So everyone, what is your comfort food and/or drink of choice? The one thing that could almost always make you feel better even if you felt absolutely down in the dumps.
Mine would be chicken soup.
For drink, hot cocoa, unless it's too hot then iced tea almost always makes me feel better.
real hand made Italian gelato
Quote from: tekla on May 13, 2008, 12:15:57 AM
real hand made Italian gelato
That sounds delightful :D
Yeah, we still have two of the old school places left, expensive, but worth it.
Comfort foods:
meatloaf/shepherd's pie and scalloped potatoes. Hard on the waist and cholesterol, but o such reminders of safe and comfortable times as well.
Nichole
Wine, turkey, chocolate all have chemicals that effect well being. We are what we eat.
Szekely gulyas, houskove knedliky, and Budvar. Also, bryndzove halusky. Na zdravje!
Slavic at all, Alyssa?!! :laugh: :laugh:
Sourdough Bread
Oh, and Apple Crisp/Crumble
chicken kiev and dark beer.
but tea provides every day comfort
Quote from: Nichole on May 13, 2008, 12:22:34 PM
Slavic at all, Alyssa?!! :laugh: :laugh:
:laugh: Just a bit!
But I've got some American in me too. Apple pie always makes me pretty darn happy.
Either that, or a nice hot slice of Bee-Bop-a-Ree-Bop Rhubarb Pie!
And no diet is complete without a certain amount of ketchup!
(This post was brought to you by the Ketchup Advisory Board, which wants to remind you that ketchup has natural mellowing agents that allow shy people to get up and do what needs to be done.)
Quote from: Alyssa M. on May 13, 2008, 01:06:57 PM
Quote from: Nichole on May 13, 2008, 12:22:34 PM
Slavic at all, Alyssa?!! :laugh: :laugh:
:laugh: Just a bit!
But I've got some American in me too. Apple pie always makes me pretty darn happy.
Either that, or a nice hot slice of Bee-Bop-a-Ree-Bop Rhubarb Pie!
And no diet is complete without a certain amount of ketchup!
(This post was brought to you by the Ketchup Advisory Board, which wants to remind you that ketchup has natural mellowing agents that allow shy people to get up and do what needs to be done.)
Minnesota? :laugh: :laugh: Lemme guess, Lake Woebegone!! Yes, I can see you as a true denizen of a Prairie Home!! :laugh: :laugh:
Nichole
Just a bit of an NPR junkie. :) Right now I live out there on the other edge of the prairie!
Simple tastes here... Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich with a glass of milk... and NOT that 2% swill :)
Amanda
My ideal comfort food changes with my mood. Usually, it's something hearty.
For a comfort drink, I'd say cocoa with Amaretto in it.
figgies (Fig Newtons)
snack chips (almost all kinds, except pretzels - bleh!)
Squirt
Coca Cola with lemon squeezed in
certain types of beer (e.g., ESB, Red Stripe)
crabs in the shell
well-made salads with everything, including onion
pizza with everything, (except anchovies - bleh!)
El Pollo Loco wings
Beef Bowl Combo with no veggies and lots of ginger root
Quarter Pounder w/cheese and fries (with Sprite)
Ramen is the closest thing I have to comfort food. Another favorite is homemade beef stroganoff.
Pinot grigio
I'm not much on sweets but I do like home made apple pie, blueberry pie, strawberry pie, raspberry pie, Oh my goodness some good old home made bread of course, Custard with caramel sauce, toast with lots of butter and brown sugar "hee, hee hee." for the little kid in me. Now I'll have to put rat traps all around my plate to keep Wing Walker away.
Cindy
Quote from: ell on May 14, 2008, 12:52:12 AM
pizza with everything, (except anchovies - bleh!)
agreed..pizza..but CHEESE! or Hawaiian style!
and on a side note, do they even put anchovies on pizza?! people always say "hold the anchovies" "everything except anchovies" but i've never walked into Pizza Hut and seen them refilling the anchovies bin!?
hmmmmm...food for thought
Anchovies have a remarkable shelf-life, Lacitychick!! Especially when they are dried. But, they seem not to have a remarkable occurrence anymore at pizza-parlors. My partner buys hers in a can and adds them to pizza. They smell a lot like sardines only much saltier. I suppose I'm not much for fish on pizza though. I'll have cheese and veggies.
I guess I could say my infamous "my god, are you sure you're not pregnant?" sandwich, which includes peanut butter, balogna, pickles, and potatoe chips. But I think the list would have to include, corn meal mush, custard, coconut cream pie, and rubarba grut.
Oh sheesh! You know, out of morbid curiosity, I would TOTALLY try anchovies on my pizza!
