With subzero temperatures, rampant germ season and other stressors of the day, you may find yourself seeking solace in comfort food to kick off this month of love. What better way to show someone you care during the doldrums of winter than by whipping up some comfort food to share? But … what really is comfort food to the person you want to feel your love?
If I were to ask, “What is comfort food?” to each of our readers, we would probably receive a more diverse group of responses than one might think. It turns out that the term “comfort food” doesn’t really seem like a food at all when you really think about it. One might argue that comfort food is fried chicken with all the fixins’ including apple pie a la mode, while a different perspective might say pho with all of its accoutrements alongside crispy spring rolls and a Vietnamese coffee revives and awakens the soul. Yet another might say you can find the perfect comfort food in tamales verdes with crema, cotija, cilantro, green salsa and a squeeze of lime.
Comfort food is unique to each of us and grounded in personal preferences, memories and nostalgia, and/or regionally or culturally significant celebratory cuisines. Comfort food can also change over time, as certainly my toddler’s idea of comfort food is a bit different than my own.
The three previously mentioned meals happen to be comfort food favorites of my own during three distinct life phases. Grandma’s famous high noon lunches were the comfort food of dreams during the summers of my childhood. Necessary recovery efforts for weekend brunches in my 20s happened on Argyle Street while living in the Chicago fast lane with my bestie. And the me now relishes another’s super delicious handiwork that checks my comfort food boxes — gluten free, spicy, delicious and goes from the freezer to fork in a matter of minutes.
Whatever “comfort food” is to a person, it carries a sense of familiarity and security, and those notions do seem to put a temporary stay on the weight of the moment. This Valentine’s Day, we can all hope that Cupid’s arrow pierces us with the beloved comfort food perspective and the warmth and pleasure that goes right along with it!
Give yet another comfort food a try by following this recipe for a traditional Moroccan soup called harira. If you were lucky enough to try this delicious soup during our very own LLCC Foundation’s Take and Create gourmet dinner kit pickup, the students and Chef Josh prepared a delicious vegetarian version. The recipe for harira below is slightly different, includes lamb and is modified from the New York Time’s food author David Tanis’s example of this harrowed stew.
Harira
Ingredients
Yields: 8-10 servings
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or butter
1 lb. diced lamb shoulder or shank meat
1 large onion, finely diced, about 2 cups
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon dried ginger
1½ teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon toasted and ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon crumbled saffron
1(3-inch) piece cinnamon stick or 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cups diced ripe tomato, fresh or canned
1 celery stalk, leaves included, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Salt to taste
1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
1 cup peeled dried fava beans (or substitute 1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight)
1/4 lb. angel hair vermicelli, broken into 1-inch pieces (may substitute orzo or omit altogether)
Lemon wedges and finely chopped dried dates for garnish
Preparation
Put olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add diced lamb, and brown meat. Add onion and cook, stirring until softened and lightly colored, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, ginger, pepper, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, saffron and cinnamon. Cook for about 2 minutes more.
Add tomato, celery and cilantro. Bring to a brisk simmer. Cook, stirring (about 5 minutes) until mixture thickens somewhat, and then add 1 teaspoon salt, the brown lentils, red lentils and dried favas. Add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a gentle simmer, covered with the lid ajar.
Let soup simmer for 30 minutes. Then taste broth, and adjust salt. Cook for 1 hour more at a gentle simmer, until the legumes are soft and creamy. It may be necessary to add more liquid for desired consistency.
Just before serving, add al dente prepared pasta or orzo, and let cook 2-3 minutes more. Ladle soup into small bowls. Garnish with lemon wedges and finely chopped dates.
About
Lincoln Land Community College offers credit programs in Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management and Baking/Pastry, and non-credit cooking and food classes through LLCC Community Education.
Cooking or food questions? Email epicuriosity101@llcc.edu.