Nolan Cheng

Nolan Cheng ‘25 dines upon his favorite comfort food, salmon and rice.

“The way to a person’s heart is through their stomach.”

When feeling down, many people tend to turn to foods that will improve their mood. This is where comfort foods come in.

A comfort food is any food that brings a person joy and contentment. The science behind this is deeply rooted in psychology. They are usually linked to nostalgia, such as childhood memories or familiarity. Because of this, comfort foods can bring a short term rush of serotonin and dopamine. However, over time, comfort foods may bring feelings of regret and guilt if consumed too much, and if they have poor nutritional value.

Alex Lund ‘25’s favorite comfort food is a family made recipe that is referred to as the “kielbasa pasta dish. I used to hate eating kielbasa as a kid, but they made me eat some anyway because I needed the protein. As I’ve grown older, I now like it.”

Ingredients (no specific measurements; measure with feeling):

1. Fettuccine
2. Alfredo sauce
3. Tomato sauce
4. Sliced kielbasa

Instructions:

1. Boil a pot of salted water. Once boiling, put the fettuccine in there for 8-13 minutes.
2. Brown the kielbasa by cooking it on both sides until caramelized. Set aside.
3. While the pasta is boiling, start on the sauce. (You can either buy or make your own sauces). Mix in half alfredo and half tomato sauce.
4. Once the sauces are combined and hot, add in your kielbasa and fettuccine.
5.  Mix well and serve!

Another student, Takumi Saito ’25, says his favorite comfort food is the curry that his mom makes. “I’ve eaten it ever since I was a little kid, and every time I eat it, it’s always the same taste and memories.”

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped
1 large potato, chopped
1-2 carrot(s), chopped
1-2 apple(s), chopped
1 lb of chicken breast or thighs, chopped
1 pack of golden curry sauce mix, broken up into 4 pieces
1 ½ teaspoon oil
Water, enough to submerge all ingredients in pot (around 3-4 cups)
Rice

Instructions:

1. Cook your rice.
2. While your rice is cooking, put oil and onions into a pot. Occasionally stir until golden.
3. Once onions have changed color, add in the chopped chicken breast/thighs. Stir the chicken in frequently, until it’s no longer pink. Once the chicken has changed color, add in the potato, carrot, and apple.
4. Add in water, enough to submerge all the ingredients in the pot. Do not add too much water!
5. Let simmer (uncovered) on a medium low heat for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally.
6. Once the 10 minutes are up, add in the pack of golden curry sauce. Make sure to break it up into four cubes before adding it into the pot. Once added, mix well.
7. Let simmer once more on a medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir frequently until the curry becomes thick. Make sure no ingredients are stuck to the bottom of the pot!
8. Once the 10 minutes have passed, put cooked rice in a bowl, and top with curry. Enjoy!

Comfort foods may also be influenced by one’s culture/upbringing. For example, certain dishes that have been passed down can hold significance, traditions, and memories.

Senior Evan Ravenna says, “My comfort food is my otra mama’s nacatamal; she used to make them every New Years and I was first introduced to them when I went to visit my family in Nicaragua for the first time. The significance for me mostly comes from how my great grandma would make it, and it reminds me of her. She only spoke Spanish so I could never directly communicate with her, but she and I had a special language that only me and her could talk in. It’s also nice to eat something very dear to my culture and be in touch with my traditional Nicaraguan roots.”

