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Comfort Food

bunyip 12 years ago

Yesterday we were a bit down in the dumps chez Bunyip, for reasons I won't go into. As it happened I had planned roast lamb, and managed to convince myself that I had the energy to cook (let's face it, roasts aren't really that much work).

We had a boned shoulder stuffed with a Jill Dupleix recipe - breadcrumbs, parsley, anchovies, capers and lemon-infused olive oil. Roast potatoes, tomato and onion gratin and parsnip puree. Forgot about the pumpkin, but it wouldn't have fitted on the plates. Accompanied by a nice bottle of shiraz.

We decided that life wasn't so bad after all. You can't beat roast lamb as comfort food! And we had excellent sandwiches for lunch today so the sense of well-being continues.

But of course that's just me. What do you cook when you need cheering up?

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BethNH 12 years ago

We're big on comfort food. In a house with three athletic teen boys we don't worry too much about calories. They love a nice mac and cheese for dinner. In the colder months, I'll often make a roast chicken with mashed potatoes and yeast rolls for Sunday dinner.

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hipcook 12 years ago

Greens, preferably collards. When I get that hunger that's not in my belly, but up closer to my sternum, that soul hunger, it's greens that set me right. (It does help when the greens are accompanied by a nice piece of cornbread and either barbecue or fried chicken. I suspect that greens are a good sign that you're getting good quality 'cue or chicken.)

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Queezle_Sister 12 years ago

I've been NOT in the mood to cook lately, which is odd for me, but typically reflects my having too much to do at work. But as I wandered the grocery, my eye lit on the lovely display of plump crispy cabbage, and this time, that did the trick. I've made several types of cole slaw lately, and then was put pack into the mood for cooking. And just in time for my son's 18th birthday, where cole slaw was present, but seared ahi and a chocolate pudding cake ruled the table.

I also often turn to soups to cheer myself. Their warmth is a comfort, and they tend to be very forgiving of ingredient substitutions. But your roast lamb, bunyip, sounds amazing too!

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SundayCooking 12 years ago

If I've been industrious enough to have some tucked away in the freezer, my favourite comfort food is gnocchi, either herbed ricotta-potato in a spicy arrabiata sauce or spinach-ricotta gnudi baked with butter and parmesan.

Otherwise, like Queezle Sister, it's soup. Sweet potato-peanut or Egyptian lentil are particularly comforting. This week's soup is Trinidadian jerk chicken with sweet potato, corn, and roasted tomatoes, served with brown butter cornbread. When the cornbread gets a bit stale, it'll be time to make some flaky roti instead, and try cornbread in buttermilk for the first time.

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