"When I am sick, I eat Spaghettios. I know. But it makes me feel better"
November 1, 2019 10:11 AM Subscribe
What Makes Good Comfort Food? (LitHub) A conversation with writers Mira Jacob, Maile Meloy, Emily Raboteau, and Diana Abu-Jaber.
What Makes Good Comfort Food?
Scotch
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:36 AM on November 1, 2019 [12 favorites]
Scotch
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:36 AM on November 1, 2019 [12 favorites]
I can tell when I am really sick because I want Lipton's Chicken Noodle Soup, the kind that comes in the envelope that you mix into boiling water. Gotta be the envelope kind. It probably has about six months of your recommended sodium allowance, but I don't care, once it has come to this point.
posted by thelonius at 10:44 AM on November 1, 2019 [12 favorites]
posted by thelonius at 10:44 AM on November 1, 2019 [12 favorites]
Lucky Charms. Although maybe not when I am sick, as much as when I am sad, or having a bad day, or anticipating having a bad/hard week ahead. When I was a medical student, and it was time for finals, it was time for Lucky Charms.
Around the time that I was on night float during my intern year, I had started dating my husband. Because I didn't have any time off in the evenings, he would come over during the day on his non-teaching day, and we would spend a few hours together. At one point, I had a really, really hard night. I had taken multiple admissions, all of them patients with absolutely tragic stories. I made it through the shift, and broke down in tears almost as soon as I hit the door. That was his day to come over, and he found me with puffy-cry-face. He sat and listened to me cry - and laughed a little when I said that the worst part was that I had run out of Lucky Charms. We watched a movie and then he had to run to an appointment. I went to bed. When I woke up for my shift, there were two boxes of Lucky Charms on the door step, which was (really) when I decided I was going to marry him.
posted by honeybee413 at 10:58 AM on November 1, 2019 [36 favorites]
Around the time that I was on night float during my intern year, I had started dating my husband. Because I didn't have any time off in the evenings, he would come over during the day on his non-teaching day, and we would spend a few hours together. At one point, I had a really, really hard night. I had taken multiple admissions, all of them patients with absolutely tragic stories. I made it through the shift, and broke down in tears almost as soon as I hit the door. That was his day to come over, and he found me with puffy-cry-face. He sat and listened to me cry - and laughed a little when I said that the worst part was that I had run out of Lucky Charms. We watched a movie and then he had to run to an appointment. I went to bed. When I woke up for my shift, there were two boxes of Lucky Charms on the door step, which was (really) when I decided I was going to marry him.
posted by honeybee413 at 10:58 AM on November 1, 2019 [36 favorites]
What Makes Good Comfort Food?
Warm, melty cheese. On anything.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:05 AM on November 1, 2019 [12 favorites]
Warm, melty cheese. On anything.
posted by Thorzdad at 11:05 AM on November 1, 2019 [12 favorites]
My most basic comfort food will probably always be toast; after that it's something with cream sauce-- pasta, pizza, mushrooms (in) (on toast), pulled pork tacos or enchiladas with chili cream sauce, chicken chili. Coconut curries are in my cream sauce family too. The wonderful thing about cream sauce is that it absolutely demands a nice dry champagne.
posted by twentyfeetof tacos at 11:09 AM on November 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by twentyfeetof tacos at 11:09 AM on November 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
Related to honeybee413, I have a very, very particular item that is the comfort food for a very, very particular situation, because of a story:
In 2013 I was working at a bank and had been there for a couple years. I went on a one-week vacation to Rome and to Florence, and had a wonderful time; one of the things I picked up for myself there was a little bottle of limoncello from the food market in Florence.
On my first day back at work after that vacation, about ten minutes after I got into work and settled in, I got called up to HR and was informed that I was being laid off. It was nothing personal - they had just done a round of layoffs while I was away, I was on the chopping block along with the rest. HR went over my severance with me while my boss went back downstairs to pack up my desk, and then an hour later I was sent out the door.
