On Sunday, it was raining and I was wearing a flannel shirt. Comfort clothing. So I planned a whole week of comfort food. I love winter food. I love slow-cooked, succulent stews. Ambrosial casseroles. Pies. Roasts. I love the way they taste. I love the way they make you feel when you eat them. I love the fact that you almost always get leftovers with winter meals, meaning you cook once and eat twice. Especially love that.
Which is how we came to be eating Beef and Red Wine Casserole, on mashed potato, on a balmy autumnal evening. I'm sick of summer food. Sick to death of lettuce and tomato and capsicum and cucumber. Sick of trying to think of a useful protein to put with such ephemeral fare and wondering how to get some carbs in there to make my boys feels like they've eaten something that touched the sides.
But, as I sat there, sweating, shovelling down mouthfuls of piping hot casserole, I had only one thought in mind:
I peaked too early.
I'm thinking an Asian chicken salad tomorrow night.
[image: by Brett Stevens, taste.com.au]
Are you a winter food aficionado or a summer salad slave?
I love winter food. I feel like a much more goddessy domestic goddess when I am putting steaming casseroles on the table....
ReplyDeleteSomething about winter food just makes me happy.
I made pumpkin soup last weekend. I'm keen as mustard for winter comfort food and flannel PJs.
ReplyDeleteAlso sympathise with trying to feed a house of men 'girl food'. Every time I serve salad or soup, I get complaints.
I am a lover of winter foods, especially slow cooked meals. But I also love a good, read heavy on dressing, salad.
ReplyDeleteYou have always been one to peak early with a comfort... that's just your way. Did you get that huge storm through Fibrotown? Man, that was perfect slow cooker weather for a moment there!!! x
ReplyDeleteYou were wearing a flannel shirt? I long to wear a flannel shirt again but I don't think it is ever going to cool down again in Perth. I am destined to a life of "cool" foods rather than the comfort foods I savour and long for. I'm glad you got to peak, even if it was too early.
ReplyDeleteAh, snap. We too ate beef and red wine casserole - on mash - after netball training in 29 degree weather.
ReplyDeleteItalian friends of mine would always serve a salad with everything...I aspire to that. The crunch of salad is great with winter food! I love the comfort of solid winter casseroles etc but with a bit of crunch they're even better and on summer days...just less of the comfort and more crunch! With a husband away a lot, if I have lunch out I make it a decent one and snack at dinner time.
ReplyDeleteThat's it! I'm blowing the dust off my slow cooker, and I don't care what the temperature will be tomorrow. I'm going to get my stew on!
ReplyDeleteSarah
I've got slow cooker on the menu tomorrow night, so I am hoping the weather is apt by then!
ReplyDeleteWe had Japanese last night with friends, and it was the perfect weather to be out and about.
I'm heading South this weekend. Perhaps I should pack my flanno in case the weather arises. x
I am desparate to leap to comfort food.....the slow cooker has been in use this week...whilst the kids flick flack between shorts one day, rugged up with jackets the next.
ReplyDeleteIf I see another tomato/capsicum/lettuce plant needing to be used, I am gonna lose it....bring me beetroot and lemons.....
We have comfort food planned for the wedding. Can't wait.
ReplyDeleteI love comfort food. Homemade cornish pasties (turnips, taters and mate (meat)) wrapped in silver foil and a tea towel, out on a windy cliff in squally weather watching the waves crash.
You haven't peaked too early, it's coming. The air has changed.
I like the change. I love the first roast dinner of autumn, I adore the steamy hot pumpkin soups, the heavy dark stews. and now I am sick of them and looking forward to salad and cold tureens of summer. Change is always good.
ReplyDeleteI've "peaked" too early also on occasion. I long for comfort food and feeling cold again. I can't wait for flannel sheets and the fireplace alight. Slow cooked lambshanks simmering on the stove ... bring on winter ... please!!!
ReplyDeleteI don't really mind either way actually - food is food and it's all good! We lived in the tropics for five years and there was no way I was going without comfort food for that long so we got used to sweating into our casseroles and pastas. Red wine was a bit harder to stomach, though. A lot of white was drunk instead.
ReplyDeleteYet I do love salads. I have them almost every day; they're such an easy work lunch. That said, I don't think you can ever go past a good roast.
I am craving lamb shanks at the moment. I made sweet potato and lamb tagine on Monday night and we sweated over it. As Sarah said, I am not sure if it will ever cool down in Perth. I am roasting vegetables now to have as cold vegie salad. Tricking my mind.
ReplyDeleteI love winter for all the same reasons. Mashed potato islands in beef casserole oceans.
ReplyDeleteI dragged out my flannelette shirt too.
Japanese Ramen during cold winter weather is my favorite!.... You should try them. They're delicious too :)
ReplyDeletexo
http://sourcherryandcurlchocolate.blogspot.com/
i am all about winter food
ReplyDeletebecause I like a recipe that involves throwing everything together in a pot and walking away for two hours
My style of cooking