When I woke up this morning it was 5 degrees, the kind of cold that goes into your bones. Now that beef, onion and red wine stew I shared last week is on the stove, broadcasting its comforting aroma through the house. This cold will be around for a while; what do you cook when you're cold or in need of comfort?
I'm on a farm in Wisconsin and I made a pot of pinto beans--with dried porcini mushrooms, onions and ancho chilis......so good ..and ate them with hot corn tortillas. Delicious --and go figure, it's vegan!
I pretty much made my own version of this recipe. I didn't use avocado leaves and I didn't char the peppers. I used one pound of beans--and 9 cups of water. I put all of this in my instant pot --including the unsoaked beans - for about 55 minutes and let it do a slow release. I used dried porcini mushrooms and one black ancho chili--plus some small dried chilis that I had on hand. Plus a fresh poblano and fresh jalapeno. This pot of beans is truly epic by the addition of the dried mushrooms. Game changer for me!
This sounds fantastic! You've inspired me to make a pot of beans with all the things I had floating around in my refrigerator, including an old cheese rind. The scent is so delicious. Thanks!
Soup, definitely. I just made myself a bowl of chicken soup with an egg beaten into it, a bit of lemon rind, some spinach leaves and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. If there's anything more comforting I haven't found it.
Ruth, I made your wonderful stew on Saturday with local beef I picked up at the Bath, Maine farmers market. I finished it with the mushrooms and served it on Sunday evening, with mashed potatoes as suggested. My new favorite beef stew recipe! Another cold-weather comfort project is to put on a pot of chicken stock. The scent and the promise of soups with homemade stock makes me feel as if all is right with the world. :)
I literally just put a bookmark for your beef, onion and red wine stew in your book My Kitchen Year to make this Saturday when the weather will dip back into the teens. Home with Covid (fully vaccinated) I have 0 appetite but with your food descriptions I am hoping this stew will lure me back to my usual gluttony ;-)
It doesn’t get any where that cold, here in Ventura, Ca. But lately it’s dipped to low 40’s, that’s freezing here in SoCal!😂
Comfort to me, are dishes each parent would prepare, Mom always her simple White Onion & Cheese Enchiladas with one black olive rolled in the middle. Dad, his deeply flavored Chicken Adobo over steaming sticky rice. Both took off the chill, each bite a flavor explosion and how each made me feel the Love they both cooked in these dishes❤️
My Concord Ma Grandparents had no central heat, no indoor bathroom, a wonderful sink with a water pump,an oil lamp over the round oak kitchen table, a fabulous wood burning stove in the kitchen, with Bumpers you could rest your feet upon...until she was 70 years!I wonder what she cooked in very cold weather...Something from the root cellar for sure, always mashed potatoes!
I made your beef stew! That brought a lot of comfort. Mine was made with fresh deer meat and a dark stout. Served over no-yolk noodles. Hubs declared “best stew ever”. That brought joy.
Last week on a chilled to the bone day here in Toronto I made a beef short rib soup with tons of veggies, potatoes, and cooked it for hours! Amazing especially the 2nd day!!
Anything with chicken! Pot pie, chicken and rice, chicken noodle soup…you get the picture! Right now, a good Brunswick Stew is sounding perfect for a dreary Chicago day.
Anything braised. I've made the cassoulet that I made at Champagne. That takes some planning because I'll make the confit a week or so ahead. More often though it's beef bourguignon or black bean soup or chili. God you'd think after all these years of cooking I'd no longer have to look up how to spell bourguignon. LOL
Wine braised pot roast with onions from the Gourmet Today cookbook. This is my favorite pot roast recipe. It cooks in the oven and fills the house with wonderful smells.
Savory Oatmeal. Made with chicken stock, turmeric, ginger, scallions, fresh basil, sesame seed and tamari. Best way to start a cold morning (better with a little chili crunch).
I made pasta fagioli last night and Dorie Greenspan delicious tea cake which got thumbs up from my husband- very good indeed. Still have some of your old edition Gourmet-boy do I miss that magazine 💞🥶
Definitely something beefy; always Beef Bone Broth, Beef Stew (Laurie Colwin's recipe is a winter regular), and homemade chicken stock for yummy chicken, veggie and rice soup. I could live on all of these through February!
i am an unabashed fan of classic s&b cubes and their particular taste, but i recently got my hands on a more, shall we say artisanal, curry brick from Sonoko!
These days it’s become chicken and dumplings. I’m a chronic broth maker, so always have good stock on hand. I brown skin-on bone-in pieces, throw in onions, some carrots and a bit of celery. I add a quart or so of homemade chicken broth, some water, seasoning, and simmer it until the house smells lovely. Top it off with some drop biscuit buttermilk dumplings (very low simmer, covered, and don’t peek). That’s comfort food for a chilly day.