I got home, and while I was making my stunned calls to my parents, my then-roommate - a subletter who was working with a furniture designer a couple blocks away - suddenly walked in, looking very distraught. "....what are you doing here?" he asked.
"....I was just laid off. ....Hang on, what are YOU doing here?"
"I think I just ragequit my job."
We stared at each other a second. Then - I reached for the limoncello and cracked it open. "I was going to save this for a special occasion," I said, as I poured two shots, "but I think this is an emergency."
That limoncello ran out fast - it was a super-tiny bottle - but by then I'd learned how to make my own. And ever since, I have had a bottle of limoncello in the house, and it is now my go-to house drink for soothing nasty workplace shocks.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:13 AM on November 1, 2019 [21 favorites]
In 2013 I was working at a bank and had been there for a couple years. I went on a one-week vacation to Rome and to Florence, and had a wonderful time; one of the things I picked up for myself there was a little bottle of limoncello from the food market in Florence.
On my first day back at work after that vacation, about ten minutes after I got into work and settled in, I got called up to HR and was informed that I was being laid off. It was nothing personal - they had just done a round of layoffs while I was away, I was on the chopping block along with the rest. HR went over my severance with me while my boss went back downstairs to pack up my desk, and then an hour later I was sent out the door.
I got home, and while I was making my stunned calls to my parents, my then-roommate - a subletter who was working with a furniture designer a couple blocks away - suddenly walked in, looking very distraught. "....what are you doing here?" he asked.
"....I was just laid off. ....Hang on, what are YOU doing here?"
"I think I just ragequit my job."
We stared at each other a second. Then - I reached for the limoncello and cracked it open. "I was going to save this for a special occasion," I said, as I poured two shots, "but I think this is an emergency."
That limoncello ran out fast - it was a super-tiny bottle - but by then I'd learned how to make my own. And ever since, I have had a bottle of limoncello in the house, and it is now my go-to house drink for soothing nasty workplace shocks.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:13 AM on November 1, 2019 [21 favorites]
In much of north India and eastern India, the closest thing to comfort food might be khichri. In the south, pongal.
posted by splitpeasoup at 11:44 AM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by splitpeasoup at 11:44 AM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
Grilled cheese. I can eat grilled cheese sandwiches until I'm sick. Which kind of defeats the purpose. So I don't.
posted by Splunge at 12:00 PM on November 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Splunge at 12:00 PM on November 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
When I'm sick, I don't eat. But when I REALLY need comfort food, I make spag bol. In the cheap-ass way that I make it, the only difference between the way I did during tweenhood and now is that now I use Trader Joe's shaved Parmesan/Romano/Asiago instead of the stuff in the shiny green foil can.
posted by droplet at 12:35 PM on November 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by droplet at 12:35 PM on November 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
1. Has to be easy to prepare/obtain
2. Has to have good memories associated with it
3. Has to not give me a hangover
Different foods comfort at different times. When I've been away from home, I want Tex-Mex. When I'm angry/sad and it's hot out, I crave ice cream. When I'm feeling sickish and it's cold, I want soft warm stuff; dumplings, or stew, or oatmeal. Maybe scrambled eggs.
If someone is cooking for me and I feel bad, I'm so grateful that it doesn't really matter what it is! Just put it on my plate. My mom was a good cook so I'm spoiled that way; I liked pretty much anything she would make. She was not a gourmet, but she understood flavor and done-ness well. I miss her cooking a lot this time of year.
posted by emjaybee at 12:45 PM on November 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
2. Has to have good memories associated with it
3. Has to not give me a hangover
Different foods comfort at different times. When I've been away from home, I want Tex-Mex. When I'm angry/sad and it's hot out, I crave ice cream. When I'm feeling sickish and it's cold, I want soft warm stuff; dumplings, or stew, or oatmeal. Maybe scrambled eggs.
