The Joys of Comfort Food

     Comfort food is the food that we remember from childhood, that made us feel good when our mother or grandmother prepared it. Or it may be a special food that reminds you of  a good memory and when you just think of it, it can make you feel good all over!
     A few weeks ago a friend gave me a bag with quite a few plum tomatoes in it. The first thought that came to my mind when I saw them was that I could make homemade spaghetti sauce and then I remembered my mother's style of 'home made spaghetti' and I could almost taste it, so made a batch up and enjoyed every morsel!!! Mom's spaghetti was not fancy - just spaghetti or macaroni cooked, a jar (she always canned tomatoes every summer) of stewed tomatoes. In later years I think she added green pepper and onions, but when we were kids it was just the tomatoes and pasta. We would sprinkle a little sugar over it and it was sooo good.
     Another 'dish' mom made that we all enjoyed was her sloppy joe mix. She would brown ground beef, add onion and green pepper and saute until the meat was browned and the onion and peppers soft, then she would add catsup (usually her home canned catsup) and a little barbeque sauce. Simple as this is, it is still my favorite way to make sloppy joe and the best ever.
     My husband made the best vegetable soup and no matter how I try, mine is never as good as what I remember his to be. But when I eat a big bowl of home made vegetable soup, I can feel his presence and remember the many times we shared vegetable soup together.
     My paternal grandmother loved to bake and it always smelled so good when you would come into the kitchen. Even if she was not in the middle of baking, the fragrance of something she had made earlier in the day would still be there. Her coffee cakes, stollens and cookies were masterpieces and would taste as good as they looked.
     This is just a start, I could go on forever about the good foods that bring comfort to me when I think of them or have the opportunity to have them again. I know that you all have certain foods that fit the "comfort food" criteria. So simple or complex - whatever your comfort food is - I hope this little blog has made you think of them again. For now, Bon Apetit