for emergency microwaving.


I heard it freezes well, but I never had to resort to that. :D It does get thicker as time passes, so leftovers are more porridge than soup.

[lisarea]

One day, I made leftover duck, brussells sprouts, and wild rice into just about the Best Soup Ever. I don't make much duck, though, so I try to replicate it with chicken, like so:

Chicken stock
Wild rice, or even just real rice
Brussells sprouts

I make chicken stock whenever I run out, so it's usually spiced about right already. If I add much of anything, it's probably pepper, salt, rosemary, and sage.

At least quarter the brussells sprouts, and cut off the stems, too, if you want the leaves to separate.

If I'm really, really sick, though, I make someone go get me a big tub o' hot and sour soup from a Chinese restaurant.

I've also made baked apples a couple of times in the past week or so. I hadn't had those in a long time, so it made me pretty happy. Apple smells lower my blood pressure for some reason.

Core some apples (I leave the bottoms on, though), peel to about halfway down, then put them in baking dishes with about half an inch of water. Fill them with butter and brown sugar, then sprinkle them with more brown sugar. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, basting at least once. I'll bet they'd be good with creme fraiche, but I don't have any.

[livius drusus]

Great thread idea, Kamen. So far all the recipes look fantastic. :)

My number one comfort food is probably my mom's mashed potatoes, but I just can't make it like she does so it only counts when I'm home. My next favorite is a dish I ordered every single time we went to our local homey restaurant (which was a lot) for something like 5 years.

Pasta with Peas, Prosciutto and Cream

3 Tblsp butter
A 1/2-inch-thick slice of prosciutto cotto (or country ham, or plain boiled unsmoked ham), about 6 oz., diced very fine
1 cup tiny frozen peas, thawed
1 cup heavy whipping cream
salt & fresh ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano (accept no substitutes)
1 pound pasta (penne or other such small scoopy pasta work best)

Put the butter and diced prosciutto into a saute pan and turn the heat on to medium. Cook for a minute or less, stirring frequently. Add the peas and cook for another minute, stirring to coat them well. Add the cream, salt, several grindings of pepper and turn the heat up to high. Cook, stirring constantly, until the cream thickens. Toss the sauce with cooked, drained pasta, swirling in the grated Parmesan.

Serve immediately with more grated cheese on the side just to ensure you take advantage of all the possible fat opportunities.

[Adora]

Well, there's one, and it's simple.

Take chocolate.

Unwrap.

Eat.

[wei yau]

My comfort dish is somewhat simliiar to LadyShea's.

- Heat up milk and sugar (to taste) to just about boil then simmer
- Add one or two eggs (not beaten) and poach

I like leaving the yolks soft. Once you break them open, the threads of yolk running with the milk is an absolute delight.

[Kamen]

Livius, I have a somewhat similar recipe, and it also works great as a comfort food. It omits the pasta, however. :)

Peas and Prosciutto

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) bag frozen peas, thawed
4 ounces (1/8-inch-thick slices) prosciutto, diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, garlic, salt, and pepper, and saute until tender, about 1 minute. Add the peas and saute until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the prosciutto and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the parsley and remove from the heat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve.

[livius drusus]

Livius, I have a somewhat similar recipe, and it also works great as a comfort food. It omits the pasta, however. :)

And the cup of heavy cream. ;) It looks delicious, though. Do you usually serve it by itself or as a side or secondo?

[Kamen]

And the cup of heavy cream. ;) It looks delicious, though. Do you usually serve it by itself or as a side or secondo?

Oh yeah, the cream....:D I usually serve it by itself. I find the saltiness a little hard to match, and it stands up well by itself. See, now I am hungry again. Never discuss recipes before lunch!

[Kamen]

I make my mom's cure all, homemade egg custard (or I buy a plane ticket on a whim, depending on the severity of world suckiness, and have my mom make it for me) .

3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla

Whip up eggs with a whisk, pour all ingredients and eggs into a Pyrex baking dish and stir gently, sprinkle nutmeg on top to taste. Bake at 350 until set and knife inserted comes out without goo (10 minutes? 15? Somewhere in there)

I made this tonight, and had some problems. It took about 40 minutes in the stove for it to set till knife came out clear, not 10-15. At 15 minutes it was mostly liquid, with a bubbly crust. When it cooled, it as a tad lumpy, and although tasty, somewhat inadequate in texture. What did I do wrong? :( I admit custard was always my Achilles heel, I can never get it quite right, so the fault I am sure is with me.

[LadyShea]

I made this tonight, and had some problems. It took about 40 minutes in the stove for it to set till knife came out clear, not 10-15. At 15 minutes it was mostly liquid, with a bubbly crust. When it cooled, it as a tad lumpy, and although tasty, somewhat inadequate in texture. What did I do wrong? :( I admit custard was always my Achilles heel, I can never get it quite right, so the fault I am sure is with me.