If someone is cooking for me and I feel bad, I'm so grateful that it doesn't really matter what it is! Just put it on my plate. My mom was a good cook so I'm spoiled that way; I liked pretty much anything she would make. She was not a gourmet, but she understood flavor and done-ness well. I miss her cooking a lot this time of year.
posted by emjaybee at 12:45 PM on November 1, 2019 [2 favorites]
My comfort food is something I hated as a child - Steamed rice with Chinese Sausage (lap cheong).
As a kid, that dish meant that my mom was too busy to put something together and it was going to be a rushed and probably unpleasant dinner. As an adult - I appreciate how well crafted preserved meats (Vancouver is famous for it's lap cheong) is such an easy way to give the warm blanket of white rice, an additional comforting layer of slick, slightly sweet and funky pork fat to the whole proceedings. Add an over easy egg - or a pot of blanched greens (with soy, vinegar, and olive oil) - and you have one of my favorites meals in the world.
The little kid in me would probably be quite angry that I did not make a big bowl of Frosted Flakes, in milk stiff with the sludge of Nesquick chocolate powder, and a sprinkling of more sugar to balance everything out.
posted by helmutdog at 12:57 PM on November 1, 2019 [9 favorites]
As a kid, that dish meant that my mom was too busy to put something together and it was going to be a rushed and probably unpleasant dinner. As an adult - I appreciate how well crafted preserved meats (Vancouver is famous for it's lap cheong) is such an easy way to give the warm blanket of white rice, an additional comforting layer of slick, slightly sweet and funky pork fat to the whole proceedings. Add an over easy egg - or a pot of blanched greens (with soy, vinegar, and olive oil) - and you have one of my favorites meals in the world.
The little kid in me would probably be quite angry that I did not make a big bowl of Frosted Flakes, in milk stiff with the sludge of Nesquick chocolate powder, and a sprinkling of more sugar to balance everything out.
posted by helmutdog at 12:57 PM on November 1, 2019 [9 favorites]
For me it's Kraft mac and cheese, the kind from the box with the packet of orange cheeze dust, and ideally with some browned hamburger meat stirred in. Lately, I make it with sour cream instead of milk, because in for a penny, in for a pound.
posted by smcameron at 1:18 PM on November 1, 2019 [10 favorites]
posted by smcameron at 1:18 PM on November 1, 2019 [10 favorites]
For me it's Kraft mac and cheese, the kind from the box with the packet of orange cheeze dust, and ideally with some browned hamburger meat stirred in. Lately, I make it with sour cream instead of milk, because in for a penny, in for a pound.
posted by smcameron at 3:18 PM on November 1 [+] [!]
try cream cheese
posted by djseafood at 1:22 PM on November 1, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by smcameron at 3:18 PM on November 1 [+] [!]
try cream cheese
posted by djseafood at 1:22 PM on November 1, 2019 [4 favorites]
For a while comfort food was tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches for me.
I literally made this for myself while home sick yesterday. Respect.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 1:43 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
I literally made this for myself while home sick yesterday. Respect.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 1:43 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
Lap cheong is the best but it has never occurred to me to add an over easy egg. That sounds amazing! Definitely happening this weekend.
posted by sjswitzer at 1:53 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by sjswitzer at 1:53 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
I like the usual cheese sauce/soft cheese/refined grains sort of thing, but pad thai works, too.
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 2:39 PM on November 1, 2019
posted by Nancy Lebovitz at 2:39 PM on November 1, 2019
Lap cheong is also really good roasted with brussel sprouts (you have to take the meat out first). Just sayin'.
posted by praemunire at 2:51 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by praemunire at 2:51 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
Campbell’s alphabet soup.
When I got hit hard with the flu a couple of years ago, it was literally the only thing I wanted to eat for days. I hadn’t eaten canned soup in years because I make homemade soup all the time, but it was all I wanted. Now I make sure I have a few cans on hand for sick days.
posted by bookmammal at 3:00 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
When I got hit hard with the flu a couple of years ago, it was literally the only thing I wanted to eat for days. I hadn’t eaten canned soup in years because I make homemade soup all the time, but it was all I wanted. Now I make sure I have a few cans on hand for sick days.
posted by bookmammal at 3:00 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
Vegemite on hot buttered toast, cut into quarters (I don't mind 90 degree cuts or diagonal cuts.)
posted by freethefeet at 3:15 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by freethefeet at 3:15 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
When I've been really sick and can finally approach something resembling food I break out the box of instant dried potato flakes and make a salty, calm and plain pot of life giving sustenance which is consumed directly out of the cooking vessle.
