For me, a heaping plate of spaghetti, baked in marinara, with three fragrant meatballs covered with a snowdrift of Parmesan, that's comfort! Not that this is entirely different from fresh pasta with the sauce merely ladled over the top. My culinary consolation requires vats of noodles and sauce, enjoyed once then lovingly refrigerated in expectation of the yet more glorious resurrection later in the week. Only leftover spaghetti and meatballs that have been combined in a single casserole dish with generously spiced tomato sauce then slowly re-warmed in the oven can truly absorb and express the essential comfort of an Italian home.
Hold the garlic toast just one minute! Comfort foods produce good feelings. But what about feeling good? At the very least, to qualify as comfort food, the stuff should not make anyone sick. I shouldn't have to wonder if my mashed potatoes were laced with neurotoxins or whether the meatloaf harbored mad-cow disease. Then there are all the issues about sustainable agriculture and global warming and fair trade, etc., etc. It's enough to make anyone lose their appetite.
Is it possible to really enjoy eating food we love while also being responsible about our health AND the planet?
Truthfully, I don't know. I've been creating and adapting recipes for my family since my kids were the age my grandkids are now. Some of those efforts were complete and utter failures. (Don't let anyone tell you that bean paste sandwiches are delicious.) Others were shining successes that are now family traditions. My cookbook collection has been pared down, expanded and pared again until the remaining volumes are really dependable - with lots of Julia Child. And I'm not sure I've ever followed a recipe without adaptations. Even Julia's recipes.
So as far as I'm concerned, the question is still open. Every day I try to make food that is both delicious and healthy, both satisfying and mostly responsible. Sometimes I succeed. As this blog gets underway, I'll try to steer readers away from a few of my worst mistakes, and hope to learn a few tips from you in the process.
copyright Starr Luteri 2009
2 Write Your Comment:
Dear Starr,
I am the author of CLEAN FOOD and thought I'd share a different perspective on my choices.
Through my health counseling and teaching, I've noticed that what people want (myself included) is inspiration and connection, not a standard by which to judge themselves. In CLEAN FOOD, I've tried to offer just that. Instead of highly stylized photos of recipes that set us up for failure as we could never make our outcome look the same, I opted for artwork that nourishes me in non-nutritional ways, and quotes that keep me holding true to my intention and offer perspective that connects me on a deeper level with the changing seasons. My hope is that people will bring their own creativity to the recipes - just as you said you like to adapt most recipes to make them your own.
Finally, CLEAN FOOD is not a diet book, it is a guide and a resource for the foods we all need more of, whether you are serving them with steak, fish or roasted tofu. It is not simply a book for vegans, even though the recipes are vegan. We can all benefit from bringing simple, delicious and highly nutritious foods into our diets.
I hope you'll keep CLEAN FOOD on the front of your shelf a bit longer and give it a try. You can ask my children...comfort food CAN be healthy and delicious.
Eat clean and live well.
Terry
I'm so glad to see your response! And I agree whole-heartedly that what we cook up in our kitchens rarely looks like photos in cookbooks. Stylists can work such wonders.
I have wondered about the term "Clean Food" - used as the magazine title as well as the cookbook. Are you not concerned that it may been perceived as negative, implying that other food is "unclean"?
Let's continue the conversation!
Bright Blessings,
Starr
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