A few days after Matt Skudlarek moved down here from Connecticut in 1998, his Uncle Harold gathered him up and took him out to eat.
For Skudlarek, only 11 years old and uprooted to a new town and new culture, the meal was a special moment.
"It was the first place I ate after I got here," he says.
So what was on the menu at that debut dining out? Pizza. Lots and lots of pizza at Cicis buffet in Hixson.
So now when Skudlarek, who co-owns the Bitter Alibi and the Daily Ration restaurants and the Fix Lounge, wants to wrap himself up in tasty comfort, he turns to pizza.
"It's for when no one's around and I can eat a whole pizza by myself," he says with a laugh.
And the crucial toppings? Usually black olives, mushrooms and cheese, he says.
Pizza slides in alongside mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, grilled cheese sandwiches - often with chicken noodle or tomato soup - meatloaf and fried chicken as oft-cited comfort foods here in the United States.
But comfort food is as unique as the individual and as broad as the culture. Some turn to food lovingly made by their mother or grandmother; some return to their home culture, whether it's Thai, Caribbean, Italian, Polish or African. And some, like Skudlarek, attach it to a enduring memory.
That's true for Virginia Cofer, owner of Petunia's Silver Jalapeno. Both her grandfather in West Virginia and her father here in Chattanooga raised bees, "so we always had honey around." Because of that, peanut butter and honey sandwiches are her comfort go-to. "And if there's a banana around, I'll add that."
"To me, simplicity is always the most elegant," she says.
Robin Mather of the Chicago Tribune says comfort foods share a common trait.
"These dishes echo, whether or not we consciously realized it, a time when we knew beyond question that someone cared for us - because whenever someone feeds another person, at the act's base is the wish to provide sustenance. The person who places food in our hands says by that act, "I want you to live."
When looking for comfort, Mather gazes back to her late mother, Bobby Hughes Mather, "a difficult, brilliant woman whose generosity and skill as a cook were unparalleled." For her, the hearty, belly-filling flavor of her mom's Oxtail Stew still turns her into a little girl who needs a bit of gustatory love and hugs.
Here is Mather's recipe, plus some for other well-loved comfort foods.
Oxtail Stew
For Robin Mather, her mother's Oxtail Stew hits all the notes for a comfort food: Rich, high in fat and carbohydrates, warming and packed with memories. (Michael Tercha/Chicago Tribune/TNS)1 cup flour, heavily seasoned with salt and pepper
3 pounds oxtails
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed, minced
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, sliced into -inch slices
1/2 cup red wine
2 cups diced tomatoes with juice, or 1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 to 2 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 pound carrots, peeled, cut into large chunks
3 pounds potatoes, scrubbed, cut into large chunks
Place the seasoned flour into a large zip-close bag. Working in batches, add the oxtails, and shake to coat them generously with flour. Transfer the floured oxtails to a plate; discard the flour.
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the oxtails and brown them on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the oxtails to a plate and set aside.
Add the garlic and onion to the Dutch oven, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine, and stir to scrape up any browned bits. Cook until the wine has almost evaporated, about 5 minutes.
Return the oxtails to the pot. Add the tomatoes and enough beef broth to cover. Break the bay leaves in half and tuck them between the oxtails. Bring to a boil, decrease heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the meat is tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Add the carrots and potatoes. Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, 45 to 60 minutes longer. Remove the bay leaves and serve.
Prep: 30 minutes. Cook: 3 hours, 15 minutes. Makes: 4 servings.
- Robin Mather, Chicago Tribune
Simple Grilled Cheese Sandwich
Grilled Cheese4 slices of bread, your choice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
6 thin slices or 1 1/3 cups grated or crumbled cheese, your choice
Nonstick cooking spray (optional)
The best grilled cheese is made on a griddle or in a skillet
The most important tip is to cover the skillet at the beginning of the cooking process so the cheese melts all the way through, then finish the sandwiches with the skillet uncovered so that the outside of the bread gets nice and crisp. Try it and never again will any of you suffer the disappointment of unmelted cheese in the middle of your sandwich or overcooked toast at the expense of perfectly melted cheese.
As for which cheese you use, that's a personal preference. First on the list, naturally, American cheese, but others that melt nicely included Gouda, sharp cheddar, Muenster, Havarti and provolone. If there's one that you remember from your childhood, then that's the one you should use.
- Katie Workman, The Associated Press
Basic Meatloaf
Basic Meatloaf 1 pound ground beef
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
8 ounces canned diced tomatoes with juice
1/4 cup quick-cooking oats
Topping (optional)
1/3 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
Heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix all meatloaf ingredients well and place in a baking dish. Shape into a loaf.
If you want a topping, mix the three ingredients and spread on loaf.
Whether with topping or without, bake the loaf for 1 hour.
- Paula Deen
Simple Mac 'n' Cheese
Simple Mac 'n' Cheese1 (8 ounce) box elbow macaroni
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper to taste
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked through but firm to the bite, 8 minutes. Drain.
Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat; stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth, about 5 minutes. Slowly pour milk into butter-flour mixture while continuously stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Keep a careful eye on the milk when boiling since milk boils fast and burns easily. Burnt milk will show up in the recipes flavor if overcooked.
Add cheddar cheese to milk mixture and stir until cheese is melted, 2 to 4 minutes. You can never have enough cheese, so you can add an extra half cup without ruining the recipe.
Fold macaroni into cheese sauce until coated.
Prep: 10 minutes. Cook: 20 minutes.
Tip: Aluminum foil helps keep food moist, ensures it cooks evenly, keeps leftovers fresh and makes clean-up easy.
-www.allrecipes.com