I'm not sure that it's comfort food because I don't ever crave it for psychological nurturing; for that, I'd like my grandmother's biscuits and homemade country ham, which is no longer available.
posted by mightshould at 3:58 PM on November 1, 2019
I'm not sure that it's comfort food because I don't ever crave it for psychological nurturing; for that, I'd like my grandmother's biscuits and homemade country ham, which is no longer available.
posted by mightshould at 3:58 PM on November 1, 2019
Can of Heinz baked beans in tomato sauce and toast if I have it.
posted by bonobothegreat at 4:06 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by bonobothegreat at 4:06 PM on November 1, 2019 [1 favorite]
Cinnamon toast. Butter the bread, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (3-1 volume ratio of sugar to butter), into a toaster oven.
All my childhood foods are comfort foods. I was lucky enough to have a fairly happy home life, and would love to eat anything made by my mom or grandmom again. I can't make it the way I remember it (except the toast). My comfort is that my kid will think of the way I make it as the "right" way and comfort food.
posted by JawnBigboote at 5:11 PM on November 1, 2019 [9 favorites]
All my childhood foods are comfort foods. I was lucky enough to have a fairly happy home life, and would love to eat anything made by my mom or grandmom again. I can't make it the way I remember it (except the toast). My comfort is that my kid will think of the way I make it as the "right" way and comfort food.
posted by JawnBigboote at 5:11 PM on November 1, 2019 [9 favorites]
Popcorn. I'd say store-bought kettle corn, but this would leave out the butter and brown sugar version of kettle corn I've made, or the popcorn that I top with a little tamari. So it seems the answer for me is: crunchy, gob-smashing food that is generally salty--but not too salty.
As for comfort food no longer available: my mother's chicken soup. My mother's corned beef. The time I mentioned to my mother how good the house smelled when she baked chocolate chip cookies so one day she baked them first thing in the morning so I'd wake up to that fragrance.
posted by datawrangler at 5:20 PM on November 1, 2019 [11 favorites]
As for comfort food no longer available: my mother's chicken soup. My mother's corned beef. The time I mentioned to my mother how good the house smelled when she baked chocolate chip cookies so one day she baked them first thing in the morning so I'd wake up to that fragrance.
posted by datawrangler at 5:20 PM on November 1, 2019 [11 favorites]
Nothing makes me feel better than taking an afternoon nap and waking up to the smell of cooking. It means, among other things, that someone besides me is awake, and in charge, and willing to feed me.
...and I find myself thinking about the emotional labor thread.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:30 PM on November 1, 2019 [4 favorites]
...and I find myself thinking about the emotional labor thread.
posted by The corpse in the library at 5:30 PM on November 1, 2019 [4 favorites]
Guinness stout for a cold. Seriously. Full of vitamins (I'm pretty sure), and helps you sleep. And tasty.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:14 PM on November 1, 2019
posted by ZenMasterThis at 6:14 PM on November 1, 2019
Worse christmas was, I think '94, my wife had left at thanksgiving. The only furniture was broken. I couldn't afford to go home for christmas and visit family, I was working a shitty security guard job at Denver athletic club. So when my neighbors all decamped for their family homes they left a really nice christmas tree by the dumpster. I dragged it in and set it up, but, I had nothing to decorate it with so I covered it with free postcard ads.
It was so very sad.
I lived right behind the King Soopers, and I had decided that my holiday feast would be Cap'n Crunch. In I went with my last few pennies til payday. They had it on sale, buy 1 get 2 free. I bought 2 and came home with 6 boxes of the good Cap'n. It was the only thing I ate til payday. I will never forget that christmas.
posted by evilDoug at 6:25 AM on November 2, 2019 [8 favorites]
It was so very sad.