Canned you say? :laugh:
Quote from: lacitychick21 on May 14, 2008, 03:12:45 AM
Quote from: ell on May 14, 2008, 12:52:12 AM
pizza with everything, (except anchovies - bleh!)
agreed..pizza..but CHEESE! or Hawaiian style!
and on a side note, do they even put anchovies on pizza?! people always say "hold the anchovies" "everything except anchovies" but i've never walked into Pizza Hut and seen them refilling the anchovies bin!?
hmmmmm...food for thought
ehm, when i say pizza, i mean
other kinds of pizza, rather than Pizza Hut, Dominoe's or Shakey's. i don't eat those unless someone actually drags me there. but before you call me a pizza-snob, i must confess i've eaten lots of Chuck E. Cheese pizza, and i like it alot.
following is a list of ingredients from Papa John's (which you may not like - nobody in my family eats it but me)
Available Toppings
Pepperoni
Sausage
Spicy Italian Sausage
Ham
Hickory-Smoked Bacon
Grilled All-White Chicken
Fresh-Sliced Onions
Fresh-Sliced Green Peppers
Baby Portabella Mushrooms
Fresh-Sliced Roma Tomatoes
Black Olives
Sweet Pineapple
Banana Peppers
Jalapeño Peppers
Extra Cheese
Available Extras
Pepperoncinis, Anchovies, Jalapeño Peppers, and Banana Peppers
-Ell
Quote from: lacitychick21 on May 14, 2008, 11:11:55 AM
Oh sheesh! You know, out of morbid curiosity, I would TOTALLY try anchovies on my pizza!
Canned you say? :laugh:
Yes!! In our grocery in the same area as you find sardines, smoked herring and smoked oysters. All in cans!!! >:D
N~
Quote from: ell on May 14, 2008, 11:20:56 AM
i must confess i've eaten lots of Chuck E. Cheese pizza, and i like it alot.
Papa John's (which you may not like - nobody in my family eats it but me)
I like Papa John's and with coupons it's hard to beat their prices at the 'real' pizza parlors. But we do make our own a lot.
Having gone to, chaperoned and sponsored a few birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese, I can say that their pizzas remind me of cardboard slathered with a thin layer of mozzarella and some tomato sauce, bland. Definitely not one I'd place at the top of my 'gourmet pizza experiences.' :laugh:
N~
Quote from: ell on May 14, 2008, 11:20:56 AM
... rather than Pizza Hut...
...Papa John's (which you may not like - nobody in my family eats it but me)
Woa...wait. OK...really?
Papa John's over Pizza Hut!? How dare you!!! :icon_shakefist:
LoL
I think it's so funny how palates differ so greatly in preference. I mean, I like Papa John's..it beats... I dunno, school cafeteria, square-shaped pizzas. LoL
I LOOOOVVVVVEEEE Pizza Hut!!! The crust is so thick and buttery and dripping with happiness and oozing with tummy-smiles... MmMMMMmmMmmmMm...Pizza Hut... :icon_dribble:
Pasta (must be al dente), pizza (most or all the cheese scraped off. hate all that gooey cheese), shrimp and screwdrivers.
And oranges. Love oranges. And mushrooms. Any kind. Especially fresh.
Hi Nero, yea when I want to eat Pizza I want more then just the crust with only a hint of the topping on it, where you need a magnifying glass and take your socks off to to find it. I want a fully loaded Pizza.
Cindy
Quote from: ell on May 14, 2008, 11:20:56 AM
ehm, when i say pizza, i mean other kinds of pizza, rather than Pizza Hut, Dominoe's or Shakey's. i don't eat those unless someone actually drags me there. but before you call me a pizza-snob, i must confess i've eaten lots of Chuck E. Cheese pizza, and i like it alot.
Um... Well, I'm totally a pizza snob because I've never been satisfied with any pizza I've eaten since I left Iowa. The Green Pepper in Coralville, Iowa had better pizza than anything I've had anywhere except Mamma Talenye's in St. Louis.
Anchovies have a remarkable shelf-life
Damn skippy. In my house they will last to the end of time, and perhaps beyond that. Along with the fruitcake they sit next to. No Hairy Fish!
Quote from: tekla on May 16, 2008, 12:17:44 PM
Anchovies have a remarkable shelf-life
Damn skippy. In my house they will last to the end of time, and perhaps beyond that. Along with the fruitcake they sit next to. No Hairy Fish!
*looks down* But I love fruitcake.
Most of my comfort foods involve carbs ;D risotto, latkes (potato pancakes) I make both of these from scratch, NY bagels, almost anything involving cheese... and of course, can't forget chocolate and red wine.
