What is Comfort Food?
As a child, in Colombia, every time I arrived home from a trip or on days that were cold, I would come home to find a nice dinner of kidney beans, rice, beef and plantains, spicy black bean soup, or often times, the traditional Colombian dish of Ajiaco (soup made with four kinds of potatoes, chicken and herbs). When I first moved to South Florida and began my study of food, I realized that the people around me knew foods different from mine as the traditional home-cooked meals. I began hearing the term comfort food, but for some reason, it was used in reference to collard greens, macaroni and cheese, fried chicken, and other foods that were not as common in my childhood. My life in New England introduced me to chowder, baked beans, lobster rolls and fried seafood, all of which became some of my favorites as an adult, but are comfort foods of that region. I guess I've come to realize that comfort food is where the heart is.
Many days, when I got home from school, or on some weekends for breakfast I had grilled cheese sandwiches. As I grew up, they included different ingredients. The traditional in my house was made with two slices of white bread mustard and Colombian white cheese, but other varieties included Colombian white and yellow cheese; ham ; tomato and oregano; and my favorite, the guava paste and "queso sabana" a Colombian yellow cheese that melts and tastes similar to Gouda. All of these variations bring me back to my childhood, and for that reason, for me, fit the definition of comfort food.
A number of my American friends from both Florida and New England also think of grilled cheese sandwiches as comfort food; however, their combination usually consists of two slices of white bread and some form of American Cheddar cheese served with cream of tomato soup. This combination filled many kitchens during times of depression and war, when both the money to buy food and the space to prepare it in were scarce and therefore made this dish simple to assemble and affordable when serving a number of people. Children and grandchildren of the depression have enjoyed this dish as their comfort food for decades.
In a time of economic crisis, many of us have had to return to those foods that fit two important categories: they warm our heart and nourish us and also fit our budget. Restaurants have been trying to cater to these needs as well, in order to survive or thrive during the crisis and continue to cater to their customers. I was pleasantly surprised when I recently visited one of my favorite South Florida restaurants and found on their menu three variations of grilled cheese sandwiches (plain cheese, bacon and lobster) served with tomato soup. This is a way to cater to the people's emotional needs while serving great, unpretentious food.
As the cold month of January comes to an end in sunny Florida, I look forward to a busy February surrounded by great comfort food. February 7th will feature foods such as: chicken wings, hot dogs, and other tailgating foods as the Super Bowl comes to Miami. February 14th will welcome Valentine's Day with the all time favorite comfort food: chocolate. The month will end on February 27th and 28th with the South Beach Wine and Food Festival. This year, I will be working the Food Labs event at Fun and Fit as a Family where we will work interactively with kids teaching them how to make good, wholesome food that will maybe one day have them reminiscing about the food of their childhood.