Comfort Food Thread.

[Mr Mystery]

Also the top secret headquarters of the fledgling Bell of Lost Souls League of Fatties.

I myself count myself as a fattie. I may not have the girth, but I have the appetite!

And these thoughts got my mind turned to comfort foods. For some, it's a memory of a cherished holiday. For me? Absolutely 100% Granny Allan and Granny Robinsons' cooking (respective sides of my family, not some bizarre liberal set up intended to irk the Daily Mail).

Granny Robinson? Fish and Chips. Man she knows how to fry good fish, and I'm happy to say she's passed the recipe on to my brother and I. White fish fillet, seasoned flour dredge, dip in a beaten egg, then coat in Paxo golden breadcrumbs. Shallow Fry until done. Absolutely beautiful! I do my own chips from scratch. Granny Robinson deep fries oven chips (goodbye arteries, hello tasty!)

Granny Allan? Baking, baking, more baking, and Scottish Mutton Pie with baked beans and pickled beetroot. Absolutely glorious! She's been gone around 22 years now, but I still miss her and her baking/cooking (I know, sappy, but screw you. She's my Granny!)

How about you?

[Kaptain Badrukk]

Apple and Blackberry crumble.
My being a fattie has a lot to do with a sugar addiction and the rest to do with a love of cooking huge puddings.
I make a mean crumble.

Oh and epic sandwiches.

[Denzark]

Toast. Beer.

[Kaptain Badrukk]

Toast. Beer.

Beertoast?

[Mr Mystery]

Toast. Beer.

What kind of Beer? And what's on the Toast??? WE MUST KNOW!

Also, in general, never underestimate tasty soups. Man I love soup. Especially Heinz soup. It's something I could make myself, but to be honest, when ASDA are doing tins of Heinz for 50p, why bother :p

[Psychosplodge]

I second Toast.

Also Yorkshire puddings and gravy

and gravy sandwhiches

[Wolfshade]

Maybe combining Bananabread beer with bananabread toast, that has to be two of your 5 a day :)

Top Tip Mystery, Aldi's Tomato Soup has just won a which "Best Buy" beating the Heinz offering. I was shocked and tried it myself. It is less creamy, however there is a lovely tartness that you get from proper tomato soup so I would recommend it.

[Mr Mystery]

Maybe combining Bananabread beer with bananabread toast, that has to be two of your 5 a day :)

Top Tip Mystery, Aldi's Tomato Soup has just won a which "Best Buy" beating the Heinz offering. I was shocked and tried it myself. It is less creamy, however there is a lovely tartness that you get from proper tomato soup so I would recommend it.

Three a day if you count the Hops!

Interesting about Aldi....however, nearest one is in The Dark Place...and I ain't ever going back, you hear me, EVER!

And how does one make a gravy sandwich? I am not doubtful. I am intrigued!

[Brakkart]

Comfort food that I make myself is sandwiches. I could pretty much live on sandwiches. Absolutely love them.

Comfort food that I buy has to be Tortilla Chips and Dip. The Chips can be Chilli or Cheese flavour (or Chilli Cheese!) and the Dip has to be either Hot Salsa (Dorito's one is best) or Sour Cream and Onion/Chive.

[Psychosplodge]

And how does one make a gravy sandwich? I am not doubtful. I am intrigued!



leftover gravy on plate(it's not the same with freshly made). slap slice of bread on, lift fold and eat...

[Mr Mystery]

leftover gravy on plate(it's not the same with freshly made). slap slice of bread on, lift fold and eat...

Oh, a dippy in I know it as! Oh yes. It's very nice!

Sweet tooth change up....my Mum's chocolate trifle. I may have been horribly shouted at one christmas time due to rolling in drunk whilst everyone else was asleep, and scoffing the entire thing to myself......

[Wolfshade]

What is it about you northern types with your obsession with gravy.
Walk into a Chippy and get asked if I want gravy on my chips then to make matters worse they start talking about barn cakes wtf?!

