What makes comfort food comforting? Does it have to be a childhood favorite or does our brain just have to associate it with less stressful times? I read that the trigger is chronic stress. I must be experiencing some latent stress now because although I know a big salad would be a fine dinner, all I want is vienna sausages and steamed rice. The idea of canned meat seems to freak out Randy but he can tell when things are rough, because out comes the little blue can with the easy-open lid.
What else do I crave? Spaghetti and meatballs, homemade macaroni and cheese, fried Spam and rice, oatmeal, creamed beef on toast, and, strangely enough, hard-boiled eggs.
Both of my parents are amazing cooks and they started my education in the culinary arts at the tender age of seven (the first thing I ever made was crepes!). If I had to choose a favorite dish made by each of them, of my Dad it would be his amazing pork ribs which are grilled and seasoned with salt & pepper, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, a touch of monosodiumglutimate, and a dash of his secret spice. Delicious! My favorite dish of my mother’s is her fried rice. It sounds so basic, but it’s not too sticky and has just the right amount of bits of meat, green onion, chopped-up scrambled eggs and garlic. Mom is more well-known for her fried wontons with homemade sweet and sour sauce, but my favorite is the rice.
Hmmm. . . I’m sensing a pattern here about rice. Steamed short grain rice. Yeah, hands down, that is my ultimate comfort food. Being the good Filipina that I am, rice is what makes me feel “at home” again. I suppose for comfort food, that’s the whole point.