Comfort Food

With the weather turning cooler, my thoughts turn to food...and sassy coats and boots, but I'll save that for later! Of course I eat in Spring and Summer, but there isn't a lot of "cooking" involved. I've been going through my cooking magazines and cookbooks, tagging recipes that I want to create in the next week or so. Chicken Holy Basil is a Fall must, to use up my sad harvest of basil due to a very wet Summer. I usually make 3 or 4 trays of pesto and freeze it for future use, but not this year. I always make Lasagna in November and freeze portions to eat during Winter. I love to make soup on the weekends and slurp it up during the week. Risotto is another Fall/Winter staple, thanks to the fabulous pan Mom gave me for Christmas last year, a lot of Risotto will be made in the following chilly months. But if I had to pick a food to take to a deserted island...it would be the food I have weekly, potatoes! Although I would have to cheat and smuggle some pasta too, shhh, don't tell...

I love, love, love potatoes! I often eat potatoes with my pasta. I love French Fries. I love scalloped potatoes, I still need that recipe Mom, but when naming my comfort food, it's Smashers. I don't mash my potatoes, I smash them, skin on, smooth but with a bit of texture. I always put garlic and Parmesan in my basic smasher, there are of course variations...Chipotle and Cheddar, Pesto, etc. The King of smashers is hands down my Confetti Smashers. I created Confetti Smashers a few years back when I wasn't feeling well and, well, I just needed some comfort. Now when I feel I might be coming down with a cold, I make my basic smasher, add green chilies and sun dried tomatoes, drink a Cosmo while making them, and voila, no sickie!

We all have our "comfort foods", PaPa says his is Tortilla Soup, I would say that is his "hip and trendy" replacement for Chicken and Dumplings. I know for a fact that my NaNa never made Tortilla Soup, but oh my, she made the best Chicken and Dumplings! Mom unfortunately picked meatloaf. I do not like meatloaf, never have, never will. I have never made it and have no plans to in the future, no matter how much I love someone. She is on her own with that choice, but I will make her the Cosmo and smashers to go with ;) .

While comfort food won't cure Swine Flu, I think it has amazing cure-like benefits. The next time you are feeling a little blue, either sad or because it is so freakin cold, treat yourself. Forget the antibiotics, EAT!