Same weather here! Turned on the oven to 450 and made a sheet pan kielbasa with cabbage and white beans. Made enough for lunch leftovers. At least we can walk it off today with balmy double digit temps!
Beef vegetable barley soup with homemade whole wheat bread and butter, except the thick chuck roast that the employee selected for my grocery pick-up order is too beautiful to cut up. It will become a luscious pot roast, and I'll make soup (or hot roast beef sandwiches) from the leftovers. Stay warm, everybody.
I deserve no sympathy on this, but it's 49 in Savannah and to us it's really freezing. You would think being from NY, I would not feel that way.... Anyway, yesterday I made Creamy French Onion and Mushroom soup (Half Baked Harvest Recipe). It is really delicious. Used creme fraiche instead of the 1/2 c heavy cream and a splash of sherry at the end. Delicious.
I'm on a farm in Wisconsin and I made a pot of pinto beans--with dried porcini mushrooms, onions and ancho chilis......so good ..and ate them with hot corn tortillas. Delicious --and go figure, it's vegan!
That sounds amazing. Do you have a recipe?
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1022402-frijoles-de-la-olla
I pretty much made my own version of this recipe. I didn't use avocado leaves and I didn't char the peppers. I used one pound of beans--and 9 cups of water. I put all of this in my instant pot --including the unsoaked beans - for about 55 minutes and let it do a slow release. I used dried porcini mushrooms and one black ancho chili--plus some small dried chilis that I had on hand. Plus a fresh poblano and fresh jalapeno. This pot of beans is truly epic by the addition of the dried mushrooms. Game changer for me!
This sounds fantastic! You've inspired me to make a pot of beans with all the things I had floating around in my refrigerator, including an old cheese rind. The scent is so delicious. Thanks!
I just had ANOTHER bowl--this time with wild rice!
Please post the recipe!
It’s almost that cold here in Ann Arbor. On days like this I always want to roast a chicken and serve it with mashed potatoes and a glass of red wine.
There is nothing like a roasted chicken to make me feel that all will be well.
funny, I just did that!
Tomato soup and grilled cheese eaten by the fire (with a good book) is Peak Cozy in our house!
Posole!
for breakfast after a late night
red lentil soup with onions, celery, veggie broth, long grain rice, cumin, chickpeas and tomatoes...delicious and comforting.
Soup, Soup, SOUP!
Soup, definitely. I just made myself a bowl of chicken soup with an egg beaten into it, a bit of lemon rind, some spinach leaves and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese. If there's anything more comforting I haven't found it.
Any Soup for breakfast!
I have often reached for leftover soup for breakfast. Soup is the perfect, complete food.
Totally agree. I made mushroom barley last night.
I live on and manage a sheep farm in Western MT, where it gets cold a lot! My choice chicken and dumplings!
Spaghetti Carbonara
oh yaaassss!!!
Avgolemono soup with shredded boiled chicken and a lot of squeezed lemon juice. It reminds me of my childhood.
Ruth, I made your wonderful stew on Saturday with local beef I picked up at the Bath, Maine farmers market. I finished it with the mushrooms and served it on Sunday evening, with mashed potatoes as suggested. My new favorite beef stew recipe! Another cold-weather comfort project is to put on a pot of chicken stock. The scent and the promise of soups with homemade stock makes me feel as if all is right with the world. :)
Haven't made it yet but I bought all the ingredients for Ruth's stew this weekend...maybe I'll start it tomorrow morning!
“Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili.” — Allegedly Kit Carson’s dying words.
Pasta Fagoli
A new one: bacon mushroom barley soup with leeks…a new found yum! ❄️
Jane Brody's favorite lentil soup. Warms from tip to toe.
lentils for me too!
Cream of celeriac soup. Cacio e pepe. A tuna casserole.
Mmmmm Tuna Casserole! Great reminder! I will have to pull out Mom's classic recipe!
I plan to cook a Chinese-style red-cooked chicken stew with carrots and peeled roasted chestnuts. It's my comfort food on cold days.
Lentil Soup always does it. Yesterday I cooked a spontaneous vegetable soup, a little good goat cheese and slice of good bread!
two things actually (never together) eggplant parmigiana (my husband’s favorite) or chicken soup!
bread. the smell of bread in the apartment is comforting
Cassoulet! Julia Child's beef Bourguignon! Tartiflette or Raclette cheesy comfort!
Pea soup made with pork bones! Homey and comfy, no matter the season.
I literally just put a bookmark for your beef, onion and red wine stew in your book My Kitchen Year to make this Saturday when the weather will dip back into the teens. Home with Covid (fully vaccinated) I have 0 appetite but with your food descriptions I am hoping this stew will lure me back to my usual gluttony ;-)
I hope so too!
Chicken pot pie
Agreed! Made from scratch. Either with homemade pie crust OR. Freezer pastry dough.
