# Rainy day comfort food **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 16, 2017, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730 "2017-11-16T00:33:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Patx2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/73ab20/32.png) [@Patx2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patx2)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/81 "2017-11-19T18:43:48Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > That’s just to thaw them a little. Faster than boiling them (and unnecessary). Good to know, thanks! ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/82 "2017-11-19T21:09:37Z")
Cream of Wheat hot tea ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/83 "2017-11-19T23:32:03Z")
Damp, cold and overcast today so I made a big pot of my Mother’s corn chowder. She always added lima beans and sliced kielbasa. Still very tasty and soothing. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2017, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/84 "2017-11-19T23:42:05Z")
A favorite I’ve mentioned before: fried kielbasa, potatoes and onions, with liberal amounts of pepper. Simple and addictive. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/85 "2017-11-20T02:23:12Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > A favorite I’ve mentioned before: fried kielbasa, potatoes and onions, with liberal amounts of pepper. Simple and addictive. Wouldn’t hurt to throw some cabbage in there, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/86 "2017-11-20T02:38:30Z")
> [@dwyr](#): > > Damp, cold and overcast today so I made a big pot of my Mother’s corn chowder. She always added lima beans and sliced kielbasa. Still very tasty and soothing. Ooo. That speaks to me. Can you share the recipe? Or, rather, just the general approach would be fine (I can figure out quantities.) ---
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2017, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/87 "2017-11-20T21:56:55Z")
> [@Elemenopy](#): > > I love it, and its cousin done up with sausages–toad in the hole? I have to use bratwurst given where I live, but it’s still glorious, especially with a bit of mustard on the side. > > My favorite chilly dishes are potato leek soup (and I use ALL the leek, no French nonsense about only using the whites) and ham and bean soup. I also like to make pot roast with lots of onions and stewed tomatoes, and serve it mushed up and thickened over mashed potatoes. Also sausage and peppers with a side of “midwestern Alfredo”: egg noodles tossed with a sauce of butter, cottage cheese (Michigan or Daisy brand or something without gums)and lots of black pepper. > > And of course, pork chops and applesauce. Oh, you’re talking my kind of language there! Toad in the hole is a big favourite. And I made leek and potato soup (with dumplings) last week. And the only bit of the leek that was left out was the dirt I washed off it. And ham and beans…yup, that was yesterday! And yes. I’m a fool for a pork chop… ---
**Author:** ![dwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwyr/32/363_2.png) [@dwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dwyr)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/88 "2017-11-22T00:12:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Ooo. That speaks to me. Can you share the recipe? Or, rather, just the general approach would be fine (I can figure out quantities.) I never measure anyway, just throw in what looks like enough. Dice up some smoky bacon and fry until crisp. Add chopped onion and fry until softened. Chuck in cubed potato and enough water to barely cover, maybe a little salt-depends on the bacon. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes are just tender. Add in corn - I use a mix of fresh frozen and canned creamed corn-baby lima beans, sliced kielbasa sausage and add milk. I usually use whole. Salt and pepper to taste and let the whole mess simmer, not boil, until everything melds into a yummy pot of deliciousness. Just polished off a bowl along with some garlic bread. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/89 "2017-11-22T01:31:24Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > Oh, you’re talking my kind of language there! Toad in the hole is a big favourite. And I made leek and potato soup (with dumplings) last week. And the only bit of the leek that was left out was the dirt I washed off it. And ham and beans…yup, that was yesterday! > > And yes. I’m a fool for a pork chop… We just polished off a couple of pork cutlets. Bashed a thick pork chop with a meat hammer until thin, dipped in egg wash, coated with panko and then sauteed in fat until crispy and just done. Served up with a lettuce wedge topped with bleu cheese dressing and fresh bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2017, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/90 "2017-11-22T01:59:09Z")
Pork and cabbage is mighty fine on a cold day, but pork and sauerkraut is better. Try Hungarian Szekeley gulyas (Sauerkraut goulash). > **[Pork and Sauerkraut Goulash / Szekelygulyas / Hungarian Goulash](http://www.craftycookingmama.com/pork-and-sauerkraut-goulash-szekelygulyas-hungarian-goulash/)** > > This, without a doubt, will be one of the best sauerkraut or goulash dishes you've ever eaten. Delicious, melt in your mouth pork simmered all day with sauerkraut, paprika and veggies - finished with creamy This is a good enough recipe to be going on with, but for GOD’S SAKE, don’t use a green bell pepper…look for a “cubanelle” or an “Italian frying pepper,” which is long and pale green and much closer to what a Budapest cook would use. Also, 2 cups of sour cream is excessive. When you get to that stage, just keep stirring in more until it gets attractively creamy. The recipe makes 6-8 servings (God, I’ve never made that much at once), and I wouldn’t go over a scant cup for that quantity. If you can make homemade _spaetzel_ or _nockerlin_-style dumplings, do. Otherwise egg noodles are fine. ---
