Reading Rebecca Lindamood’s post on braising meats and related subjects not only made me hungry — I could practically inhale the heavenly smells — but it also reminded me that I had left some old favorites off my recent post on fall foods.

Comfort foods may not always meet the mainstream standards of health and nutrition, but they feed other needs. Needs that can’t be measured in calories or servings or “this is good for you but that is bad for you.”

Comfort foods speak to us out of our memories. Sometimes out of happier times but surprisingly, not always.

Rice pudding and canned beets are not exactly my favorite foods, but they have a special place in my heart. When my son was quite young and things were very tight in our household, somebody gave me a whole case of rice pudding. The canned beets arrived about the same time. They helped stretch things out through some thin days, so I will always have a special fondness for them even if they don’t continue appear frequently in my menus.

This is kind of like the first toaster we had. My Grandpa Cub showed me how to make it: a cut-down coffee can with the bottom cut out and a grid across the top made from a coat hanger. That old relic still has an honored place in my china cabinet right next to the Delft and Wedgwood. It reminds us to be grateful for all our blessings and not take things for granted like store-bought toasters.

Back to the comfort foods. One of my favorites is called Sunnyvelt Stew. Sunnyvelt was our family farm. That was where my Aunt Mary taught me the rudiments of cooking and many other things. As far as I can remember, we never actually had Sunnyvelt Stew on the farm. That was a name I gave it years later.

It is really quite simple: onions, garlic, mushrooms, browned ground beef, the usual salt and pepper in a large skillet. Let all the flavors cook together for awhile and serve. (P.S. I recently used ground turkey instead of ground beef, but it didn’t produce the right consistency. P.P.S. I occasionally throw in leftover vegetables like corn or peas or carrots).

Recently I have been on an apple-eating binge. I think it’s something to do with it being fall. One of my favorite snacks are apple slices smeared with peanut butter.

For a robust autumn supper, acorn squash stuffed with applesauce with a side of Kielbasa is right on. The squash is sliced in two, scooped out and baked face down for half an hour. Then it is flipped over and baked another half hour after adding a dab of butter, salt and pepper and applesauce in the cavity. Diced apples can also be used. The Kielbasa is usually sliced lengthwise and baked next to the squash for the last half hour. The contrast in flavors of this hearty dish is part of its appeal.

Sunday roast is nearly a must in my life — just plain roast (beef or pork), mashed potatoes (from scratch naturally) or little red potatoes.

Then there is meat loaf. I can’t give you a recipe for that because it depends on what’s left over in the refrigerator. Besides that are the potato soup, my Dad’s Lentil Soup and his chicken cacciatore recipes that I have mentioned in a previous post.

No more food posts from me, at least not until Advent when I will probably want to share some of my traditional Christmas favorites.

In any case, whatever your idea of comfort food, enjoy it in good health, shared with loved ones.

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