Comfort Food

C

We had slices of fried cornmeal mush for breakfast. Mother used to make that and it is something I would classify as a comfort food.

Other comfort foods: cornbread and beans, deviled eggs, bread pudding, rosy red pickled eggs, rhubarb pie, baked chicken pie (made in a 9x13" pan with pie crust on top), bisque ice cream, gooseberry pie.

Every now and then I think of something my mother made that I would love to have again. It would be even better if she was here to make it for me. What is it they say...You can't go home again. In a lot of ways that is true.

When I was telling a friend about the mush this morning, she had never heard of it. So here is a recipe. Combine 1 cup cornmeal and 3 cups boiling water in a large microwave-safe bowl. Stir well, cover and microwave on high for 2 minutes. Then stir again and microwave 2 more minutes on medium. Stir again and serve, sweetened with brown sugar if desired. You can put the mixture in a loaf pan and chill overnight, then slice and fry.

A homeless man came to my office door this morning asking for food. While I didn't have anything he could eat without cooking it, it got me to thinking what kinds of inexpensive items could be kept on hand in case this would happen again. In the kind of office where I work, this is something that happens every now and then. Perhaps a packet of peanut butter-cheese crackers and an apple. In this particular case I did give him a couple dollars to get something at the little diner around the corner, but that is not something I would feel was wise to do on a regular basis, even if I could afford to -- which I can't.

I have been adding to this all day. This afternoon I went shopping and got some packets of snack crackers, a 4-container package of snack-size mixed fruits and some cans of vienna sausages. That may work for something to pass out in an emergency.