[Psychosplodge]

I'm not a fan of gravy on chips(it gets in the way of the vinegar). Though plenty of people are.
Is Barn cake manc?

[eldargal]

Gravy on chips is fine, it's tomato sauce/ketchup on chips I think is an abomination.

[Mr Mystery]

I believe it's a Barm, not a Barn. A Barn is what you keep chickens in. A Barm is where northern types find the food heaven of black pudding and fried egg (has a quick worship on that count).....

I encountered them in Stockport, which is pretty much Manchester far as I'm considered!

[Wolfshade]

Yup.
That was the wrong term, I forget what it was.

[Deadlift]

I make a mean bread and butter pudding, 2 recipe adaptations I keep going back to are chocolate and raspberry or white chocolate and peach. Served with clotted cream. Yummy ;)

My mrs does a fantastic salted caramel cheesecake which is nice too. All proper comfort food.

[Mr Mystery]

I make a mean bread and butter pudding, 2 recipe adaptations I keep going back to are chocolate and raspberry or white chocolate and peach. Served with clotted cream. Yummy ;)

My mrs does a fantastic salted caramel cheesecake which is nice too. All proper comfort food.

To be honest, I was expecting yours to be 'a small herd of Buffalo, or a couple of free range chicken farms', you man of mighty appetite you! :p

[Deadlift]

To be honest, I was expecting yours to be 'a small herd of Buffalo, or a couple of free range chicken farms', you man of mighty appetite you! :p

Yeah but we're talking comfort food, chicken breasts are just tasteless slabs of protein. Toad in the hole on the other hand with nice creamy mash, balsamic and red onion gravy.
I have been lucky enough to eat at some of the nicer restaurants in London too. Most memorable was The Ivy. Crab bisque followed by Lamb Shank in a caper and cream sauce. They were both pretty comforting. So whilst I do eat like a machine. It's nice to actually taste what goes in sometimes :o

[Mr Mystery]

Best restaurant meal I ever had was at Rick Stein's one in Padstow. Was about 16 years ago now, but man, that Tuna steak was absolutley perfect!

[eldargal]

Chicken thighs are much tastier. Some of my favourite comfort foods:

Homemade chocolate fudge (sugar, milk, butter, cocoa, vanilla essence, nothing else)
Roast pheasant with vegetables
Steak and kidney pie
Devilled kidneys
Boiled eggs and toasty soldiers
Stuffed lambs hearts
Borscht
Chocolate
Candied violets
Roast pork knuckle with red cabbage
Cake

[Deadlift]

Best restaurant meal I ever had was at Rick Stein's one in Padstow. Was about 16 years ago now, but man, that Tuna steak was absolutley perfect!

I would like to go, it's not far and what the mans done for Padstow in general is commendable. True story my grandfather was once assaulted by Rick Stein. Unfortunately for poor Rick he got assaulted right back.

[Mr Mystery]

I would like to go, it's not far and what the mans done for Padstow in general is commendable. True story my grandfather was once assaulted by Rick Stein. Unfortunately for poor Rick he got assaulted right back.

Ha! Awesome!

And EG's list of foods is rather good. Not sure about the stuffed Lambs Hearts, on account I'm not a fan of Lamb overall (I know, unusual) and to be honest, I don't recall ever having tried Borscht.

[eldargal]

Lamb hearts have quite a subtle flavour. Some more things I forgot:

Slow cooked pork inna bun
Champagne is a food right?
Weisswurst
Bratwurst
Wurst in general...
Sausages
Raw milk cheese
Chips

[Mr Mystery]

[obvious sausage related comment]Too obvious[/obvious sausage related comment]

But what is 'raw milk cheese'? Never heard of it.

Everything else, yespleasethankyouMrsEldargal'sMamyespleasethankyou .

[Deadlift]

I used to be able to afford a bottle of Dom every now and then, but then the kids came along :(

How about a good old fashioned fish finger sandwich. They can be pretty awesome when in the mood.

[Mr Mystery]

Yes.

I favour mine with a bit of Salad Cream myself.

