On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 18:09:58 -0400, Mr. Bill > wrote:

> Why does food provoke and/or invoke memories both good and bad?
>
> Those two words are interesting...and they both can be related to
> food...our basic instinct. Provoke....to incite or stimulate (a
> person, animal, etc.) to action. Invoke....to call for with earnest
> desire; make supplication...heavy thoughts.
>
> But my comfort food has to be tuna noodle casserole.

<snip>

I don't really have anything I call "comfort food", but I do have
pleasant memories of family traditions (or habits). Sunday "supper"
was a bowl of popcorn in front of the TV watching the Ed Sullivan Show
and winter Saturday lunches were often (it seems that way now, at
least) a hot dog cooked on a hotdog fork over the wood coals in our
fireplace. An alternative to hot dogs was open faced peanut butter
sandwiches topped with marshmallow fluff, broiled until toasty brown.

My grandmother (who lived next door) would occasionally make baked
macaroni and cheese and invite us over for dinner. She didn't make it
very often, so it was very special to me. I guess that's my comfort
food; I do the same thing for my grandchild now. I think I skipped a
generation with my kids because I don't remember making it for them.

My bad memory is being forced to eat canned peas. My mom wasn't much
of a cook, so she fussed as little as possible. Spaghetti was Chef
Boyardee in a box. We didn't know any better, so we thought it was
good.

--

Carrot cake counts as a serving of vegetables.

I would rate the greatest comfort foods as meatloaf and homemade mac
and cheese. Doesn't get any better than that.

On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:33:38 -0700, Christine Dabney
> wrote:

> On Mon, 16 Aug 2010 19:26:18 -0700 (PDT), "Michael O'Connor"
> > wrote:
>
> >I would rate the greatest comfort foods as meatloaf and homemade mac
> >and cheese. Doesn't get any better than that.
>
> I think it depends on your heritage.. That probably wouldn't be
> classified as comfort food for the peoples of Vietnam, or India or
> China. Or Japan. Or France. Or even England, although what they
> classify as comfort food might be closer to ours in the US.
>
I wasn't confused. He was talking about himself and if he was talking
broadly, he may have included his friends and family.


--

Carrot cake counts as a serving of vegetables.