Earlier this week, I asked this question on Substack Notes: What do the words comfort food mean to you? And what dish meets that criterion for you more than any other?
Most of the responses were predictably full of carbs and fat … mashed potatoes with salted butter, creamy pasta, mac and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches. But also homemade fruit pies and warm berry cobbler, and anything chocolate. For a lot of people, comfort food conjures up memories of meals from their childhood. The kind of dishes that are served with warm feelings of being cared for.
I think my friend Wendy Hawkes said it best when she equated comfort food with “our needs met.”
Those words made me stop and think for a long while. Because sometimes I crave comfort food because I already feel content and I want to eat something that matches my mood.
And sometimes I reach for it when I’m feeling discontent and want to feel better.
Put another way: sometimes it’s a statement about how I feel my needs are being met, and sometimes it’s an attempt to meet them.
This week’s issue is filled with many of the recipes that I equate with comfort food. But before we get there, I’d love to hear your answers to these questions…
What do the words comfort food mean to you? And what dish meets that criterion for you more than any other?
Talk to me in the comments.
Welcome to Let’s Get Lost! I’m Rebecca, a recipe developer, food photographer, passionate people watcher, and chaser of new experiences. You might know me from my recipe websites, Of Batter and Dough and A Little and A Lot.
My husband and I are nomads without a home base but with many modes of transportation, namely an RV, a motorcycle, and a sailboat. I write recipes and stories for curious people who believe experiences are more important than things and who want more adventure.
The easiest way to read this and every issue is directly on rebeccablackwell.com.
Are you a fellow food writer or recipe developer? Here are three resources just for you!
12 recipes that feel like comfort
Meatloaf: This is not the meatloaf of my childhood, but there is still something about a thick slice of meatloaf and a pile of mashed potatoes that sends me back to meals at my Grandma’s table. It’s funny, because I probably only had meatloaf at Grandma’s house a couple of times. But I still associate it with her for some reason, and that feeling of being utterly loved and cared for.
Mashed potatoes: No further explanation is necessary. I have two favorite recipes for mashed potatoes - Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Buttermilk Whipped Mashed Potatoes. Give me either at any time of any day and I’ll be happy.
Smoky Poblano Corn Chowder with Corn and Bacon: This soup checks all the comfort food boxes for me. It’s creamy, cheesy, and packed with potatoes, chilies, fresh summer corn, and crispy bacon. It’s the kind of soup you can almost eat with a fork, and an effective reminder of the power of pleasure. No apologies. No regrets.
Braised Beef Brisket with Onions: This should, of course, be served with mashed potatoes and brown buttered carrots. And because we’re not messing around here, it should also be served with homemade dinner rolls or flaky buttermilk biscuits.
Those rolls: I’ve made these buttery, pillowy homemade dinner rolls more times than I could ever count. They are warm and comforting in the way only homemade bread can be, but they are also inexorably linked to memories of family holidays, birthdays, and dinners with my favorite people at the table.
Flaky buttermilk biscuits: In my mind, the perfect biscuit is soft on the inside, slightly crispy on the outside, and filled with many flaky, buttery layers. That’s what these are. Also, this recipe for Loaded Blueberry Biscuits starts with this buttermilk biscuit recipe and then stuffs it with a whole bunch of fresh blueberries.
Cinnamon Rolls: My mom LOVES cinnamon rolls, so that’s probably one of the reasons they land in the comfort food category for me. Cinnamon rolls were (and still are) a special occasion food. I’ve made them many times for Christmas morning, but they’re also the kind of thing I sometimes make when I want a normal Sunday to feel special.
Pork Green Chili: I was very surprised to learn that if you live anywhere outside of the southwestern states, there’s a good chance that you don’t really know what green chili is. In Colorado, where I grew up, it’s a THING. We take it seriously and have strong opinions about it. This is my favorite way to make it, which will infuriate some people because I love to add red chili to my green chili. My favorite way to eat it is ladled over crispy cheese-filled chili rellenos.
Double Crust Chicken Pot Pie: This was one of the first things I ever learned how to cook and is, to this day, one of our family’s absolute favorite meals. Our son was a super fan of this meal, requesting it for every birthday and learning how to make it himself around the age of 16, from-scratch pie crust and all.
Vanilla Ice Cream with Homemade Hot Fudge: This is my favorite dessert, which always surprises people. As a baker, most people expect my answer to be something a bit more elevated and, you know, something that requires baking. But I honestly can’t think of anything better than really good vanilla ice cream topped with gorgeously rich and chewy hot fudge. It’s unbeatable and something I will never, ever get tired of.
Lasagna Bolognese: "Traditional" lasagna bolognese does not include the addition of grated cheese within its layers. But traditions are made to be broken, and I nearly always add some grated cheese between the layers of pasta, Bolognese sauce, and béchamel. And I think you should too.
Oatmeal Raisin Cookies: Like a warm bowl of soup or a thick slice of homemade bread, these are the kind of thing that makes me feel grounded, cozy, and a little bit better about the world.
Road Food: Good food that travels well
Whether you’re heading across the country, across the world, or simply across town, this series of recipes is made for life on the move. They’re easy to make, easy to pack, and taste just as good hours later as they do fresh from the kitchen. Perfect for road trips, boat days, beach days, picnics, hikes, airplanes, potlucks, packed lunches, busy weeknights, and anywhere else you need to go.
This series of recipes is exclusively for members of The Lost Supper Club (paid subscribers).
Last week’s Road Food Recipe: Spicy White Bean Harissa Dip
And from two week’s ago: Paprika Chicken Bites
Roasted Eggplant Dip
This roasted eggplant dip is smoky, garlicky, just a little bit spicy, and exactly the kind of thing I want to eat with pita chips or warm buttered naan—and maybe a stash of cut vegetables and a handful of roasted nuts.
It’s a lose interpretation of baba ganoush - similar, for sure, but straying too far from the traditional for me to actually call it that. Still, if you like baba ganoush, I feel quite confident that you’ll like this recipe.
Also, I’d like to mention that my husband does not care for eggplant but loves this dip. I mean, LOVES it. So, if you have a similar aversion to eggplant, that doesn’t mean you won’t like it when it’s roasted and pureed with chili and garlic.
This newsletter would not exist if not for the members of The Lost Supper Club, who show their support with a paid subscription, thus ensuring that the vast majority of readers can keep reading this newsletter for free. As a thank you, I try to provide those paid subscribers with some cool stuff, including…
The NEW Road Food series
And access to The CookStack Collective, 12 months of cooking classes with 12 incredible chefs!
Watch the replay of the August CookStack Collective Class and register for the September Class!
Yesterday, Betty Williams taught us all how to make two different kinds of kimchi and now both versions are in my refrigerator just waiting to make the weekend more delicious. 😋
To all of you who joined us live, thank you for being there! For anyone who missed it, here’s where you can get the recipes, watch the replay, and register for the September class with Anna Vocino!
In September, Anna will show us how to adapt classic appetizers to be not only gluten free but low carb, along with a Mixology 101 crash course on making fresh, balanced cocktails and mocktails with ingredients you probably already have on hand.
❤️ Did you know that if you hit the heart or recycle symbol at the top or bottom of this post, it makes it easier for other people to find this newsletter?