Z
hmm, id have to say
i know, all junk food :-\
A nice plate of braciole and angel hair spaghetti...I guess my italian is showing... ::)
Quote from: gina on May 16, 2008, 06:33:48 PM
A nice plate of braciole and angel hair spaghetti...I guess my italian is showing... ::)
What's 'braciole'? I love italian, so I'm curious about what that is. :D
Quote from: rozenmaiden on May 16, 2008, 04:07:44 PM
hmm, id have to say
i know, all junk food :-\
:laugh: :laugh: Yep, sausage mufin w/egg. big mac. mashed potatoes. hot dogs. any sports drink. gatorade. all the good stuff :laugh:
Hi Tekla ya have to shave the anchovies before you eat them. "hee, hee, hee!!!"
Cindy
Somehow I have the notion that even shaving them will not see tekla eating anchovies.
Quote from: cindybc on May 17, 2008, 01:59:19 AM
Hi Tekla ya have to shave the anchovies before you eat them. "hee, hee, hee!!!"
Cindy
I can see the bumper sticker now...
Shave the Anchovies right below the Whirled Peas :laugh:
Quote from: Phate on May 17, 2008, 01:39:15 AM
Quote from: gina on May 16, 2008, 06:33:48 PM
A nice plate of braciole and angel hair spaghetti...I guess my italian is showing... ::)
What's 'braciole'? I love italian, so I'm curious about what that is. :D
This explains it..
In Italian American cuisine, braciole (the word is commonly pronounced /bra'zhul/ from the Sicilian pronunciation) is the name given to thin slices of meat (typically pork, chicken, or beef, but even swordfish) that are rolled with cheese and bread crumbs and fried; the bread crumbs are often left off, and the braciole are cooked along with meatballs and Italian sausage in Sunday gravy. They can be served with tomato sauce, or even plain. There exist many variations on the recipe. Changing the type of cheese and adding assorted vegetables (such as eggplant) can drastically change the taste. Braciole are not eaten as a main dish, but as a side dish at dinner, or in a sandwich at lunch.
Thanks to wikipedia
(If you never tried it, give it a try its delicious) :icon_yes:
gina
Quote from: gina on May 17, 2008, 10:14:45 AM
Quote from: Phate on May 17, 2008, 01:39:15 AM
Quote from: gina on May 16, 2008, 06:33:48 PM
A nice plate of braciole and angel hair spaghetti...I guess my italian is showing... ::)
What's 'braciole'? I love italian, so I'm curious about what that is. :D
This explains it..
In Italian American cuisine, braciole (the word is commonly pronounced /bra'zhul/ from the Sicilian pronunciation) is the name given to thin slices of meat (typically pork, chicken, or beef, but even swordfish) that are rolled with cheese and bread crumbs and fried; the bread crumbs are often left off, and the braciole are cooked along with meatballs and Italian sausage in Sunday gravy. They can be served with tomato sauce, or even plain. There exist many variations on the recipe. Changing the type of cheese and adding assorted vegetables (such as eggplant) can drastically change the taste. Braciole are not eaten as a main dish, but as a side dish at dinner, or in a sandwich at lunch.
Thanks to wikipedia
(If you never tried it, give it a try its delicious) :icon_yes:
gina
I definitely will if I ever get a chance; that sounds delicious!
Cheese....
Cheese dip, strips, grated, shredded, melted, cubed, sliced, fondued (is that a word?), you name it. Cheese is a food group by itself. IF there was a way to live on a cheese diet I'd do it. Cheese cake, cheese sticks, cheese nips, cheese pringles, cheese nachos, cheese pizza, cheese doritos, cheese popcorn ....I'm seriously on a cheese thing again.
I will tie my E use directly with cheese. IT happens every time.
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,20713.0.html
KFC Feisty Buffalo Wings with a Mountain Dew! I had it yesterday lol.
I guess things were getting bad last night. I started eating peanut butter out of the jar. :o
Comfort Food, for Monkeys
By JOHN TIERNEY
Published: May 20, 2008
The ladies who lunch do not obsess about their weight in the rhesus monkey compound at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center in Atlanta. Food is freely available, and the high-status females do not pride themselves on passing it up. They don't seem to stigmatize obesity — there is no equivalent of a Kirstie Alley joke — and they certainly don't turn themselves into Social X-Rays.
In fact, the dominant females ordinarily eat a little more than the subordinates. The lower status monkeys can get as much food as they want but seem to have less of a desire to eat, perhaps because of the higher level of stress hormones in their brain. The anxiety of constantly toadying to their social superiors seems to curb their appetite, researchers suspect, at least when their regular high-fiber, low-fat chow is on the menu.
But suppose you tempted them with the equivalent of chocolate and potato chips and ice cream? Mark Wilson, a neuroscientist at Emory University, and a team tried that experiment at Yerkes by installing feeders with a constant supply of banana-flavored pellets — not exactly Dove bars, but they had enough sugar and fat to appeal even to human palates. (In the interest of science, I sampled a few pellets.)
