Comfort Food

Perhaps it is because I'm trying to shake a cold, but as I've been sitting with my multiple cups of tea this weekend I've been thinking about comfort food. The food that never fails to raise my spirits and remind me of good memories. What fascinates me is how my comfort food reflects all of the places I've lived. My top ten (in no particular order as it really just depend on what kind of mood I am in):

Breakfast Tacos (Texas)
Mom's homemade rolls, recipe from Aunt Ida (Texas)
Mercimek Corba-lentil soup (Turkey)
Mafe Tiga-peanut sauce (Guinea)
Macaroni and Cheese (Savannah)
Broccoli Green Bean Casserole (Savannah)
Cheese Enchiladas (Texas)
Mercimek Koftesi-lentil meatballs (Turkey)
Sweet potatoes (became a real love in Savannah)
Chowder (Boston)

Taste Test

One of the best bits about living and traveling in a foreign country is that you get to explore the food. I’m always amazed at the different dishes that are fixed using the same old ingredients I can find at home (mostly). It never fails that I always come away with some new favorite, comfort food when I leave a country I’ve spent any amount of time in. Last night after wandering around Kadikoy for a bit I ended up at a restaurant with some friends that actually had an entire vegetarian section on their menu (!?! Almost unheard of here). I was excited to see what is rapidly turning into my favorite dish: mercimek koftesi (lentil “meat”balls for those of you who need it in English). I was a bit shocked to find that I actually think I prefer the version that is served in our school cafeteria over what I had at the restaurant (I didn’t think that happened with anything!). I’ve been promised a hands-on cooking lesson from the cleaning lady of a friend, but I thought I’d share a recipe I’ve found now, with a promise to follow up with what she really does. I hope you enjoy it if you ever get around to trying it.

A new food

While in Jordan I've been introduced to a new food that I've discovered I quite like (thanks Nathan!). It's called labneh. I had to go online to find out exactly what it is since the only ingredient listed on the package is cow's milk. Basically labneh is an extremely soft cheese (about half way between yogurt and cream cheese). It's light, fresh and a bit mild. I found directions on how you could make it, but I'd be much happier if I could actually find it in Turkey or the US. I highly recommend you try it if you ever get the chance!

mafe tiga

I had a few extra hours this afternoon (we're on a short holiday thanks to the end of Ramadan) so I decided to make mafe tiga (peanut sauce for those of you who don't know Pular). I've been craving a taste of Guinea and right now I'm thrilled that the bubbling on my stove means that the scent of peanut sauce has permeated all of the corners of my lojman. All I have to do is close my eyes and I'm back in my concrete and dirt village watching the 7 year old next door as she teaches me the proper ingredients for peanut sauce (which vary depending on what is available). Somehow in the two years I was there mafe tiga became one of my comfort foods - guaranteed to warm my body and my soul.

What's in my mafe tiga today?
onion and garlic sauteed
all natural peanut butter (which I made this afternoon by grinding up roasted, unsalted peanuts with no skin on it - normally I'd buy this but you can't get it in Turkey) mixed with water
3 tomatoes
2 magi cubes (or vegetable bouillon as that's what I found)
a dash of tomato paste
2 peppers
2 eggplants diced
some pumpkin (found it in the market and seemed like a good replacement for potato and cassava)

Now I just have to let it cook and cook until everything is done, while I dream of the taste that takes me back.

autumn arriving

The mornings are crisp and I've even noticed a few trees changing color. I'd say that autumn is arriving, in a much more casual and progressive manner than last year. To celebrate I've fired up the stove and am making my own applesauce. I couldn't resist the piles of apples at the market last week, and they've been sitting in my fridge just waiting for me to do something with me. Homemade applesauce just seems like the right thing for this season. It brings back memories of going to Vermont with friends during October and picking our own apples then bringing them back to make applesauce, apple strudel and apple pie to take back to college. The little homemade things that make you feel like home. Fitting then that in another hour I should have my own applesauce to throw in the freezer and fridge just waiting for when I need a taste of home.

In case you don't realize just how easy it is, here's all that I do.

core, peel and eighth enough apples to fill the bottom of my casserole dish (that was about 6 today)
Put enough water in the bottom of the pan to come about half way up on the apples
Throw the pan in the oven (about 350F or 125C - that's what I cook everything at)
Flip the apples once, after about 20 minutes
Cook until the apples are mushy
Throw them in a blender and mash'em up!
You've got applesauce.
I sometimes add cinnamon before putting it into containers just for some variety.

Food combinations

Because of a restricted diet and a necessity to eat every two hours due to health problems I've been scrambling recently for a few variations to my basic snack foods: yogurt, whole wheat crackers, peanut butter, cheese, peanuts, cashews, boiled egg. Today's combination was an attempt to mix peanut butter into my yogurt. It's not horrible, but I can't say that I would exactly recommend it. Not the best choice. I've tried cinnamon with yogurt, which is slightly better (takes a lot of cinnamon to give the yogurt flavor) and I'm thinking if I add some vanilla into the mix it may be even better. I'd greatly appreciate any suggestions for no sugar, low carbohydrate add ins to any of my snack foods.