Comfort Food - Different Foods Same Feeling

Hi everyone sorry it's been a few days since the last post but the job and some work on the farm kind of kept me pretty busy. But going back to the farm the last couple of days started me thinking about how things have changed growing up - and how some things evoke those memories. Everyone has the special food or meal that takes you back to a time when things were less complicated and that food allows you to re-visit that time if only for a little while.





Here is Ike demonstrating his idea of comfort...





Here are a couple of recipes - one from my my wife's late mother, Joan - who was the epitome of a 1950-1960's housewife , and one my wife enjoyed with a childhood friend's family - so comfort food doesn't have to be your own - only your memories need to be.

The Sloppy Joe recipe brings back so many memories of growing up for my wife - that really is the definition of comfort food.. What it is is almost secondary to what it means.


Joanie's Sloppy Joes
1 lb Lean Ground Beef
1 Tbsp Minced Onion
1 Tbsp Dry Mustard
1 tsp Chili Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 Cup Water
1 Small Bottle Ketchup
Brown ground beef and drain fat if necessary. Keep heat med low. Add Dry Mustard, Chili Powder, Salt and Minced Onion. Let spices warm through (about 2 minutes) add sugar, ketchup and up to 1 cup of water. Simmer on medium to low heat for at least 1/2 hour to reduce liquid. Serve on hambuger buns - or even open face topped with some cheese slices.


This recipe is one my wife's childhood friend's mother made EVERY Sunday and conveniently enough my wife as a young child happened to be at their house almost every Sunday evening... (Hmmm I think I smell something there - and it isn't just garlic)

Red Gravy (sauce)
2 packages of Pork neck bones or similar pork bones
(or you can replace this with 1 lb Ground Sirloin if neck bones aren't your thing - but try it they really make a difference)
Olive Oil for sauteeing
1 Medium Onion diced medium
2 cloves Garlic chopped fine
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
2 cans (28 oz each Crushed Tomatoes or tomato puree)
6-6 oz cans tomato paste
Water (fill both cans of crushed tomato puree with water)
3 tsp Dried Parsley
1 tsp Dried Sweet Basil
1/4 cup Sugar
Salt and pepper neck bones, saute` in olive oil until brown -doing it in stages if pot gets too crowded. The onions and garlic can be sweated after the last of the bones are browned. Place all bones back in pot and add tomato puree and tomato paste and water. Then add all other spices and sugar. Simmer 6-8 HOURS (yeah I know - I said it was tasty not quick)
After simmering, remove bones and discard them after removing meat. Chop meat and add back to sauce...
It is great over chicken parmesan, ravioli, stuffed shells - heck an old shoe would taste pretty good if it was covered in this..

My idea of comfort food really isn't a single food but really more of a how a meal was made up. It's tough to explain, but I'll try in as few a words as possible...

Growing up especially around this time of year, we would sit down at the farm for noon meal (always at noon, that's another story) and look at the food on the table and everything on the table (except the milk my brother drank was home raised. The pork, chicken or beef all born and raised the potatoes planted and dug by our own hands, the sweet corn, the tomatoes, the cucumbers, the bread, and even the apple cobbler for desert... So you see going back to the farm last week triggered those memories for me and in turn this blog..

So feel free to tell reply with what is YOUR comfort food - I would be interested to hear what triggers those memories for you.