As I said, it's not a smooth custard, it's more like sweet eggs. It's meant to be quick for when you're ill (I lived off it after having my wisdom teeth pulled). I wouldn't know where to begin on a flan type creamy custard because I cannot cook. Not sure why it took so long to set though. I'll check my recipe.

You didn't do anything wrong though, I am sure.

[Kamen]

As I said, it's not a smooth custard, it's more like sweet eggs. It's meant to be quick for when you're ill (I lived off it after having my wisdom teeth pulled). I wouldn't know where to begin on a flan type creamy custard because I cannot cook. Not sure why it took so long to set though. I'll check my recipe.

You didn't do anything wrong though, I am sure.

Sorry, I missed you saying it was not a smooth custard. :doh: Yeah, it is a bit like sweet eggs. Tasty :) Ok, I am glad at least it came out as it was supposed to. Thanks for the response.

[RevDahlia]

Twice-baked potatoes are my favorite comfort food, but they're a lot of work and take forever. Fortunately I am comforted by fussing in the kitchen, so it works for me.

You take as many huge Idaho baking potatoes as you want, oil their skins, and bake them in the oven at 375 until they are very done, about 50 minutes to an hour. (You absolutely cannot get away with microwaving them.) Take them out and slice about the top quarter of each off. You can throw the tops away, eat them then and there, or use them as a little hat on the finished product. Then you scoop out the innards of each potato and put them in a bowl. (It helps if you wrap each potato in a boat of foil for this part, so the skins don't split while you're scooping.)

Rice or mash the potato innards, and mix them with a big lump of butter, enough half-and-half to render them creamy, scallions or chives or parsley or something like that, salt, pepper, and finely shredded cheese. I like chevre in my twice-baked potatoes, but I have also had good results with Gruyere, Emmenthaler, pepper Jack and plain old Cheddar. Bacon bits are also delicious in addition.

Reintroduce the innards to the potato shells. TOTALLY FUCKING INSANE people put the filling into a goddamn pastry bag and pipe it through a cute flower tip, but I say the hell with it and use two spoons. Then you brush the tops with melted butter and put them back in the oven for 20 or so minutes. Finish under the broiler.

(Sometimes I wonder whether I'm making myself foolish by writing out recipes for things everybody already knows how to make, but I'm having fun.)

[Kamen]

(Sometimes I wonder whether I'm making myself foolish by writing out recipes for things everybody already knows how to make, but I'm having fun.)


Great recipe! And I believe staples do need to be written out, because it is so easy to screw them up. I still need to check exact directions in order to make rice, as I tend to add wrong amounts of water.

[livius drusus]

I didn't know how to make it, so thank you kindly for writing it out. Have you tried it with Roquefort as the cheese? In my experience, bacon bits and Roquefort make sweet, sweet music together.

[lisarea]

I didn't know how to make twice-baked potatoes, either. And I'm sort of thinking about some brie. Brie is just magical in macaroni and cheese, and I haven't been able to replicate the texture you get using anything else. Would it just be too overwhelmingly white to put brie in a baked potato, you think? I was thinking with some fresh-cracked pepper and assloads of garlic. (I put assloads of garlic in everything, though.)

Also. I made an apple pie night before last. I get all apple-happy in the fall, and I hadn't made an apple pie in many years. It turned out pretty good. Plain old apple pies are one of my favorite things ever. No custards or other stuff. Just a plain crust and lots of apples, with just a little sugar and cinnamon. When they start getting fancy, they start to lose their appeal.

I used a butter crust from James Beard, and piled up about a million (either a million or six--I forget) of these big fat mealy apples they had at the grocery store, tossed with less than a cup of sugar and some cinnamon, and I piled them up really high, then I put more sugar and cinnamon on the crust because I like that.

But I am such a spaz, and I haven't made pie crusts in a long time, so I have questions:

Can you just roll it and reroll with impunity? Or does it make the crust tough or something? I have a really hard time getting a big enough sheet rolled out for a whole crust, and I ended up making this crazy Kandinsky looking top crust by just patching together a bunch of little flat pieces. Should I add something to make it fall apart less? Is there some limit to the amount of flour you can add during rolling to keep it from sticking?

There's a farm nearby where I think I can get a bushel of apples, and I was thinking about making a whole bunch of pies until I get it right. Also: Can I freeze some? Pre-baking, or post? I only have two pie pans, but I could get some of those disposable ones so I could freeze some for later.

[Socratoad]

Lisa, Lisa, Lisa, please do not roll the pastry more than just the very tiniest bit, unless you are intending to resole your shoes.