[Deadlift]

[obvious sausage related comment]Too obvious[/obvious sausage related comment]

But what is 'raw milk cheese'? Never heard of it.

Everything else, yespleasethankyouMrsEldargal'sMamyespleasethankyou .

Talking of Sausages matey, do you still make them on occasion ?9

[eldargal]

You should see me suck a Weisswurst out of its skin.:p One of the traditional ways of eating them and it certainly turns heads in Munich.

Used to joke that I'd start an organic butchers called 'Sausages, Hur'.

Raw milk cheese is cheese (who'd have thought?) made from raw or unpasteurised milk, makes for much, much greater depth of flavour.

[Psychosplodge]

How about a good old fashioned fish finger sandwich. They can be pretty awesome when in the mood.


Yes.

I favour mine with a bit of Salad Cream myself.

Even easier...

[Gotthammer]

EG, probably would have been easier to list what you don't eat ;)

For me it's Tim Tams, Cadbury chocolate or lemons. Though not together as that would be kinda gross. Can get through a whole pack of Tim Tams in about 15 minutes no problem.

Also if I'm feeling particularly crappy raw tubes of cookie dough may get consumed. And I ice ate half a tub of double cream with a spoon. It was mot my smartest decision.

[Deadlift]

You should see me suck a Weisswurst out of its skin.:p One of the traditional ways of eating them and it certainly turns heads in Munich.

Used to joke that I'd start an organic butchers called 'Sausages, Hur'.

Raw milk cheese is cheese (who'd have thought?) made from raw or unpasteurised milk, makes for much, much greater depth of flavour.

So when you suck these sausages, you peel the skin back 1st ;)

[eldargal]

Pfft, thse are just some of my comfort foods, not even general diet.:p


So when you suck these sausages, you peel the skin back 1st ;)

Actually you cut it in half, dip in mustard and then suck the filling out of each half.:p

[Wolfshade]

Weisswurst
Bratwurst
Wurst in general...



[obvious sausage related comment]Too obvious[/obvious sausage related comment]

Have you tried knobwurst?

[Kaptain Badrukk]

I've been know to, it has a surprisingly salty aftertaste ;)

[Mr Mystery]

http://blog.allthedumbthings.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/fs.gif

Yes. I just got Finbarr'd!

[Brakkart]

Hmm thinking about it a few more things that I like.

Wine Gums - I can merrily eat one of those big boxes of the things that are only in the shops around xmas time in one sitting.

Cake - Most type of cake, but especially the fruit cake and banana cake that my Nan makes. My mum has used the same recipes and gets nothing like the same result which is odd, but just makes me enjoy visits to my Nan all the more.

Fudge - I make my own using an adjusted Nigella recipe which uses Dark Choc, Pistachios, Condensed Milk and Cherries. Made a huge batch of it as xmas pressies for friends last year, most of whom have spent the past year strongly hinting that they they'd very much like the same again.

Lasagne - By far and away my favourite meal.

[eldargal]

It's odd, I love most things made with condensed milk and I love condensed milk. At University sometimes I would buy a can and drink it with my meal much to some peoples horror. But I can't stand fudge made with condensed milk.:rolleyes: It's the texture I think, not properly fudgy.

[Wolfshade]

Condensed milk goes to bannoffee pie, good with the aforementioned bananananananabread beer

Also all of these look great: http://www.carnation.co.uk/recipes/Search/Products/1/Condensed-Milk

[Psychosplodge]

Parkin!
And it's the right time of year for it!
Be getting some of that on the way home...

[Deadlift]

This threads making me hungry. Not difficult I know but hungry for the bad stuff.

[Wolfshade]

What on earth is Parkin?

Also I am eating Dark Chocolated Cadbury Jaffa Cakes, that is how I roll.

[Psychosplodge]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parkin_%28cake%29

[Wolfshead]

From back 'ome in Blighty:
My Mum's toad in the hole. I told her not to give me the recipe so she'll have to come and visit to make it!
Jumbo battered sausage, chips and mushy peas, with a generous amount of Heinz* salad cream all over.
Gypsy tart.
Semolina pudding.
My Nan's rice pudding. Dunno what she used to do to it, but no other rice pud has ever been a patch on it.
Cornish pasties.