I lived right behind the King Soopers, and I had decided that my holiday feast would be Cap'n Crunch. In I went with my last few pennies til payday. They had it on sale, buy 1 get 2 free. I bought 2 and came home with 6 boxes of the good Cap'n. It was the only thing I ate til payday. I will never forget that christmas.
posted by evilDoug at 6:25 AM on November 2, 2019 [8 favorites]
noodles with butter ad poppy seeds.
rice with gravy, jarred gravy will do.
fried rice with lots of veg, including the requisite cabbage, onions, peas, meat optional.
evilDoug, that story is painful. Not on the same level, but the first Thanksgiving my son was with his Dad, I was working a catalog phone job, worked extra hours, came home and ate chicken pot pie, pretending it wasn't a big family holiday. The expectations around holidays are fucking cruel to anybody who's life isn't in lockstep with marketing-driven norms.
posted by theora55 at 7:13 AM on November 2, 2019 [7 favorites]
rice with gravy, jarred gravy will do.
fried rice with lots of veg, including the requisite cabbage, onions, peas, meat optional.
evilDoug, that story is painful. Not on the same level, but the first Thanksgiving my son was with his Dad, I was working a catalog phone job, worked extra hours, came home and ate chicken pot pie, pretending it wasn't a big family holiday. The expectations around holidays are fucking cruel to anybody who's life isn't in lockstep with marketing-driven norms.
posted by theora55 at 7:13 AM on November 2, 2019 [7 favorites]
I don’t know anyone in the Middle East who cooks from recipes. When I used to ask my father to transcribe some of his dishes he thought that was hilarious.
:0 i didn't know this!
i found out this year that my comfort/autism burnout food is specifically the banquet tv dinner with six tiny chicken nuggets and mac and cheese and a brownie that mix together in a not-bad way and everything's a very inoffensive texture and flavor. my mom got me this and didnt judge me when it was the only thing i could get down the first week after my breakup, and i got myself one two nights ago after i'd spent all day driving and unloading furniture and cleaning a new house and then it was 11pm and i was too overstimulated to eat anything more complicated than this without crying. thanks, $0.94 tv dinners.
posted by gaybobbie at 8:29 AM on November 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
:0 i didn't know this!
i found out this year that my comfort/autism burnout food is specifically the banquet tv dinner with six tiny chicken nuggets and mac and cheese and a brownie that mix together in a not-bad way and everything's a very inoffensive texture and flavor. my mom got me this and didnt judge me when it was the only thing i could get down the first week after my breakup, and i got myself one two nights ago after i'd spent all day driving and unloading furniture and cleaning a new house and then it was 11pm and i was too overstimulated to eat anything more complicated than this without crying. thanks, $0.94 tv dinners.
posted by gaybobbie at 8:29 AM on November 2, 2019 [5 favorites]
They had it on sale, buy 1 get 2 free.
It's a Christmas miracle!
posted by thelonius at 9:17 AM on November 2, 2019 [4 favorites]
It's a Christmas miracle!
posted by thelonius at 9:17 AM on November 2, 2019 [4 favorites]
My comfort foods for when I'm sick is the Lipton noodle soup in the package. Easy enough that I can get myself to cook it when I'm feeling crappy. Also my grandma's lemon tea, which is just fresh lemon, water and sugar. Soooo good. It tastes like love to me.
posted by starlybri at 9:34 AM on November 2, 2019
posted by starlybri at 9:34 AM on November 2, 2019
Lipton noodle soup in the package
Yes! package, package, package
posted by thelonius at 9:46 AM on November 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
Yes! package, package, package
posted by thelonius at 9:46 AM on November 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
my grandma's lemon tea, which is just fresh lemon, water and sugar. Soooo good. It tastes like love to me. I add bourbon. It's comforting.
posted by theora55 at 10:52 AM on November 2, 2019
posted by theora55 at 10:52 AM on November 2, 2019
It WAS a christmas miracle, I've never seen the like before, or since.
posted by evilDoug at 12:05 PM on November 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by evilDoug at 12:05 PM on November 2, 2019 [3 favorites]
Scrambled eggs, white rice, and kimchi is one of my comfort foods if I'm feeling a little sick, which is weird because kimchi isn't something I grew up with.
