Just Cook It! — Comfort food countdown
We’ve had a sample size of winter so far, and so far it’s been a cold one. So cold, in fact, that I have routinely had the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” stuck in my head — the Doris Day and Dean Martin version of course.
I’m all for a little frosty chill outside in the dead of winter, it actually makes things feel normal in these parts. However, having the temperature dance around zero so often makes me a little uncomfortable. If you’re anything like me, when you’re uncomfortable you want nothing more than a big plate (or bowl) of your favorite comfort food, a warm drink, a blanket, and of course, we need Netflix.
Let’s focus on the comfort food. Comfort food provides a nostalgic, or sentimental, feeling when you eat it. Comfort foods are usually easy to digest, soft in consistency, and rich in calories, nutrition, or both. Comfort foods are usually very flavorful and easy to prepare. Everyone has a list of foods that they consider comfort foods. Not everyone considers the same foods comfort foods, however a lot of comfort foods are very common to a lot of people.
When you eat a food that you consider to be a comfort food you feel happy. That statement sounds like a second-grader wrote it, but it’s really the best way for me to convey what makes a comfort food special. With the weather being so harsh and cold, I can think of nothing more special than something that can instantly bring a happy feeling – comfort food.
I am going to list my personal top five comfort foods in order from fifth best to my all-time favorite. Yes, I am a professional chef, but some of my favorite comfort foods are items I enjoyed eating as a child. Therefore, my favorite comfort foods may include some convenience foods. I don’t eat them often, and I am not vouching for their quality. I am saying that eating them on occasion makes me happy as stated in the definition of comfort foods above.
Let’s start the countdown –
5. Meatloaf – I didn’t eat a lot of meatloaf growing up, so I guess you can say this is a comfort food that I actually began to enjoy more as an adult. My grandmother made it a few times, and I remember enjoying it, but I never would have requested it or made it myself as I do now.
My meatloaf recipe is very similar to my meatball recipe with a few slight modifications and the fact that it is made in a loaf shape as opposed to rolled into balls. I also enjoy a honey mustard glaze on my meatloaf as opposed to the traditional ketchup like tomato topping. I will still eat it with the traditional topping though.
4. Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup – You may have seen me make my grilled cheese sandwich on Going Live with FCTV on Fayette TV (channel 77). There are a few key points to consider.
I prefer very soft white bread, brioche or challah is my bread of choice but they can be tricky to find. If they are not an option, soft white bread works just fine. Both slices of bread should be buttered liberally, with butter NOT margarine, on one side. I prefer to use block cheese and slice it myself to create the creamy, gooey, oozy cheese when you pull the two halves of the sandwich apart. Finally, you want to griddle your sandwich butter side down with the cheese on the top facing slices of bread. I always griddle my grilled cheese open faced and then flip the halves of the sandwich together when the bread is golden brown. This method shortens the cooking time and also allows the sandwich to cook more evenly while better melting the cheese.
Tomato soup is easy – open the can, heat, and serve. Above all, always dip your sandwich in the soup while enjoying.
3. Baked Ziti – It’s an Italian thing and really any baked pasta can go into this slot. I like ziti because it’s a very classic dish and I feel that ziti is easier to eat as opposed to some other pasta choices. I like my baked ziti with a rich tomato sauce with hot sausage and mushrooms and then tossed with grated parmesan cheese, topped with fresh mozzarella, basil, and more grated parmesan, and finally baked to a wonderful golden brown. A side of garlic bread and glass of good wine to go with this meal makes me VERY happy and takes comfort food to a new level.
2. Roasted Chicken – Very few things in life beat a perfectly roasted chicken with well-seasoned crispy skin and juicy succulent meat. The key to a fantastic roasted chicken is to let it sit uncovered in your refrigerator for one to two days before roasting it. This allows the skin to dry out and will create extremely crispy skin when roasted. Another key is to allow the chicken to temper (or sit) at room temperature for an hour before putting it into the oven. Allowing the chill from the refrigerator to dissipate before putting the bird into the hot oven will cause the chicken to cook more evenly and make it easier to achieve juicy meat. I roast my chicken at 350 degrees while basting it with brown butter and rotating the pan 180 degrees every half hour. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 160 degrees. Always allow your chicken to rest for at least 15 minutes at room temperature before carving and serving.
Drum roll please…Number one on my list of comfort foods is…
1. Boxed Macaroni and Cheese – If you feel let down or mad at me for making this my favorite comfort food I feel bad, but I’m not sorry. Every child I have ever met loves boxed macaroni and cheese and I am right there with them. I can never turn down a bowl of this stuff.
I have eaten and prepared many macaroni and cheese dishes from scratch and they are all delicious, but they aren’t the comfort food that I grew up with and don’t give me the fuzzy feeling inside when I eat them.
I hope this list of my favorite comfort foods brings back some memories and causes some hunger to stir in your stomach. It’s the perfect time of year to enjoy rich delicious foods that make you feel happy. The next time you want to experience all of the goodness that comfort foods have to offer all you have to do is – Just Cook It!
Mario J. Porreca of Belle Vernon is a food personality, author, and the host of Just Cook It on WMBS Radio 590 AM. His website is www.JustCookIt.net. Twitter: @MarioPorreca