New Finnish additions:
The Mother-in-Law's Karelian pasties (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karelian_pasty). I like them with the egg butter, but they are best, in my non-Karelian opinion, with Finnish cream cheese slices on and bunged in the oven for a few to warm through.
Lingonberry porridge. It's essentially semolina pudding with lingonberries whisked in until it goes pink and extra ace.

[scadugenga]

It's the southern upbringing, but there is nothing like hot buttermilk biscuits with fresh butter.

[Denzark]

What kind of Beer? And what's on the Toast??? WE MUST KNOW!

Also, in general, never underestimate tasty soups. Man I love soup. Especially Heinz soup. It's something I could make myself, but to be honest, when ASDA are doing tins of Heinz for 50p, why bother :p

Mmmm, broccoli and stilton soup.

The beer of the moment is Innis and Gunn. The Toast, must be on white decent bread (not ratty Tesco's value), with just butter, never marge or spread. It must be fully salted butter. Ideally the bread will be under a gas grill not a toaster, and done until golden/slightly dark. No white showing. I was having half marmite, but it seemed to be making me poo a lot.

[Build]

My favourite comfort food has to be sweet potato, might not be what most people would dive in for, but I find it tastes oh so good...

[Deadlift]

My favourite comfort food has to be sweet potato, might not be what most people would dive in for, but I find it tastes oh so good...

Very good for you too :)

[Mr Mystery]

I'm seeing quite a lot of Gran's cooking praise here...and people unable to explain why it tastes so much better than anyone else's attempts....

And honestly, cheesey as it is, I think it's because Gran's genuinely cook with love.

I love my Granny me! :)

[Deadlift]

I'm seeing quite a lot of Gran's cooking praise here...and people unable to explain why it tastes so much better than anyone else's attempts....

And honestly, cheesey as it is, I think it's because Gran's genuinely cook with love.

I love my Granny me! :)

Lol, me too although mines called Nana

I think it has something to do with not messing with the ingredients and everything they tend to use isn't processed garbage. It tends to make things taste better when it's made with rich butter and silky cream :D
Which brings me to this blessed country of ours. I have traveled a lot and nobody does dairy food better than us Brits.

But going back to Grandmothers, your right about the love thing Mystery.

[Mr Mystery]

At the risk of sounding jingoistic and a bit Daily Mail, I think the ingredients thing harkens back to the War and rationing.

People had to make do with less than ideal ingredients, because that's all you typically had. But, come a special occasion, things would be done to ensure a proper, proper birthday cake and stuff.

And at the end of rationing, people appreciated ingredients like never before. Certainly I can't make my Macaroni Cheese without proper butter, full fat Milk, and a really good, really mature cheddar. Anything else, and it just tastes bland, or the roux base for the sauce doesn't thicken it properly!

Good old Granny! She knows her stuff!

[Wolfshade]

I think it is because they cook with lard.

[Mr Mystery]

http://farm2.staticflickr.com/1007/1448897656_6c67976f05.jpg

Yes. Yes indeed!

Also....all this healthy eating stuff..... Gran and Grandad now both firmly in their 80's. Never had what you might call a health conscious lifestyle....discrepancy?

[eldargal]

Rationing destroyed the food culture of this country. We had a generation who grew up on baked beans on toast and processed **** and vast numbers of regional dished nearly died out. A lot did. For all it's current trend towards hipsterdom the food culture revival in this coutnry over the past 20 years has done a world of good. You should see the look of horror on my fathers face when he talks about seeing baked beans on toast at supposedly top London restaurants in the 80s.:rolleyes:

[Mr Mystery]

Ah you see, the Baked Beans in a London Restaurant was just the Hipsters of it's day!

