Bubble and Squeak!

    com·fort food

Dictionary result for comfort food

       /ˈkəmfərt fo͞od/

         noun

         plural noun: comfort foods

1.            food that provides consolation or a feeling of
2.            well-being, typically any with a high sugar or
3.            other carbohydrate content and associated with
4.            childhood or home cooking.

I just bet we are all searching for 'comfort foods' at this time of year - well

at least those of us in the northern hemisphere.

Soups

Stews
Black Bean Chili

Hot Cereals

Casseroles

Macaroni & Cheese

Hot Apple Pie

Baked Fruit Crumbles

. . . . . . . . and the list goes on.

For me, even hot crunchy toasted bread with butter and a 
good Scottish thick-cut marmalade is a favorite comfort food.

This past week I opened Nigel Slater's REAL FAST FOOD cookbook - it's

 a great one - to find a recipe for a nice round Savoy cabbage hiding in the

 refrigerator. When I saw Bubble and Squeak, definitely a 'comfort food' 

associated with my English childhood, I made the not so fast version.

Not having leftovers, I cooked and mashed fresh potatoes, and gave the 

shredded cabbage a quick steam before going ahead with what was a

 nicely seasoned (salt, black pepper, a few caraway seeds, turmeric)

 buttery fry-up in a skillet.

We gobbled it up whilst piping hot and crispy, topped with baked cod, 

a nice dollop of homemade tartare sauce, a small green salad and a

 glass of shiraz.

It was comforting!

Nigel Slater's recipe

*************

Happened to find another Bubble and Squeak recipe over the weekend in a 

back issue of UK Country Living.

In addition to the basics it adds Stilton cheese and chutney which sounds 

a little more posh. . . . . . .  .and I'll try it soon.

I usually get Stilton at Costco but for some reason it's not being stocked

 this winter, at least not in my local store.

 This pungent blue cheese is only made in a certain area of England.

Trader Joe has it currently at a fair price, and of course 

it's always at Whole Foods but rather expensive!

We may get a light snowfall later today and a cold night. . . . . . . . comfort food,
 a fire on the hearth and a warming drink sounds good.