The least you handle pie pastry or many others, the tenderer the end product. I simply blend all ingredients together very gently and then use a rolling pin or even better a jar filled with cold water gently squish it down to required thickness and then gently move results into the pie plate. It this raw pastry breaks apart during transportation to pie plate or whatever all the better. Just fit the pieces into the plate, gently pat .....add filling .... cook, and then enjoy

PS: working pastry releases the gluten which gives good bread that chewy texture .... great for bread, but not for pastry

PPS: Yes you most certainly can freeze these pies either cooked or uncooked, although from mt experience the uncooked ones seem to retain their moisture better.

From the sacred kitchens of chef Toad

[Godless Wonder]

Entenmann's donuts http://www.shopfoodex.com/catalog/images/07203000081.jpg (all 8 of them) with 2 glasses of milk. I only do that about 2 times a year or so, for fear of diabetes, and/or becoming spherical.

Also sometimes, a box of Kraft macaroni and cheese dinner (has to be the Kraft dinner stuff, not fancy homemade macaroni and cheese) mixed with some browned ground beef.

[RevDahlia]

lisarea, most if not all of your piecrust woes will become less woeful if you double all the amounts in whatever recipe you're using. People will tell you NEVER NEVER NEVER to fiddle with the measurements in a pastry recipe, but these people are not talking about things that don't involve leavening. It is far better to make too much piecrust than to make not enough.

I make a kickass piecrust. For a long, long time I made sorry, leaden, crown-breaking piecrusts. I have reformed, SOLELY because of Jeffrey Steingarten's article "Pies from Paradise", which originally appeared in Vogue a few years back. I won't bother summarizing it, because it is complicated and scientifical and stuff, but I must beseech everyone who is interested in making the perfect pie crust to check out Mr. Steingarten's book The Man Who Ate Everything. The business about the pie crust starts on page 468 in the paperback edition. You will never look back. Ever. I'm not even kidding. If you can't bear to part with the $14 to buy the book (and you should, it's amazing cover-to-cover) the piecrust article is worth acquiring a library card for.

I still can't bake a cake that doesn't fall, cookies that aren't like unto asphalt, or madeleines... let's not talk about the madeleines. But I can make the shit out of a pie, and it's all because of Mr. Steingarten (and Marion Cunningham, who was a consultant on the article.)

[HarryLime]

Damn, those all sound tasty as all get out. On the rare occasions that I cook, I usually do grilled chicken with a honey/bourbon glaze, potato croquettes, and green beans. Tasty.

Will

[livius drusus]

What is this glaze you speak of? Recipe please, sir.

[HarryLime]

It's so simple, even I can do it. One needs but to marinate the chicken breasts for about an hour in a little bourbon and lime juice (say 1/4 cup bourbon, 1 tablespoon lime juice for 2 pieces of chicken), and then grill them. While those are cooking, combine an eighth of a cup of bourbon and a quarter cup of honey in a saucepan, and stir with a rubber spatula until it's blended evenly. Use a BBQ brush to evenly coat the chicken with the glaze, and you're done, and have some extra glaze for next time. Tasty.

Will

[livius drusus]

That looks delicious and totally easy. I love dishes I can make with the usual stuff I have in the house. Thank you kindly.

[HarryLime]

You're more than welcome. And though I'm sure it went without saying, you do heat the bourbon and honey mixture on low while you're stirring it. And a little salt and pepper (perhaps even some paprika) on the chicken before applying the glaze helps out a lot.

Will

[Dingfod]

You're more than welcome. And though I'm sure it went without saying, you do heat the bourbon and honey mixture on low while you're stirring it. And a little salt and pepper (perhaps even some paprika) on the chicken before applying the glaze helps out a lot.I started reading this post and thought I was getting a recipe for a hot toddy. Damn.

[livius drusus]

You're more than welcome. And though I'm sure it went without saying, you do heat the bourbon and honey mixture on low while you're stirring it. And a little salt and pepper (perhaps even some paprika) on the chicken before applying the glaze helps out a lot.

I did indeed assume the glaze should be heated on low. Good tip on doing a little rubbin' before you do the glazin'. It gives it something to hold on to. /Lord Flash Heart

[Dingfod]

One summer I worked as a wheat harvest hand for Leon, a north-central Oklahoma farmer. His wife, Claire, made the best homemade cinnamon rolls I've ever eaten, the size of dinner plates, every other day. The inbetween days, she made homemade biscuits with sausage gravy. Normally, I lost weight over a summer harvest season*. Not that year. She also made homemade chicken and dumplings that was to die for. I'd have married her if she wasn't already married and 30 years my senior. Damn, the good ones are always taken.

*The previous three seasons I worked for Ray, whose wife Dorothy couldn't cook to save her life. We ate in small town cafes all summer, breakfast, lunch and dinner.