**Author:** ![betterlifethroughchemistry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/betterlifethroughchemistry/32/3094_2.png) [@betterlifethroughchemistry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betterlifethroughchemistry)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2017, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/91 "2017-11-24T19:33:01Z")
It’s not unusual for us to have snow on the ground from mid-December through the end of March…so the wife and I spend lots of time cooking (and eating) on the weekends… Next week will be homemade turkey soup…the following months will include chicken tetrazzini, big Dutch oven of homemade mac-and-cheese, multiple iterations of chili, Shepherd’s pie, corn beef and cabbage, spicy beef stew in the crock pot…winter is long around here… ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/92 "2017-11-27T03:07:04Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > It’s nearly orgasmic. I used fish sauce instead of anchovies, because that’s what I had in the house, and it worked just fine. I never would have thought of using gelatin, but it really fortifies things. I made this beef stew today. OMG you guys. [https://instagram.com/p/Bb-pNDLH9uc/](https://instagram.com/p/Bb-pNDLH9uc/) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/93 "2017-11-27T04:51:13Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > I made this beef stew today. OMG you guys. > > [Ellen Baker Soileau on Instagram: "Vegetarian friends, avert your eyes! This is an astonishingly good beef stew. It takes several hours — so be prepared if you're inclined to make it. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2016/01/all-american-beef-stew-recipe.html #foodie #dinner #homechef #delicious #Lodge #damnimgood"](https://instagram.com/p/Bb-pNDLH9uc/) Right? (I really hate that phrase, but it seems to fit). Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/94 "2017-11-27T21:24:27Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > One time when Mrs. L.A. wasn’t feeling well, I made loco moco. She found that a comforting food. :eek: Yeesh! I read that name as Spanish and envisioned some sort of gelatinous sauce. Looked it up. Definitely a cautionary about naming things carefully :smack: ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/95 "2017-11-27T21:43:55Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > If it’s not holding together, then it’s an ingredient problem. Usually, the culprit is too many binders, including milk. You only need two, usually just bread crumbs and egg. If you use bread and milk, it’s very easy to add too much, which will make it mushy, as the bread can’t absorb all the liquid _and_ the rendered fat. If you add all three, the same thing will happen. If it’s falling apart, then you aren’t using enough bread, or the ratio of bread to second binder is off, or the meat is way too lean. Agree. But I never use milk in the first place. Meat, pre-sautéed vegetables, seasonings and about one egg per pound of meat. Mix well, then work in bread crumbs until it’s sticky instead of slimy and holds a shape. Bake free-form in a larger pan to catch the drippings. Tender when hot and sliceable when cold. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/96 "2017-11-27T21:58:49Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > Shoulder of lamb. In a big tin with loads of rosemary, garlic, salt and pepper, cover with foil and into a super-hot oven to get it going, then turn it straight down to about 130C for about four hours. Oh yes. Except I sliver the garlic and bard it into the surface of the meat. Usually a leg rather than a shoulder - question of availability. ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/97 "2017-11-27T22:31:19Z")
Somewhat tangential to the thread, but interesting, is an anecdote told me by a friend. His sister did a study for WHO or one of the other aid organizations trying to determine a food that would be “universal” - that any culture would know what to do with. Apparently, the conclusion they came to was … Burritos, sort of. Every culture that has agriculture has some sort of flatbread, and at that point the thought to wrap more food in it becomes inevitable. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2017, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/98 "2017-11-27T22:50:57Z")
> [@MacLir](#): > > :eek: Yeesh! I read that name as Spanish and envisioned some sort of gelatinous sauce. > > Looked it up. > > Definitely a cautionary about naming things carefully :smack: Per [wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loco_moco#History_and_origin): > [@](#): > > The dish was reportedly created at the Lincoln Grill restaurants in Hilo, Hawaii, in 1949 by its proprietors, Richard Inouye and his wife Nancy, at the request of teenagers from the Lincoln Wreckers Sports club seeking something that differed from a sandwich, was inexpensive yet quickly prepared and served. They asked Nancy to put some rice in a bowl, a hamburger patty over the rice and then topped with brown gravy. The egg came later. The teenagers named the dish Loco Moco after one of their members, George Okimoto, whose nickname was “Crazy”. George Takahashi, who was studying Spanish at Hilo High School, suggested using Loco, which is Spanish for crazy. They tacked on “moco” which “rhymed with loco and sounded good”.[sup][[1]](https://books.google.com/books?id=ZnsTxepydfQC&pg=PA20#v=onepage&q&f=false)[/sup][sup][2][/sup][sup][3][/sup] However, to Spanish-speakers, this may sound odd, considering that moco means “booger” in Spanish. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/99 "2017-11-28T04:04:01Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > I’ve got the makings of _chocolate a la taza_ from [Amatller](http://www.chocolateamatller.com/) 🙂 That’s the kind of chocolate usually associated with churros. Planning on making me a cup this Sunday. When we were little it was an occasional winter-Sunday treat; I’d spend over half an hour just scrapping chocolate shavings off the bar, Amatller kindly sells it in shavings form. It was also part of Sunday breakfast in my dorm: during a year in which the rest of the meals had gone completely downhill, we still agreed that Sunday breakfast made up for “if it’s peas, it’s Tuesday”. > > Cocoa has to make do when one can’t find a properly stiff chocolate, but it’s not really the same. You’re killing me, woman! And I checked their website and it doesn’t look like they ship outside Europe. Any favorite brands that can be found in North America? ---
**Author:** ![MacLir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9e8a1a/32.png) [@MacLir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacLir)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2017, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730/100 "2017-11-28T21:25:32Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > Per [wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loco_moco#History_and_origin): I associated moco with snot instead of booger, but that’s what I looked up.😃 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rainy-day-comfort-food/801730.md?page=6)