wooÐs

Feel free to include recipes if you got 'em.

• Homemade mac n' cheese - not the boxed junk.
• Chili w/ no beans, sharp cheddar, sour cream and Fritos - I think they call it 'chili pie' or something here. But I just make my own instead of ordering.
• Pizza w/ extra cheese and other stuff, depending on mood.
• Fast food. Period. I love it. And it's sooooo horrible health-wise. But I must indulge every so often. Favorites include Hardee's, Burger King and Arby's.
• Tostitos and a Mexican dip:

- spread a pack of cream cheese on the bottom of a glass baking dish
- on top, spread a can of chili - no beans
- on top of that, spread out a can of chopped green chilis
- on top of that, spread out shredded cheddar cheese - use as much as you want.

Microwave until cheese is melted. Stir together and park it with a bag of Tostitos. You'll probably have to heat it up periodically. Goooooood eatin'.

ObieX

Anything my grandmother makes.
"cheese noodles" (wide egg noodles with a giant scoop of cottage cheese on top.)
various home-made soups
pickles/green olives (will just eat the entire jar and drink the juice )

steamer clams (the real ones) ..with butter, lemon, cocktail sauce, and clam broth from the steaming )

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wooÐs

Never heard of this but it does sound really good. You probably mix it all up, right?
And thumbs up for clams.

When I used to do Atkin's, I would occasionally treat myself by sitting in front of the tv with 3 bowls:
1 full of king crab legs
1 for the shells
and a smaller 1 of drawn butter

That was definitely a comforting meal lol.

---------- Post added at 10:21 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:20 PM ----------

sushi's a comfort food for me as well.

ObieX

Yep, the more cottage cheese the better. I usually don't put anything on it. I like the large curd cheese, non-diet/non-fatfree/non-salt-free or whatever tho that is harder to find these days

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World's King

Popcorn.


My mom makes the best popcorn. It's the best thing for sitting in front of the TV.

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noodle

mashed potatoes (from scratch) with gravy (from scratch) and rotisserie chicken.
my chili.
a good red gravy and noodles. or just with a roll and gravy.
natural peanut butter with banana slices.
sushi.
broiled tomato slices on toast with mozarella.
frozen grapes when my throat hurts.
yogurt parfaits with granola and fresh fruit.
cream cheese and jelly sammiches when momma makes 'em.


and pho. pho is my ultimate comfort food, second only to my chili.

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Meditrina

I make this on a regular basis for me and my daughter. We love it. Definitely a good comfort food.

Actually, any type of pasta will do.
Chocolate - dark only please
Cool Ranch Doritos
Wine (I know, I know, not a food, but it's very comforting)

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bazkitcase5

pepperoni pizza

assuming no burnt or ruined in some way, I have never had a pepperoni pizza at any location, that I did not like

wooÐs

And it's cheap! Must try this soon.
I do this with French bread and shredded parmesan. And I use tomatoes and basil from mah garden during the warmer months. Sooo good.
Even though I switch up the flavors every so often when I do actually buy Doritos, Cool Ranch is still the best one. I used to eat them so much that I'd get sores in my mouth. Think it was the sodium or something.

Leto

Ok. Just saw this and immediately thought of this comfort food thread: Deep Fried Macaroni and Cheese:

Deep-fried mac ‘n' cheese: the ultimate comfort food - The Globe and Mail






DAVE McGINN

From Wednesday's Globe and Mail
Published on Tuesday, Jan. 05, 2010 4:01PM EST

Last updated on Wednesday, Jan. 06, 2010 2:42AM EST


Take one of the most ubiquitous foods from childhood, wrap it in a heavy coating of batter, plunge it into boiling oil and what comes bubbling to the surface? Crispy and delicious, it's a near-perfect winter comfort food.

Yes, it's deep-fried macaroni and cheese.

The deep-fried version of the meal is ideal because it puts all that gooey deliciousness inside an easy-to-eat package, says chef Bryan Burke.

