"l not -l" > wrote in message
...
>
> On 17-Oct-2013, jmcquown > wrote:
>
>> I don't know about l not -l but I "grew up" with very few things I'd
>> consider comfort food. I've mentioned many times, Mom hated to cook.
>>
>> I didn't grow up eating beans and greens and cornbread.
> I did grow up eating those things; but, don't really think of them as
> comfort food. My grandparents on one side were share-croppers and rural
> store operators on the other. In rural Kentucky, where I was born and
> lived 'til age 12, that is what people ate. Most didn't have much
> money; but, had plenty of food from foraging, planting and the parts of
> animals that didn't bring much money.
>
> For many years my job had me traveling and eating out a lot; I
> eventually tired of all that "great" food - steaks, seafood, trendy
> vegetables etc. When I came home from travel, I wanted simple,
> great-tasting food and started making the food I knew from childhood; in
> part, because I knew how. Also, aging, frequent travel and stressful
> work creates health issues that suggest changes to diet.
>
> Greens are great for you and the silky mouth-feel of greens cooked in a
> long simmered pork shank broth is unbeatable. The collagen leaches from
> the shank (or hock) to make a fantastic cooking liquid that also
> captures the nutrients cooked out of the greens. Beans are a tasty
> source of protein, quite filling and can stretch a small amount of meat
> into a very filling meal. I have an affinity for crunchy texture vs
> soft; this makes cornbread a great choice over almost any white-flour
> bread. For a long time, I have made most of the bread I eat; cornbread
> is a tasty, quick bread when there is no time (or planning ahead) to
> make a sourdough semolina or other more sturdy bread.
>
> So, yes, I grew up eating what, in the 70s, became known as soul food
> (previously it was simply food for folks without a lot of cash) . I do
> have a lot of fond memories of family meals that involved those foods.
> But, I don't seek comfort by eating them; I simply eat them because they
> are tasty and, for the most part, good for my body. In the years since
> I changed my lifestyle, such as eating simple food again, I have lost 34
> pounds, 6 inches around my waist and have my former health issues well
> under control - that is a comfort. 8-)

Mashed potatoes are a comfort food to me. Not exactly sure why except
perhaps that they are warm and require no chewing. My favorite ones would
have plenty of caramelized onions, bacon and sharp cheddar. Never eaten
with a meal. Sometimes eaten as a meal. More often eaten as a snack.

But overall, I don't comfort myself with food. I know a lot of people do.
Things that provide comfort for me are wrapping up in a blanket, taking a
nap, a hot bath, or at times a hot cup of tea.