Food that nourishes both body and soul
Guest Post by Amy Barbato
Comfort Food: the words themselves elicit nurturing feelings of contentment and joy. Inspired by several Food Network shows devoted to this topic, I found myself contemplating what it is about the concept that speaks to so many of us in similar ways. I watched as the TV cooks blissfully shared their own favorites, many of which were attached to family memories and cultural connections. From decadent mac ‘n’ cheese to wintery stews to warm, sticky toffee pudding, these recipes are often of the rich and hearty kind that stick to your ribs, while soothing your spirit.
Certainly, an abundance of only these lush foods is not what we turn to for our daily aspirations of a balanced diet and weight management. However, they remind us that food is not the enemy — its purpose is to nurture and sustain us. We’re not talking about mindless, emotional eating here. Rather, these recipes, which are often linked to memories of home and hearth, are the occasional indulgence that connects us to our heritage and feeds our soul. It was when Nigella Lawson shared her favorite, her mom’s Warmed Sugared Bread in Milk, that I saw how even the simplest, and most pedestrian of recipes, can be overflowing with love.
This brought to mind my own favorite “go-to” comfort food, my mom’s Pasta Fagioli. This is a simple, rustic, “peasant dish” of Italian heritage, consisting of olive oil, garlic, tomato sauce, white beans, and small cut pasta — topped off with fresh, grated cheese. The consistency is somewhere between a soup and a stew, or what TV cook Rachel Ray calls a “stoup”. While inexpensive and easy to make, this dish is hearty and, for me, full of home and love.