“Everyone loves mac and cheese, but you want something you can pick up and eat,” says Mr. Burke, co-owner of Reggie's Old Fashioned Sandwiches, a restaurant in Toronto that put deep-fried mac-and-cheese sticks at the top of its chalkboard menu when it opened in March 2008.

Sure, any old cheese stick is just as easy to eat, Mr. Burke says, but ordinary cheese sticks don't have the novelty or, more importantly, the nostalgic appeal of mac and cheese. “It brings back childhood,” he says. “And it's unique. It's like a cheese stick but it's not a gooey boring cheese stick.”

The deep fried mac and cheese sticks at Reggie's, made with swiss, mozzarella and two-year-old cheddar to maximize gooeyness, are one of the restaurant's most popular items, Mr. Burke says.

Society Restaurant and Lounge in Vancouver throws some heat into its mac-and-cheese balls thanks to a hint of jalapeno peppers.

Among Society's finger-food offerings, “it's definitely our best-seller right now,” says executive chef Dominic Sylvain. “I probably make close to 1,000 a week.” The balls are made with six kinds of cheese: mascarpone, cream cheese, mozzarella, aged cheddar, gruyère and fontina. The jalapeno helps give the mac-and-cheese balls a slight kick, Mr. Sylvain says.

Following in those spicy footsteps, the Loose Moose Tap & Grill in Toronto serves its crispy mac and cheese with chipotle ketchup.

Deep-fried mac and cheese has also cropped up on the fairgrounds of the Calgary Stampede in recent years, where those attending the so-called Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth have been drawn to the greatest battered food in hand. One poster on the foodie forum Chowhound.com wrote with glee about a trip to the Stampede that came with the chance to experience deep-fried mac-and-cheese triangles. “We tried them, and they may merit a return visit,” he wrote.

Mr. Sylvain says it is no wonder deep-fried mac and cheese is beginning to appear on more menus. People are drawn to any new spin on an old staple. “Mac and cheese is something that everybody knows,” he says.

Mr. Burke says he originally added deep-fried mac and cheese to his menu not because he wanted to draw on cozy nostalgia of childhood, but instead for a more adult reason. He figured the restaurant, on the fringe of Toronto's club district, would attract a late-night crowd looking for something a bit greasy to sop up the evening's excesses. “The original idea came from knowing we were going to have a big after-bar crowd,” he says, adding: “I gave it a try, and it went off like a crazy hit.”

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LordEden

I've had deep fried mac and cheese "nuggets" before at a pig pickin'. They were good, but not something I'd snack on.

Mash potatoes and french fries. Pretty much potatoes in general, I fucking love them. Mainly french fries.

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wooÐs

*drool*

I need to try this at some point. Sounds amazing. Unlike fried Mars bars or whatever. Those just sound disgusting to me but lots of people swear they're really good.

PonyPotato

I'm with World's King: Popcorn is my ultimate comfort food. I used to get regular popcorn cravings every night at 9 pm.

The other comfort foods I can think of right now relate directly to staying warm and cozy, since it's cold outside. Those include chili, curry, fresh-out-of-the-oven bread, and various soups. My mom makes a killer mushroom soup.

During the warmer part of the year, my comfort foods shift to include fruit and whipped cream, tuscan salad, english muffins, and other types of fresh-baked breads.

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Meditrina

I am going to make my next shopping list from this thread. Need to have lots of comfort foods in the house.

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wooÐs

I love the steak fries or 'natural cut' fries. They taste like you're biting into a baked potato every time. Very yum.

And actually, along the lines of the fried mac n' cheese, I melt at the thought of mozzarella cheese sticks. I've had crappy ones less than a handful of times. Otherwise, they're pure deliciousness in stick form for dipping in warm marinara mmmmm...

LordEden

I'm a fan of shoe-string fries myself, not a bigger fan of the steak fries. I guess I am truly a product of the McDonald's generation.

There was an authentic Italian place in my college town that made mozzarella cheese loafs, which was a huge cheese stick floating in a sea of pipping hot homemade red sauce. Guy made everything himself and only used high quality cheese. It was AWESOME. I miss those things.

