I’ve been thinking a lot about comfort food recently (ok, let’s be honest… I’ve been doing more than just thinking about it…!). And I’m not saying comfort food when I’m really meaning junk food. I mean the food that we really want to eat, need to eat, during our most difficult times, that brings us comfort. The food that reminds us of home, of being cared for, of being loved. The food your mum would cook when you were sick or sad. The food that you give your kids when they’ve had a bad day or are recovering from being ill.
Comfort food that is nurturing, wholesome and fills you with more than just calories. It fills you with something that is way more than just the energy that it provides or the hunger that it satiates. Comfort food that feels like a warm cosy blanket for the soul as well as the stomach.
We all have our own ‘go to’ foods for comfort. Some of mine are warm oats made with milk. Tomato soup with a toasted cheese sandwich on the side. And pasta, specifically fresh ravioli. As I read recently in Matt Haig’s wonderful, ‘The Comfort Book – No physical appearance is worth not eating pasta for.’
Comfort food is way to keep us connected to the memories of home, love, nurturing and hope. It reminds us of times of recovery and being taken care of. It is a vital part of ‘Renewal’, which we need in order to be Authentically Resilient.
What are your go-to comfort foods? We’d love to hear from you…
-Written by Pippa Shaper
3 Responses
Tomato Butter Pasta – Ottolenghi – Pure comfort!
700g cherry tomatoes
300g vine tomatoes, roughly grated and skins discarded (200g net weight)
10g oregano sprigs, leaves picked
20g basil leaves
6 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp caster sugar
Salt and black pepper
150g unsalted butter, cut into 2cm cubes
250g fusilloni, or fusilli
25g parsley, finely chopped
Grated parmesan, to serve (optional)
Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7.
Put the first eight ingredients in a roughly 20cm x 30cm roasting tin, add a teaspoon and a half of salt and a good grind of pepper, and toss to combine. Cover tightly with foil and bake for an hour, until the tomatoes have cooked down.
Remove the foil (keep it, because you’ll need it again in a bit), stir in the butter and pasta, then pour over 400ml boiling water, cover again with the foil and bake for another 35 minutes. Remove the foil and bake uncovered for a final 10 minutes, or until the pasta is nicely sauced and cooked through. Sprinkle over the parsley and serve, with or without parmesan for sprinkling on top.
Love this! Thanks for sharing Carey – we are definitely going to give this a try.
CARBOHYDRATES Zim every shape and form 😁