Once these foods were available, the low-status monkeys promptly developed an appetite. They began eating significantly more calories than their social superiors. While the dominant monkeys dabbled in the sweet, fatty pellets just during the daytime, the subordinate monkeys kept scarfing them down after dark.
These results may not surprise any stressed-out wage slave who has polished off a quart of Häagen-Dazs at midnight while contemplating the day's humiliations. But the experiment intrigues scientists studying human junk-food binges, which are hard to understand because there are so many confounding factors.
Monkeys' cravings aren't so complicated. The female monkeys weren't dieters who tasted one forbidden food and then couldn't stop themselves from binging. They were not rebelling against the thin mandate from tyrannical fashion magazines. They weren't choosing junk food because they couldn't find healthier fare. They weren't seduced by commercials telling them they deserved a break today.
For the monkeys the situation seems simple. They get some sort of comfort that is particularly appealing to the subordinate monkeys. One possibility is that the fatty foods help block the monkeys' stress responses. Studies with rodents have shown that high-calorie foods cause a metabolic change that tamps the release of stress hormones like cortisol.
Another possible explanation, the one favored by the Yerkes researchers, is that the snacks activated the reward pathways in the brain. They may have provided the same sort of dopamine reward as cocaine, which was studied in a previous experiment with monkeys by researchers at Wake Forest University.
In that experiment, the dominant monkeys didn't show much interest in pressing a lever that administered an intravenous dose of cocaine. But the subordinate monkeys, who started off with compromised dopamine receptors, kept pushing the lever to get more cocaine, just as the subordinates in the new study kept munching on the fatty pellets. Dr. Wilson suggests that the snackers are reinforcing the dopamine systems that had been diminished by stress.
"Essentially, eating high-calorie foods becomes a coping strategy to deal with daily life events for an individual in a difficult social situation," Dr. Wilson said. "The subordinates don't get beat up, but they get harassed by high-ranking monkeys. If they're sitting somewhere and a dominant monkey comes over, they give up their seat and move away. They're always looking over their shoulders."
These results seem to jibe with the famous Whitehall study of British civil servants, which found that lower-ranking workers were more obese than higher-status workers. Even though the subordinate workers were neither poor nor lacked health care, their lower status correlated with more health problems.
The new monkey data also jibe with an American study that looked at women's snacking tendencies. After they worked on puzzles and recorded a speech, the women were tempted with an array of chocolate granola bars, potato chips, rice cakes and pretzels provided by the research team, led by Elissa Epel, a psychologist at the University of California, San Francisco.
The women who seemed most stressed by the tasks, as measured by their levels of cortisol, ate more of the sweet, high-fat snacks, the same pattern observed in the subordinate monkeys with high cortisol levels. But as Dr. Wilson and others caution, there are plenty of other factors besides status and stress that affect humans' diets and waistlines.
Debra A. Zellner, a psychologist at Montclair State University, tested both men and women by putting bowls of potato chips, M&Ms, peanuts and red grapes on a table as the participants in the study worked on solving anagrams. Some of the people were given unsolvable anagrams, and they understandably reported being more stressed than the ones given easy anagrams.
The stress seemed to affect snacking in different ways for each sex. The women given solvable puzzles ate more grapes than M&Ms, while the women under stress preferred M&Ms. The men ate more of the high-fat snacks when they were not under stress, apparently because the ones who got the easy anagrams had more time to relax and have a treat.
Dr. Zellner says these gender patterns are probably because of a simple difference between the sexes: more of the women were on diets. Previous studies have shown that such "restrained eaters" are more likely than nondieters to keep scarfing snacks once they yield to temptation. This might be because they're hungrier, but it might also be because all restraint disappears once a diet is broken — the "what the hell" theory of binging.
Humans are not as lucky as monkeys in one way. "Female humans report that they eat high-calorie foods to make themselves feel better when stressed," Dr. Zellner says, "but they actually don't feel better after eating them. Instead, because they are restrained eaters, they feel guilt and actually feel worse. Female monkeys don't have that cognitive baggage."
Only the monkeys, it seems, find comfort in comfort foods.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
Tierney is a delight. How is it that this is not the number one most emailed article yet? In the interests of giving the Times their due, here's a link:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/science/20tier.html
Quote from: Lori on May 18, 2008, 09:36:24 AM
Cheese....
Cheese dip, strips, grated, shredded, melted, cubed, sliced, fondued (is that a word?), you name it. Cheese is a food group by itself. IF there was a way to live on a cheese diet I'd do it. Cheese cake, cheese sticks, cheese nips, cheese pringles, cheese nachos, cheese pizza, cheese doritos, cheese popcorn ....I'm seriously on a cheese thing again.
I will tie my E use directly with cheese. IT happens every time.
https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,20713.0.html
Cheese in any form is absolutely divine! :D