food diversity

[flea]

Last night our nearest neighbors came over for dinner - the father was at work late, so it was two women and 4 kids, ages 6-18 months. Went fine, if a bit chaotic, but what else is new, and it was nice to have the company. I had easy-most-from-cans chili and egg noodles, and she brought au gratin potatoes, cheesy bread, and apple slices. All of which were good, but none of which were things I would ever cook for my family. And then I was heating up some leftovers at work just now (yes, I had first lunch at 10am - I'm on the desk 11-1 today, so it makes sense), and several of the housekeeping staff were having lunch. S. was opening two cans of those little Viennese franks, and another woman was heating up what I guess were frozen chicken patties to eat between slices of white bread. I remember having those little franks as a tiny kid - I guess they were easy meat for toddlers? Although I ate a lot of odd things as a kid, thanks to my grandmother - liverwurst, and tomato aspic.

I just find it fascinating what people choose to eat, and how thoroughly dictated it is by family, and culture, and the whole concept of comfort food, food that we like as much for the fact that we've always eaten it this way as for how it tastes. My "comfort food" dishes from childhood - now very rarely made - are tuna noodle casserole with cream of mushroom soup, egg noodles, peas, and NOT crunchy things on top, and macaroni and cheese with elbow macaroni, sliced white American cheese, and cream of mushroom soup. (My maternal grandmother was firmly in the "I hate to cook so I'll do it with canned soup" camp of the 1950s.) What are your family comfort foods?

A much easier morning with Dillo today, although I was up with him at 4 and never really got back to sleep.

Comments

[cass404.livejournal.com]

and cream of mushroom soup

I think you might be the first person (apart from ME) to list this as something you'd even eat as a soup, much less as a comfort food. It's totally my comfort food and I have no idea why because it was never served to me as a kid. But if Cass is sick or having a Really Bad Day? I am going to be making a can of cream of mushroom soup and drinking it huddled on the couch from my very large white mug.

I even make mushroom soup from scratch but it's a totally different beast.

[casperflea.livejournal.com]

Oh, I am so sad to disappoint you, but the cream of mushroom soup actually goes INTO the mac and cheese. I have never eaten it just as soup. But I am glad it comforts you!

[cass404.livejournal.com]

So I really *am* a unique (and undoubtedly precious) snowflake? ROCK!