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snowy

Winter:
-Mashed potatoes, corn, and applesauce all together
-Clam chowder
-Squash with brown sugar and butter
-Roasted veg. I like to roast parsnips, parsley root, Butterball or Yukon Gold potatoes, celery root, carrots, and onion together, kinda mix it all up, and serve it with a dollop of sour cream or Greek yogurt.

Summer:
-Caprese salad served with ciabatta
-Any sort of fruit cobbler

Anytime:
-Macaroni and cheese with peas and breadcrumbs (KD or homemade mac and cheese)
-Yumm! Bowls: black beans, brown rice, Yumm! Sauce, cheese, and assorted other toppings. Yumm! sauce is a vegan sauce with lots of umami and a creamy texture made by a local cafe. If you'd like to try it, here is a recipe for making your own: Green Baby Guide | Yumm Sauce Recipe Imitation

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Leto

We've got chili qeued up for tonight. But this made me think of a cold wintry day once upon a time when I ducked into a Chinese restuarant for a hot & sour soup. Boy oh boy that was comforting. Now I'm a life long fan.

There's another soup restaurant that I've been frequenting lately. It's a Korean place, and they serve a tofu soup that has meat or dumplings or shrimp (your pick) in it and comes with a separate bowl of purple-coloured rice that has been cooked with nuts and dates in it. It also comes with a raw egg that you break into your soup and stir around to make a sort of eg-drop effect. This stuff is really tastey and you can add heat to it (chili sauce) as well as the usual Korean side dishes (radishes, kimchee, sprouts etc). Cost? Every dish in this restaurant is $7.08.

go figure. But great for cold weather comfort.

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You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

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PonyPotato

I just thought of another favorite comfort food: Arby's curly fries.

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CinnamonGirl

This is a terrible, terrible thread to read when I'm cutting back on junk food. "The great thing about being the Slayer? Kicking ass is comfort food." Must remember that...

Anyway, definitely mac & cheese. And extra cheesy nachos, with extra hot sauce.

I'll also crumble up some Oreo cookies in a cup, pour some milk over them, and eat it like cereal. Weird? Yes. I know this.

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"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

wooÐs

My butt just grew from reading that.
Love them.
Try them with the cheddar and some Arby's sauce too.

Willravel

inBOIL

Kielbasa and ketchup.

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ZombieSquirrel

Le sigh......


That's my comfort "food"!

I suppose grilled cheese and tomato soup would be my other choices. I make it now with fancy cheesies. (Mmmm Grilled Gruyere Cheese sammiches!!!) I do like to make it from Kraft Singles every now and then. It makes me think of my momma. No more cheese for me though, and vegan cheese doesn't melt right imo.

I'll be making tomato soup from scratch tonight!!! No grilled cheese though. :-( I will have homemade garlic croutons!

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CinnamonGirl

Oh, shush. You think it's cute when I quote Buffy

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"...for though she was ordinary, she possessed health, wit, courage, charm, and cheerfulness. But because she was not beautiful, no one ever seemed to notice these other qualities, which is so often the way of the world."


"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

wooÐs

Was thinking about this combination today. I never quite understood the love people have for tomato soup. The commercials make it look fantastic - big steaming bowl with a grilled cheese sandwich for dipping. But whenever I've had tomato soup, I can't bother with more than 3 spoonfuls due to it's acidity. Each swallow is like a chemical burn going my throat ffs. It's just not yummy. However, bean & bacon soup is fabulous with grilled cheese. I'm all over that. And I like playing around / mixing up my cheeses as well. Parmesan and mozzarella has been a winner so far.

lostgirl

Strawberries and whipped cream.

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Charlatan

Sausages and Mashed Potatoes with onion gravy are my current comfort food.

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snowy

Ever try adding milk to temper the acidity? It works pretty well.

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wooÐs

Nope. Never heard of adding milk to tomato soup. Maybe I'll give it one more chance. But just one more lol.

As always, thanks for the tip!