If you haven't tried it yet, consider making a biscuit crust. It's more fluffy, though I love pie dough too.
It doesn’t get any where that cold, here in Ventura, Ca. But lately it’s dipped to low 40’s, that’s freezing here in SoCal!😂
Comfort to me, are dishes each parent would prepare, Mom always her simple White Onion & Cheese Enchiladas with one black olive rolled in the middle. Dad, his deeply flavored Chicken Adobo over steaming sticky rice. Both took off the chill, each bite a flavor explosion and how each made me feel the Love they both cooked in these dishes❤️
yummy
My Concord Ma Grandparents had no central heat, no indoor bathroom, a wonderful sink with a water pump,an oil lamp over the round oak kitchen table, a fabulous wood burning stove in the kitchen, with Bumpers you could rest your feet upon...until she was 70 years!I wonder what she cooked in very cold weather...Something from the root cellar for sure, always mashed potatoes!
I cooked a beef short-rib stew last night. The gravy with homemade bread was the best part.
I made your beef stew! That brought a lot of comfort. Mine was made with fresh deer meat and a dark stout. Served over no-yolk noodles. Hubs declared “best stew ever”. That brought joy.
Last night I made a big pot of chicken soup loaded with vegetables and beans. It warms me.
Last week on a chilled to the bone day here in Toronto I made a beef short rib soup with tons of veggies, potatoes, and cooked it for hours! Amazing especially the 2nd day!!
Recipe please!
Anything with chicken! Pot pie, chicken and rice, chicken noodle soup…you get the picture! Right now, a good Brunswick Stew is sounding perfect for a dreary Chicago day.
Anything braised. I've made the cassoulet that I made at Champagne. That takes some planning because I'll make the confit a week or so ahead. More often though it's beef bourguignon or black bean soup or chili. God you'd think after all these years of cooking I'd no longer have to look up how to spell bourguignon. LOL
Wine braised pot roast with onions from the Gourmet Today cookbook. This is my favorite pot roast recipe. It cooks in the oven and fills the house with wonderful smells.
Savory Oatmeal. Made with chicken stock, turmeric, ginger, scallions, fresh basil, sesame seed and tamari. Best way to start a cold morning (better with a little chili crunch).
Bread. Lots and lots of bread.
Okra chowder x Lee Bailey (rip) 👌🏽
Hello from the UK, Ruth! We just had bubble and squeak for dinner - perfect comfort food, with a fried egg on top! Bon appetit! :-)
I made pasta fagioli last night and Dorie Greenspan delicious tea cake which got thumbs up from my husband- very good indeed. Still have some of your old edition Gourmet-boy do I miss that magazine 💞🥶
Homemade tomato soup with the diva of grilled cheese; pot roast with horseradish.
Tuscan Ferro Soup!
Pasta e fagiole, of course!
Yes! Me too!
Definitely something beefy; always Beef Bone Broth, Beef Stew (Laurie Colwin's recipe is a winter regular), and homemade chicken stock for yummy chicken, veggie and rice soup. I could live on all of these through February!
japanese-style curry with chicken thighs, onions, many carrots, and few potatoes.
Do you use the classic cube-o-curry or make your own?
i am an unabashed fan of classic s&b cubes and their particular taste, but i recently got my hands on a more, shall we say artisanal, curry brick from Sonoko!
Hoppin' John (it's not just for New Year's!).
Big pot of beef vegetable soup. Later this week maybe spaghetti w/ meat sauce, the sauce based on Joy of Cooking recipe
These days it’s become chicken and dumplings. I’m a chronic broth maker, so always have good stock on hand. I brown skin-on bone-in pieces, throw in onions, some carrots and a bit of celery. I add a quart or so of homemade chicken broth, some water, seasoning, and simmer it until the house smells lovely. Top it off with some drop biscuit buttermilk dumplings (very low simmer, covered, and don’t peek). That’s comfort food for a chilly day.
Same weather here! Turned on the oven to 450 and made a sheet pan kielbasa with cabbage and white beans. Made enough for lunch leftovers. At least we can walk it off today with balmy double digit temps!
Beef vegetable barley soup with homemade whole wheat bread and butter, except the thick chuck roast that the employee selected for my grocery pick-up order is too beautiful to cut up. It will become a luscious pot roast, and I'll make soup (or hot roast beef sandwiches) from the leftovers. Stay warm, everybody.
I made a pot roast this week with lots of dried and fresh mushrooms.
I deserve no sympathy on this, but it's 49 in Savannah and to us it's really freezing. You would think being from NY, I would not feel that way.... Anyway, yesterday I made Creamy French Onion and Mushroom soup (Half Baked Harvest Recipe). It is really delicious. Used creme fraiche instead of the 1/2 c heavy cream and a splash of sherry at the end. Delicious.
Last night I made Potato Celery Soup from Gourmet magazine in the 1990's.!