Even More Comfort Food

I'm sure the weather has a lot to do with it... grey, grey and more grey.... so cold, my fingers even feel like Bob Cratchit in Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol. But I'm really not complaining. It just means bringing out the old family favorite comfort foods.

Like the Salmon Patties above... always served with mashed potatoes... a little bit lumpy and very buttery... and canned corn niblets.
...Or like my mom's Creamed Salmon on Toast... we used to call it something a lot less flattering, but that never stopped us from asking for seconds... and sometimes thirds.
...Or like some hearty soup. My dad's favorite was beef & barley soup, but mine were her split pea or lentil soups with lots of short ribs. And then I found this recipe for Mushroom, Beef, Barley AND Lentil Soup.... need I say more?

So my question is... how come it's the dreary weather that pulls out all the stops when it comes to craving family favorites from childhood?

And, even though, there is more than soup here, I'm sharing with Deb at her Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sundays. Since it's positively freezing here, you know I'll be checking out this week's roundup for more super soups to warm my bones.

Comfort Foods

On Sunday, I spoke at the Word On the Street Literacy Festival here in Halifax. It was great fun, talking about "How Every Kitchen Tells Its Stories",
and I even had a helper... Boaz and his family were there to cheer me on and...as they often do, anyway...listen to me tell my stories. But this post is not about them, or even my stories...it's about one of the questions that came up after the readings. "What's my favorite comfort food?"

It was a hard question to answer...not because I can't think of foods I eat when I'm feeling sickly or sad or frustrated or crazed, but because I have so many comfort foods to choose from.

I blurted out Shepherd's Pie...and actually made some the night before. And, because it was damp and cold...I said any thick and hearty soup. And in point of fact...weather being what it is here...still foggy, damp and rainy...I'll be making a new recipe for Pumpkin & Mushroom Soup - check back tomorrow for it.

But the question got me thinking. First...other than when I'm really sick and need a "food hug from MY Mummy", why do I never think of comfort food in the summer? And frankly, from September to April, at least, just about every meal I make could be called comfort food. Is it just me, or are you the same?
The next question is what exactly constitutes the term "comfort food"?. One of my favorites, on those days when I feel blah..like the weather, or just in a mood, is scrambled eggs and baked beans. This dish was served often when I was a kid. And it did not start with homemade beans either.
Don't get me wrong, I make an awesome Chorizo & Bean Chili - which, by the way, is another favorite comfort food saved for AFTER a cold & dreary day of running around doing errands.

But I digress...I love eggs and make scrambles or frittatas just about every weekend. But that's not the same as scrambled eggs and baked beans. The comfort food version is just beaten eggs gently fried in lots of butter. No fancy goat cheese, I don't even add salt or pepper during cooking. I need that bright, buttery yellow on my plate. And I need baked beans from a can with a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce, some garlic powder and a teaspoon or two of brown sugar.

Back to the question "what's your favorite comfort food? " What's yours and when do you need it?