---------- Post added at 09:35 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:24 PM ----------

snowy - why not cream instead of milk? Just curious.

snowy

Why not cream? I'd try it. I just said milk because that's what most people have on hand and that's what I usually used when I was younger and ate more tomato soup. I'd probably actually use half and half because I always have that in my fridge.

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Sue

Chocolate ice cream, pepperoni pizza.

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wooÐs

Was just thinking (I do that on occasion,) that the soup is sort of like coffee. I add cream / half & half to black coffee to lose the acidity. Plus it makes it more tasty. Figured it'd work with the soup too. Like I said though, never heard of adding milk to tomato soup. Suppose I could try milk in one small bowl of soup and half & half in another to check out the difference.

Girrrrrl, I'm all over this cooking thing now. Reading a lot of great cookbooks and watching a few shows. Made some great appetizer meatballs for New Year's Eve. I know you cook a good bit and I think Starkizzer does as well. Just letting you know I may hit you up with some questions in the future lol. I'm learning yay!

noodle

I make a killer tomato soup. Not like the creamy/milky/campbell's kind.
a couple of coarsely chopped tomatoes, two cans of diced tomatoes with garlic, oregano and basil, added to browned diced onions and more garlic. cook down for 30 minutes with oregano, basil, pepper, sometimes a little leek. spice it up with some sriracha sauce. add in some chopped spinach (frozen/thawed/drained usually) and some parmesan cheese and run it in the blender until mostly smooth. the bomb, baby. sometimes I add in some minced bell peppers or other veg if I feel like it. But mostly just onion, tomato and spinach.

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snowy

I forgot one. Tuna casserole. My dad and brother hate it, so my mom and I would always make it when they were gone. Yum.

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Leto

i love tuna cassarole. Made it last week. Yum = yes.

what about (stir) fried rice?

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You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

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wooÐs

I think Chinese food is a good comfort food for me. Sesame chicken or shrimp w/lobster sauce or sweet n' sour pork or Happy Family, fried rice and a couple egg rolls = hellz yeah. Can't forget the duck sauce for the egg rolls and the soy sauce for the rice. mmmmm.

---------- Post added at 07:33 PM ---------- Previous post was at 07:31 PM ----------

Oh and sometimes I'll get the Pu Pu Platter - all appetizers. Ribs, teriyaki chicken wings, crab rangoons, potstickers, etc. Good eatin'.

Grasshopper Green

Mashed potatoes and gravy. Hands down.

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Leto

OK you Yanks, try this ultimate Canadian comfort food on for size. And notice that it is available in the Lower East Side (whatever that means) of NYC:





It's all in the curds: Quebecois mainstay poutine making culinary inroads in US - Yahoo! Canada News

It's all in the curds: Quebecois mainstay poutine making culinary inroads in US


Mon Jan 11, 4:03 PM


By Sheryl Ubelacker, The Canadian Press


Unless it's maple syrup, it's unlikely many Americans could identify an example of truly Canadian cuisine. But it seems one national dish, a belly-busting concoction born in La Belle province, is creating a buzz south of the border.


Poutine - a mixture of French fries, cheese curds and hot gravy - is making it onto menus alongside typical American fare like cheeseburgers and chili dogs.


Thierry Pepin, an actor and model who moved to New York from his native Quebec six years ago, opened a restaurant last summer dedicated to the hearty dish. T-Poutine (the T is for Thierry) is located in the Lower East Side, close to bars and the club scene, and offers 12 different variations of the item on its menu.


"It's great, but it's not easy," says Pepin of the reaction to the calorie-laden creation, often described as a "heart attack on a plate."


"A lot of Americans haven't heard about it, are skeptical about it. But the ones that come to the restaurant open-minded, they want to try it. For the most part, they all love it."


The rib-sticking dish is believed to have originated in rural Quebec in the 1950s, and several communities lay claim as its birthplace. One such tale involves Fernand Lachance of Warwick, Que., who was asked by a customer to add cheese curds to an order of fries and deemed it "une maudite poutine (roughly translated as "an unholy mess"). The addition of gravy came later.


