The actual substance of comfort food might differ from family to family, but the urge to eat it is, I believe, pretty universal at this time of year. The nights are drawing in, the children at run-up-to-half-term tiredness levels. Folks all around us coughing and sneezing. Who couldn't use a food related hug? For us, tonight, it comes courtesy of a baked apple.
These fine specimens are currently residing in the oven, cored, filled with a few raisins, a squeeze of orange juice over them to moisten the dried fruit and then anointed with a dot of butter and a tiny sprinkle of demerara sugar.
Not really a recipe - the finest comfort food doesn't require one. There is no need to refer to a book or to weigh and measure. Comfort food is never about challenging flavour combinations or cheffy techniques. It should be as simple to make as it is to eat. Dippy egg and soldiers, baked potato with oodles of butter, crumble. They'd all make it onto my list. Yours?
We had egg, chips and beans yesterday and it was pretty damn comforting. What else? hmmmm....rice pudding, hollygog pudding, sausage and bean stew, cheese and onion pie, baked potato with butter and cheese.
Posted by: Sue | 12 October 2012 at 18:25
Hollygog pudding?
Baked anything for me!
Posted by: Toffeeapple | 12 October 2012 at 18:35
Bangers and mash with red onion gravy. Bread of any kind but especially toast. Tea and ginger cake. A cooked breakfast to start the morning after the night before. Custard. Leek and potato soup. I crave all of it at this time of year. Oh yes,, and a looser waistband... C.x
Posted by: noknittedknickers | 12 October 2012 at 20:00
Toast is perfect. every time- for any occasion.
Toast and too much butter- licking your wrist is all part of the comfort!
Posted by: janet clare | 12 October 2012 at 20:13
Soup with crusty bread and anything from the slowcooker with rice or mash potatoes. I've also been enjoying a midweek roast chicken (I've never really done the whole roast on Sunday thing). I've been making individual potpies with the leftovers too. Recipe from here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4-k89IIsLw&list=UUl0kP-Cfe-GGic7Ilnk-u_Q&index=10&feature=plcp
Posted by: lina | 12 October 2012 at 20:37
I could live on toast and butter. I may need supervision by the food police if I ever live by myself.
Posted by: Alice C | 12 October 2012 at 21:15
dippy eggs and soldiers? I don't know what that is...
crusty bread.
hummus.
pizza.
(why raisins? ew! ;)
Posted by: kirsten | 13 October 2012 at 01:51
Definitely crumble - apple with a few raspberries thrown in for good measure. Oh and toast - can't live without nice buttered toast.
Posted by: Aussie Mum | 13 October 2012 at 07:16
Porridge with honey, chestnut soup, cauliflower cheese ... this is making me hungry!
In all honesty being able to chew an apple would be pretty comforting just now. I have a still undiagnosed jaw problem that means I can't chew properly and have been living on mush all summer. I should be getting thinner but my comfort foods of choice have been chocolate and ice cream!
Posted by: Annie @ knitsofacto | 13 October 2012 at 09:50
Tomato soup!
Posted by: Amanda | 13 October 2012 at 10:54
Hot buttered toast for me please, maybe with some sauteed mushrooms too but on it's own is comforting enough. Though baked apples would also be on my list, especially if I can have mine with a lick of cream. Hope you enjoyed yours and you're right, it's definitely the season for eating comfort food!
Posted by: Julie | 14 October 2012 at 09:37
mmmm baked apples. yum! soup is comfort food for me, perhaps with a nice batch of cheesy scones.
Posted by: driftwood | 14 October 2012 at 16:22
Teacakes and builders tea.
Macaroni cheese.
Sticky toffee pudding and cream.
Roast chicken.
Mmm. Making me feel hungry.
Ax
Posted by: Magic Bean | 14 October 2012 at 21:06
Forgot to ask- where did you get your corer? Have been after one like that for ages... Ax
Posted by: Magic Bean | 14 October 2012 at 21:10
Soup, soup, soup!
Had to go all the way to NYC to really discover what dippy eggs and soldiers was all about!
Posted by: Laura | 15 October 2012 at 04:37
You're absolutely right - comfort food shouldn't meed too much of a recipe or any kind of stress in the cooking. Porridge, flapjack, homemade soup, fish pie or anything with mashed potato really and your baked apples would do it for me or the gingerbread in your previous post - sadly, unlike you I have a very sweet tooth! E x
Posted by: Thomasina Tittlemouse | 15 October 2012 at 16:38
A really nice soup or macaroni cheese, perhaps. Something warming and hearty. Tonight we had Bacon and Cheddar Cheese Soup. Now that's a bowl of autumnal hug...
Posted by: Kate | 15 October 2012 at 19:59
My go to foods are grilled pumpernickel and cheese with ham and a spread of dijon mustard inside. Another fav is alphabet pasta with butter, salt, pepper and a hot cuppa tea.
Posted by: erin | 16 October 2012 at 17:17
I miss Bramley apples.
Comfort food for me is usually pretty much anything that reminds me of home, but chocolate is usually the most easy to get hold of... It's still too warm here for me to want to hang about in the kitchen for long.
Posted by: UK lass in US | 20 October 2012 at 19:16
we make apple pie here. My own granny's recipe that my now Italian bred husband thinks is his domain...I'm OK with that!
Posted by: tiel | 23 October 2012 at 12:23
Poached eggs on cheese on toast
Cheesy mash
Fresh bread still warm with melting butter
Chocolate semolina with flapjack topping
Posted by: Tia | 23 October 2012 at 21:04
Oh the goodies I read here ... now I crave a lot of them!
Just had apple crumble a couple of hours ago, definitely a comfort food.
Posted by: Paola | 26 October 2012 at 16:02
Crumble. Oh yes.
Roast chicken, still warm, in a sandwich.
Good homemade flapjack
All eaten under a quilt or *whispers* in bed!
Posted by: Emma | 26 October 2012 at 17:42