And I wouldn't say the home cooking 'revolution' (not quite word, but vocabulary fail at the moment) is necessarily Hipster. Elements? Yes. Like sodding Cupcakes (why the sudden obsession?? Where did it come from?). But the likes of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall have been driving for change for years now. First River Cottage series? 1998! That's 15 years of hard slog, without being overly preachy, in that when Hugh is passionate about something, it's genuine, and fairly no-holds barred. Chicken Run and Fish Fight have changed my buying habits.

But yeah. Rationing did a lot of damage, but was of course necessary. It's the Ready Meals that get me. Horrible stuff!

[Wolfshade]

I amde some "baked beans" the other day, it was more of a cassolette with chirzo, pancetta and other assorted bits.

After rationing then came instant food and it became trendy to have pre-packed food.

"Oh you cook? How very working class of you..."

Hence the style of kitchens to become smaller, after all you just need a fridge and oven for heating.

[Mr Mystery]

True. My kitchen is tiny. But then, so is my flat....

Shall move next year. Bigger flat, bigger rent, bigger kitchen.

[eldargal]

Ah you see, the Baked Beans in a London Restaurant was just the Hipsters of it's day!

And I wouldn't say the home cooking 'revolution' (not quite word, but vocabulary fail at the moment) is necessarily Hipster. Elements? Yes. Like sodding Cupcakes (why the sudden obsession?? Where did it come from?). But the likes of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall have been driving for change for years now. First River Cottage series? 1998! That's 15 years of hard slog, without being overly preachy, in that when Hugh is passionate about something, it's genuine, and fairly no-holds barred. Chicken Run and Fish Fight have changed my buying habits.

But yeah. Rationing did a lot of damage, but was of course necessary. It's the Ready Meals that get me. Horrible stuff!

Oh I agree, there is just a trend towards Hipsterdom in some areas but on the whole it has been brilliant.

[Mr Mystery]

I should really get busy in the kitchen this winter. Dead easy to make a soup and that!

Shall harass and harangue Mumsie Mystery to send me those recipes she was meant to send last year!

[Deadlift]

I don't do soup, if I can't chew it, it's not food.

[jgebi]

comfort food huh, well I like sweet and savory so burgers, brownies, apple pie, fruit mince pies... now I'm drooling. And my belly reflects this and now I have to get rid of it :( all my years of work wasted oh well have a good reason to get rid of the fat now.

[Gotthammer]

I don't know what they are but they look delicious:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/ac484851a52b4c4d1754a43ba5213368/tumblr_mnmv5xi5C91s96utdo1_250.gif


http://media.tumblr.com/f026fe2c2c51e3fc13e6b299ff9d07ff/tumblr_inline_mtcg74zGti1rjoimy.gif

[Wolfshade]

I don't do soup, if I can't chew it, it's not food.

What about lumpy soup?

[Mr Mystery]

comfort food huh, well I like sweet and savory so burgers, brownies, apple pie, fruit mince pies... now I'm drooling. And my belly reflects this and now I have to get rid of it :( all my years of work wasted oh well have a good reason to get rid of the fat now.

Now take a minute young man. Have a seat and give this a good think through.....

Do you really want a six-pack? Really really? Because let me tell you, you'll make more and firmer friends when you're bringing the Keg!

This motivational message brought to you by the Bell of Lost Souls League of Fatties.

[jgebi]

I don't want a six-pack unless it's beer then lets see how fast I can go. I just want to be able to punch through a brick wall (I'm a rather weird 17 year old). And I just want to be happy when I look in the mirror and try something different. been a over weight since grade 2 or 3. But anyway we are distracting from the food thread

[Deadlift]

What about lumpy soup?

I don't mind soups really, it's got to be a good one and it has to be as a starter. I couldn't ever class a soup as a meal, ever.

[Mr Mystery]

I don't mind soups really, it's got to be a good one and it has to be as a starter. I couldn't ever class a soup as a meal, ever.

I quite like to water down the remains of a Stew, and then attack it with my hand blender. Instant Stewp!

[Deadlift]

This motivational message brought to you by the Bell of Lost Souls League of Fatties.