Ingredients (Masa):

2 cups of masa
½ cup of water
1 bell pepper finely cut
4 tablespoons of vegetable shortening or lard
1 teaspoon of garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons of onion, large chunks
2 tablespoons of sour orange and lemon mix (or vinegar)
2 tablespoons of milk
1 cup of cooked mashed potatoes (2 medium potatoes)
5 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
Salt/pepper

Ingredients (Filling):

1 lb of pork loin with fat
½ lb of pork rib
2 cups of rice
1 large diced potato
3 chiltomas chopped
¼ cup of sour orange and lemon mix
2 teaspoons of achiote paste
1 garlic clove
1 onion sliced
½ cup of banana peppers chopped
½ cup of water
Capers
Cocktail onions
Green whole olives
Raisins
Salt/pepper

Ingredients (Wrap)

Rope
Banana leaves
Foil

Instructions (Masa):

1. Boil 2 medium potatoes, then mash them and set aside 1 cup for the masa mixture.
2. In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of masa with ½ cup of water. Stir until smooth.
3. Mix in 4 tablespoons of vegetable shortening or lard, 1 teaspoon of minced garlic, 1 ½ teaspoons of large onion chunks, 2 tablespoons of sour orange and lemon mix (or vinegar), 2 tablespoons of milk, 1 cup of mashed potatoes, 5 finely chopped mint leaves, and salt/pepper to taste. Stir until all ingredients are well incorporated.

Instructions (Filling):

4. In a bowl, combine 1 lb of pork loin with fat and ½ pork rib. Add ¼ cup of sour orange and lemon mix, 2 teaspoons of achiote paste, 1 minced garlic clove, 1 sliced onion, and salt/pepper to taste. Mix well and let it marinate for 30 minutes.
5. Chop 3 chiltomas, 1 large potato, ½ cup of banana peppers, and set aside. Also prepare capers, cocktail onions, green whole olives, and raisins for assembly.
6. In a small pot, cook 2 cups of rice. Set aside once fully cooked.

Instructions: (Nacatamal)

7. Pass the banana leaves over an open flame for a few seconds until they soften and become pliable. Cut the leaves into large squares (about 12 inches wide). You will also need aluminum foil squares of the same size to secure the nacatamales.
8. Spread a small amount of masa mixture (about ¼ cup) in the center of each banana leaf, smoothing it into a thin, even layer.
9. Place a piece of marinated pork loin and rib in the center of the masa. Add a spoonful of cooked rice, a few diced potatoes, chiltoma, banana peppers, capers, cocktail onions, green whole olives, and raisins on top. Sprinkle salt and pepper.
10. Fold the banana leaf over the filling to form a secure bundle, folding the sides in tightly. Wrap the banana leaf packet in aluminum foil. Secure with a piece of rope if needed.
11. Place the wrapped nacatamales in a large pot. Add enough water to the pot to cover the bottom. Cover the pot with a lid and steam the nacatamales for 3 to 4 hours over low heat, adding more water as needed to keep the pot from drying out.
12. Once cooked, remove the nacatamales from the pot and let them cool for a few minutes. Unwrap the banana leaves and serve hot. Enjoy!

Holidays are another major influence for comfort foods. Most spend the holidays with their family and friends, so it is common for comfort foods to be found in Thanksgiving or Christmas because it reminds them of family. An example of a few holiday comfort foods are: mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, or apple pie.

The next time you are feeling down, try out one of the recipes above! They may boost your mood just as they have done for others.

My favorite fudge brownie recipe (found on Cafe Delites, recipe by Karina):

Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter, melted and HOT
1 tablespoon cooking oil/olive oil/coconut oil
1 ⅛ cup sugar (I usually only add ½ cup or less)
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
½ cup all purpose flour or plain flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).
2. Lightly grease an 8 inch square pan with butter or cooking spray. Line it with parchment paper and set aside.
3. Combine hot melted butter, oil and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl. Whisk well for about a minute. Add the eggs and vanilla; beat until lighter in color (another minute).
4. Sift in flour, cocoa powder and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until JUST combined (do NOT over beat as doing so well affect the texture of your brownies).
5. Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing the top out evenly. (Optional: Top with chocolate chunks or chocolate chips.)
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the center of the brownies in the pan no longer jiggles and is just set to the touch (the brownies will keep baking in the hot pan out of the oven). If testing with a toothpick, the toothpick should come out dirty for fudge-textured brownies.
7. Let cool for a few minutes, slice, and enjoy!