I think that many people today are aware of the comfort that food can provide. I just want to add my piece. This past Easter Sunday, I made myself a dinner of roast pork shoulder with onions, green bean casserole, corn, cranberry sauce, and stuffing/dressing. I should probably explain that this massive meal is just for me. Now, to provide a bit of context, I tend to cook large meals so that I have leftovers for most of the week. Back to the Easter meal, so for me some of those foods I listed are foods that are holiday foods. I grew up with green bean casserole and scalloped corn at every family gathering. For me, green bean casserole is a nostalgic, comfort food. I think that everyone has some sort of food that brings a feeling of comfort to them. However, it isn’t just nostalgia that food brings in terms of comfort.
Again, I don’t think that it is a surprise to many people that just having food items on hand brings comfort as well. I think that for many, especially right now, that seeing an extra can of tomatoes in the pantry or an extra frozen meal in the freezer is a comfort. The knowledge that you have a bit more food left provides relief. Of course, if someone doesn’t have these things, it is often a source of concern. Regardless, I think that the comfort that having extra food provides depends on your regular level of food. I mean if you normally have a lot of food on hand to begin with, getting a ton more food is not necessarily going to provide the same level of relief that it would for someone who usually has very little food on hand, whether by choice or circumstance. Now I almost feel like I have to make the disclaimer that I am not advocating hoarding during times of crisis. Taking vastly more than you normally consume can mean that someone who needs the item will not be able to get it. Now that I have made the disclaimer, back to my pondering.
I think though that in times like these it can be a comfort to make foods that you enjoy. For me, this weekend I hope to make myself some taco salad. Now that fully depends on me being able to get onions and lettuce at the grocery store. If I remember correctly, the last time I was there, there were no onions at all. Like not a single onion. So I am crossing my fingers that next time I go I can get one. Seriously, I just need one onion for the recipe. Now I would also like to get other things. I don’t plan on going to the grocery store just for one onion. That would be ridiculous. However, I am trying to decide what would be the most efficient way of getting my groceries. Normally I would go to my regular grocery store where I use their app and have their savers card. Unfortunately, I cannot get everything I am interested in at that store. They are more food based. So I now have to make the decision of going to that store or go to Walmart which is the only place near me that I can get food and more non-food items. I usually try to avoid Walmart since I spend more there than I would like. Sorry, I seriously digressed there. Back to my pondering. So one of my comfort foods is taco salad. Unfortunately, I may or may not be able to make this food. I think that this is also a common experience. So I guess that while food can bring us comfort in many ways, it can also be disheartening when you can’t make your favorite comfort food. Are you making a nostalgic food right now? If so, what is it? Is there a food that you want to make but can’t? Why not? Please answer below with your comments and thanks for reading.
unknownclimate 