Dude that's going in my signature.
Member of BoLs League of Fatties :D

[Mr Mystery]

Hurrah! BOLSLOF!

[Deadlift]

[QUOTE=Gotthammer;358436]I don't know what they are but they look delicious:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/ac484851a52b4c4d1754a43ba5213368/tumblr_mnmv5xi5C91s96utdo1_250.gif

Is it odd that I hear the Mos Eisley Cantina music when I see this ? They do look good.

[eldargal]

I don't mind soups really, it's got to be a good one and it has to be as a starter. I couldn't ever class a soup as a meal, ever.
Agreed.

[chicop76]

I saw this and always had this question? I heard of a dessert in ac called spotted @@@@ I just wonder if @@@@ means something else in great Britain. I had it before, taste real good with rum absorbed into the pudding and heated than served with praline ice cream.

[Kaptain Badrukk]

Nope, it means the same thing here too. But it didn't when the spotted "richard" was invented.

[eldargal]

Yep, di ck is an archaic word for a certain type of pudding (and nickname for Richard of course) it's use as a slang term for penis stems from the late nineteenth century. It means the same in British slang because it is British slang that jumped to the US.

[Wolfshade]

From wackypedia

Spotted dick is a steamed suet pudding, popular in Britain, containing dried fruit (usually currants or raisins) commonly served with custard. Spotted refers to the dried fruit (which resemble spots) and dick may be a contraction or corruption of the word pudding (from the last syllable) or possibly a corruption of the word dough or dog, as "spotted dog" is another name for the same dish with the use of plums rather than currants. Another explanation offered for the word "dick" is that it is the German word for "thick."

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest documented reference is a recipe for "Plum Bolster, or Spotted Dick", in Alexis Soyer's The modern Housewife or ménagère (1849).

Hospital managers at Gloucestershire NHS Trust (in 2001) and the catering staff at Flintshire County Council (in 2009) renamed the pudding Spotted Richard on menus because of the use of the word dick in the original name, a common dysphemism for male genitalia in the English language. Gloucestershire NHS Trust restored the original name in 2002. Flintshire County Council reversed their renaming after a few weeks.

[Mr Mystery]

And it's just one of many lovely, stodgy British desserts. Treacle Sponge Pudding, Sticky Toffee Pudding.....awesome stuff! Plus, you know you're pud is made of win when it's not suitable for veggies. TAKE THAT, HIPPIES! :p

And back to the first post on this....yep, Crumbles are win as well.

Though I do need to learn portion control....most recipes I make are intended for four people. Most dishes produced don't last to a second day.....

And in a fit of pudding frenzy, gonna have to give this one a bash! (http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/fruity-steamed-sponge-puds)

[Wolfshade]

Oh a Lord Randall's Pudding, nom nom nom.


Also: http://www.puddingclub.com/wikipudia

I also love treacle pudding which is made with syrup not treacle???

[eldargal]

Suet puddings are great.

[Mr Mystery]

Yup.

And as long as you lead even a semi-active lifestyle, you don't need to worry that much about the old weight issues.

LEAGUE OF FATTIES! We eat fat, but we're not necessarily fat!

Must try a Summer Pudding one year with freshly picked/scrumped berries. None of this frozen stuff mark you!

[Wolfshade]

I used to love summer pudding then I had one that tasted of damp bread and I have not had one since. Yes I know that that is what they are, but never before had I encountered on that while I was eating it I was thinking "damp bread". Also make it with sweet bread like brioche

[eldargal]

I have the same trouble with summer pudding. I only eat those made at home or by trusted, proven cooks after having some really bad ones in the past even at well regarded restaurants.

[Mr Mystery]

I used to love summer pudding then I had one that tasted of damp bread and I have not had one since. Yes I know that that is what they are, but never before had I encountered on that while I was eating it I was thinking "damp bread". Also make it with sweet bread like brioche

Yup.

And of course....Bread and Butter pudding. A bad one? A bad one can swear you off for life. But even a half decent one is sheer heaven, and a damned fine example of British thrift!