Comfort Food

When it is snowing outside…when the Dow is tumbling…when a Democrat occupies the White House…it’s time for comfort food. Some people eat to live. I live to eat. I LOVE eating. When I’m happy, I eat. When I am depressed, I eat. I am sure there is some psychological reason for it, but I don’t care. I love food. So when the going gets tough, I get comfort food.

What kind of comfort food do you like? Sunday dinner with chicken and mashed potatoes is always at the top of somebody’s list. Then there is pot roast and swiss steak. Mac and cheese is another favorite. I like mine plain. I watched a Tyler Florence blurb about making it with peas and onions. I don't think so!!!

The universal comfort food is chicken soup. My mother used to make chicken soup. My father didn't like it and called it hot Kool Aid. He liked Campbell's chicken soup. There is no accounting for taste. For the kids there is grilled cheese and PB and J sandwiches. Of course, now one has to watch out for the Salmonella.

Then there is the junk comfort food. I like potato chips…and Cheesies. I really like Cheesies. Chocolate is also great. We had two boxes of Philadelphia Candy in the pantry which I tried to resist. I had a really bad day yesterday and succumbed to temptation. Apparently my wife did the same thing as both boxes were empty except for two, lonely caramels. Caramels are not comfort food. Now I have to stop for a refill on the way home from work.

Comfort food to you may not be comfort food to me. In Youngstown, ethnicity determines what may be your favorite comfort food. Being Italian, wedding soup is at the top of my list, followed by either cavetelli or veal parm. This is serious stuff. When my son went to Ohio State this past year, he complained continually about how he missed the local food. We directed him to a place that would fulfill that need, although it is faux comfort food. Not really the same thing. Kind of like methadone. Nevertheless, it gets you through the night. (In case you are interested, it is the Blue Danube tavern on High Street…the Blue Dube).

The local Poles and Slavs crave pierogies (polish ravioli made with potato dough and fried up in butter and onions). I don’t care for them. My wife likes them. She also likes Halushki (noodles and cabbage), another Eastern European favorite. One of the best meals in my life was in Niagara Falls, Ontario. We went to the Hungarian Restaurant (no longer there) and devoured a plate full of stuffed cabbage, which were to die for. I don’t like Hungarian food, but I was so hungry it was any port in a storm time. And don’t forget Kielbasa. Again, I am not a fan…but at parties someone always brings a bowl of cut up Kielbasa fried up in brown sugar and butter, and I always take more than my fair share. I think I am starting to like it.

You can find Greek comfort food at any of the local Greek festivals. I love spanakopita, grape leaves and baklava. St. John’s in Boardman also does a really great baked fish. I can’t get hyped up about Lebanese food, although I went to a seminar the other night given by a guy from Columbus, who was thrilled to be in Youngstown because he can get real Lebanese food. He is Lebanese, of course. You used to be able to get good Jewish comfort food here… but not so much anymore. Kravitz Delicatessen is about as close as you can get locally. If I need a fix, I go to Corky and Lenny’s in Cleveland.

We are fortunate to live in an area where there is such a variety of food to choose from when life gets a tad yucky. Now, the stock market is down 200 points today, and there is snow up to my tushy. Would someone please make me a serving of pastene with a stick of butter and extra salt like my Grandma used to make?

Comments

Anonymous said…
Another home run with the Comfort Food article Mark. You just get better and better. Have another Philee chocolate.

Jeannette
8:41 AM
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