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:15 PM on November 2, 2019
posted by The corpse in the library at 3:15 PM on November 2, 2019
The article mentions peanut butter cups (got 'em) and cheese (three types, got 'em) and I'll add in any type of fruit (grapes, bananas, strawberries, plums) as comfort food for a rainy autumn night. Also, Campbell's soup and toast.
posted by TrishaU at 6:57 PM on November 2, 2019
posted by TrishaU at 6:57 PM on November 2, 2019
I've been thinking about this since it was posted. It should have been obvious to me, but because my food habits have changed a lot over the last few years I was having a hard time thinking of what my comfort food is. It's pizza. Almost any pizza will do, really, but the one from my childhood is the Totino's Triple Meat Party Pizza. The "right" cutting board is no longer with us, but if I have one I'll still cut it into square like Mom used to.
posted by ob1quixote at 7:25 PM on November 2, 2019
posted by ob1quixote at 7:25 PM on November 2, 2019
My comfort foods:
-Easy Mac (yes, I know, but sometimes I'll get the "fancy" kind).
-Ramen.
-Instant mashed potatoes
-Applesauce
-Peanut butter & cheese (mild cheddar) sandwiches on soft whole wheat sandwich bread.
Mostly, I eat like a 5-year-old when I'm sick.
When I'm depressed, I like some good spicy Thai food (usually a panang curry with tofu or pad krapow with tofu) or such. When I was in a bad place (more mentally than physically, but somewhat physically, too), that used to be a usual Friday ritual -- walk to the take-out Thai place about a mile away, get pad krapow, take it home and drink and watch movies while eating it. It was something to look forward to.
Lately, though, my comfort food cravings are specific and I only want that one thing. It's a lot of nachos, though.
posted by darksong at 7:40 PM on November 2, 2019
-Easy Mac (yes, I know, but sometimes I'll get the "fancy" kind).
-Ramen.
-Instant mashed potatoes
-Applesauce
-Peanut butter & cheese (mild cheddar) sandwiches on soft whole wheat sandwich bread.
Mostly, I eat like a 5-year-old when I'm sick.
When I'm depressed, I like some good spicy Thai food (usually a panang curry with tofu or pad krapow with tofu) or such. When I was in a bad place (more mentally than physically, but somewhat physically, too), that used to be a usual Friday ritual -- walk to the take-out Thai place about a mile away, get pad krapow, take it home and drink and watch movies while eating it. It was something to look forward to.
Lately, though, my comfort food cravings are specific and I only want that one thing. It's a lot of nachos, though.
posted by darksong at 7:40 PM on November 2, 2019
The expectations around holidays are fucking cruel to anybody who's life isn't in lockstep with marketing-driven norms.
nth
posted by Armed Only With Hubris at 6:17 AM on November 3, 2019
nth
posted by Armed Only With Hubris at 6:17 AM on November 3, 2019
I only want simple sandwiches (PB & J or, weirdly, tunafish) made on Wonder bread when I'm sick. We were raised on the grainy whole wheat stuff and "squishy white bread" was a treat when I was a kid. Goes better with Campbell's chicken noodle and/or alphabet soup too (lower sodium, because I haven't totally regressed).
posted by Otter_Handler at 6:55 AM on November 4, 2019
posted by Otter_Handler at 6:55 AM on November 4, 2019
For me: Scotch pancakes with butter and jam. Eaten with Dr Who on the tele whilst it's raining outside.
posted by tomp at 6:46 AM on November 19, 2019
posted by tomp at 6:46 AM on November 19, 2019
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posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:21 AM on November 1, 2019 [10 favorites]