Pepin says many of his customers are New Yorkers who attended McGill University in Montreal and got hooked on poutine. Canadians living in the Big Apple are also regulars, he says.


Now, it seems, poutine is going mainstream. T-Poutine and Pepin were recently featured on ABC News, which took a lighthearted look - replete with Mounties and lots of frozen tundra - at the invasion of this most Canadian of foods into the heart of its southern neighbour.


Poutine is also a big hit in south Florida, where the Grenier family has been serving the dressed-up french fries at their Dairy Belle ice cream parlour/fast-food outlet in Dania Beach for the last decade.


Francois Grenier, who runs the outdoor restaurant with his parents and sister, says most of their customers during the winter are Canadian snowbirds, many of them from Quebec.


"During the season, with the Canadians down here, we go through about 200 pounds (90 kilograms) of cheese a week," says Grenier, explaining that the restaurant has that all-important poutine ingredient shipped from a farm in Wisconsin.


"They're the real thing - real cheddar white curd cheese."


Americans' reaction to their first sight of poutine is mixed, to say the least, concedes Grenier, who moved with his family to the Sunshine State from Victoriaville, Que., in 1992.


"By the window when you order there's a big picture of poutine ... And there are people who will just look at it and they're like, 'What is this?' And they'll tell you it sounds disgusting or it sounds great."


Those with more adventurous palates who try poutine either "totally love it or they totally hate it," says Grenier. "But we have expanded our clientele with that. A lot of Americans now have come to it. A lot of Hispanics are eating it, because the Hispanic culture loves cheese and they love it."


Poutine aficionado Ronna Mogelon of Dunvegan, Ont., sampled the Dairy Belle's offering last year on a trip to Florida and pronounced it "fabulous."


The artist, who grew up in Montreal, began penning a blog called the Poutine Chronicles, asking North American followers to send in their favourite spots for the sinfully rich dish.

"There's something about poutine that just sort of calls your name," says Mogelon, whose quest for the ultimate poutine draws her inexorably to roadside chip stands.

"I thought it was a summer dish because it's sort of fun to sit outside and have a poutine. But there's something also I unfortunately discovered - that when it's cold out and you go for a poutine, it's almost like your grandmother rubbing your tummy or something. It's warm. It's all cosy and melty cheesy."

"It's like oatmeal with a bit of tooth."

That poutine is considered a supreme comfort food - and reputedly an antidote for a night of heavy imbibing - is a fact not lost on Lee Seinfeld, owner of the Dive Bar in New York's Upper West Side.

"I put it on my menu because my son went up to Canada eight years ago (on a school trip) and he came back raving about it. And he's a kid that was just such a fussy eater."

"He just fell in love with it, so he convinced me to try getting it," says Seinfeld, who has had some trouble finding a reliable supply of cheese curds.

And how did his customers react to this foreign food?

"Well, you know, it's funny, the Canadians or people who have had it before seem to get it," he says. "But sometimes Americans - the cheese is cold and you pour the hot gravy on the cheese, so they wonder why the cheese is not melted. So sometimes they're a little bit confused."

"When they try it, they usually come back and have it again. I sell a lot of cheese curd, a lot of poutine."

Pepin of T-Poutine hopes the dish could one day be as popular with Americans as Mom and apple pie. He's thinking of opening other T-Poutines and perhaps franchising.

"There are still a lot of places in New York City I think I could open ... I would like to open a couple more, in Brooklyn and around. Places like Vegas would do really well or anywhere in the South. People love cheese. And it's something new."

"All around the U.S., I think if I can put it out there and bring it, I think we'll have a huge crowd who's going to be very happy."



don't forget to follow this up with a gooey buttertart for dessert as a total belly buster.

__________________
You said you didn't give a fuck about hockey
And I never saw someone say that before
You held my hand and we walked home the long way
You were loosening my grip on Bobby Orr

http://dune.wikia.com/wiki/Leto_Atreides_I

cellophanedeity

I live around the corner from Smoke's Poutinery. It's so hard to get home without buying it. Poutine is so damn good...

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