THE COMFORT OF FOOD

 HEART AND BELLY WARMING DISHES

When I think of comfort food I turn to my Mother's creamy Macaroni and Cheese or her warm belly filling Chicken and Dumplings.  There's nothing so satisfying as recreating the smells of my mother's kitchen then giving my own family the enjoyment, pleasure and contentment of Rena's comforting kitchen.

Cooking up memories of our childhood when warmth and happiness came in the form of a grilled cheese sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup - even good ole Campbell's in a can brings back fond memories.

Whether using American cheese, a sharp cheddar, or a combo of Gruyere and Fontina nothing satisfies my lunchtime hunger like a grilled cheese sandwich. If I'm not in my own kitchen then the next best place for a real grilled cheese sandwich is an old fashioned diner with a side of fries. Some people add ham or tomatoes, grilled onions or even apple slices but not me.

I'm a purist, well with one exception, instead of butter I use - wait for it - MAYO!  Yep mayonnaise and not just any mayonnaise it has to be either Hellman's if I'm up north in Yankee country (known as Best Brands on the west coast) or if down South, home of my birth, it's got to be Dukes mayonnaise.  Even the esteemed food writer Ruth Reichl the one time and last editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine advocates using mayo instead of the traditional butter to sizzle her grilled cheese.  

In the heat of summer another favorite is a straight from the garden beefsteak tomato sandwich.  Perfectly picked tomatoes, plump and juicy bursting with summer flavor, a huge dollop of Hellmans or Dukes and yes the bread has to be a soft white variety, salt and plenty of fresh cracked black pepper and the only other thing I need is a nap on our deck in the cooling shade of the big Ash tree.

Back home in Georgia I can't remember a Thanksgiving, Christmas or Sunday dinner that didn't have a huge pan of bubbling Macaroni and Cheese.  In addition to the creamy, gooey, cheesy sauce my Mother would always on a heavy topping of grated cheddar.  Some people use buttered breadcrumbs mixed with the grated cheese to create a crunchier topping.

I can swing both ways with that one but the cheese has to be a good sharp cheddar. My Mother's secret was to add a good dollop of dijon mustard and when making the sauce she used one part milk and one part heavy cream. It's a wonder we weren't all the size of a baby elephant.

In the 1950's and 60's frozen foods and TV dinners were all the rage.  One of my favorites was Swanson's Chicken or turkey pot pie.  I think they cost s total of either 10 or 15 cents, real bargain food but when you're ten years old they were oh so yummy in the tummy.  Though frozen pot pies were easy and convenient as my cooking skills improved I quickly learned that nothing can beat a good homemade chicken pot pie for the title of ultimate comfort food.  I like mine with a Buttermilk Biscuit crust and my quick cheat is to use a supermarket rotisserie chicken and Better Than Bullion for the broth.

No list or post about comfort food would be complete without mentioning Meat Loaf and I'm not talking about the singer although "I would do anything for love" or for a good meat loaf.  Yes, Meat Loaf is an all-American standard and is as versatile as those who make it.  Whether you use beef, pork, lamb or a combination of meats,  if you bind with breadcrumbs or quick oats, mix in boiled or raw eggs, tomato sauce or tomato ketchup it's so easy to make Meat Loaf your own.

I have a confession - I have never made meat loaf, well maybe once but here I offer my Mother's recipe.  Mother always made hers freeform but I suggest a loaf pan, it's a little more structured and makes it easier to slice up the leftovers for sandwiches the next day.

And now the piece de resistance - dessert.  There are so many comforting sweets to end a meal or if you are like my Lee start off your morning on a sweet note.  Brownies, Devil's Food Cake, Rice Pudding, Bread Pudding ...all are good but in our house there are two favorites from the sweet list of comfort foods: Banana Pudding and Coca Cola Cake.  For years when I wanted to make Banana Pudding I'd continue to be convinced that only my sister had the secret recipe for the Shaver family Banana Pudding.  Finally one year when I called once again for her famous recipe she said with exasperation "Rick you know that the recipe is on the side of the Nilla Vanilla Wafers box"!  So no need to give the recipe here although I make my own vanilla pudding from scratch rather than using instant pudding as suggested on the cookie box because I'm a real cook.

Now finally the Coca Cola Cake.  Maybe this is a Southern thing I'm not sure.  I do know that Coke was invented in Atlanta, GA, with ingredients including a big dose of caffeine as well as a hit of cocaine, a legal additive at the time. It was first dispensed at the soda fountain of Jacob's Pharmacy, Mr Jacob having invented it.  I'm guessing the lines to get a seat at the fountain stretched quite a long ways once people started sampling the big "C" Coke with the little ''c" additive.   It was first bottled in Vicksburg, MS along with other beverages but the first plant dedicated to bottling Coke exclusively was in Chattanooga, TN.  I have a very personal relationship with Coca Cola.  First I was born and raised in a small town in Georgia just south of Chattanooga.  Second I attended Emory University in Atlanta and Emory was dubbed "Coke U" because Asa Candler who bought the secret recipe for Coca Cola endowed the university.  As a freshman living in a dorm there was a Coke machine on every floor where no coins were needed!  With that bit of history in mind here's the recipe for Coca Cola Cake.

THE CAKE

2 cups of all-purpose flour

2 cups of sugar

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 stick of butter

½ cup of vegetable oil

1 cup Coca-cola

½ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

Pre-heat your oven to 325 degrees. Mix together the flour, sugar and cocoa in a large bowl until evenly blended. In a separate pan bring to a boil the butter, vegetable oil, and Coca-cola. When it comes to a boil pour the liquid mixture over the dry mixture in the large bowl and mix well. Add the buttermilk, baking soda, eggs and vanilla and blend until smooth. Pour into a Bundt mold and bake for one hour. Check with a toothpick to make sure the cake is done and the toothpick comes out clean. Place the cake on a drying rack

THE FROSTING

1 stick butter

6 tablespoons Coca-Cola

3 tablespoons cocoa

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 box powdered sugar

In a sauce pan add butter, Coca-cola, cocoa and vanilla and bring to a boil for one minute. In another bowl add the powdered sugar then pour the boiled mixture over the powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Let this cool but not harden. Slip the cake out of the Bundt pan onto a platter or cake stand with lip. Drizzle the frosting over the cake. The lip on the platter/cake stand will prevent the icing from dripping off. Now if that doesn't make your teeth itch nothing will. But for me the cake will always remind me of my family and that will give me great comfort.

THE GALLERY

Big S. Everett, MA, 1980, John Woolf, photographer, represented by Robert Klein Gallery