Tasty Bites and More Thoughts on Food

The phrase “comfort food” exists for a reason. Food is comforting. It really is that simple. Or is it? Perhaps I should rephrase that; food can be comforting. It depends on what you are eating. For example: fish eye balls…for some strange reason just does not do it for me. They just are not comforting. Neither are chicken hearts nor livers nor any innards really, in my opinion. I know that they are supposed to be a delicacy and many people may find them to be comforting. They may remind you of your family, friends, a certain holiday or restaurant…but for me…they just sort of make me cringe. My mom’s homemade macaroni and cheese, on the other hand; definitely comfort food. I feel the same for her pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, my grandmothers homemade meatballs and fucili, my other grandmothers Christmas tree cookies, my aunts’ chicken wings and ice box cake, my dads coffee (a simple dish, but so delicious and really not the same when anyone else makes it). All of these dishes bring up memories for me-holidays, birthdays, late night homework in high school, family…the mere smell of certain ingredients can bring me home. The smell of cinnamon, for some reason always reminds me of winter break from college; being at home on a snowy day with a fire going in the fire place, my mom baking. When I lived on my own in Boston, I used to cook cinnamon sticks- just cinnamon sticks and water in order to infuse that smell into my kitchen. It actually works really well and even on the coldest of cold days, can make me feel cozier and warmer. Here in Nicaragua, though, I would define comfort food a little differently. Here my comfort food is my host mother’s gallo pinto and my other host mother’s baked chayote and mozzarella cheese. It’s a good cup of coffee that is not over-sweetened and a meal that is not over-salted or over-fried. While I could try to recreate recipes from home, in order to have the same definition of comfort food, I think one of the reasons why those foods are comforting, is because of who is making them. I could try to make them, but it just would not be the same. Also, the ingredients are extremely different here and I cook on a 2 burner camp stove, which has 1 broken burner and no oven.

Now that I live on my own, though, I must make my own comfort food. I started with an attempt at making gallo pinto. I think it actually turned out pretty well...I ate it for lunch with a tomato and pipian (a squash type vegetable) salad. It was delicious! Before actually trying gallo pinto, I thought it was just rice and beans...and it basically is, but the technique to cook it is different than you may think. The rice is first washed- you must pick out any rocks, bugs etc... that may be inside. The rice I buy does not have to be washed too carefully, but I do find rocks in there every once in a while. While you are washing the rice, you fry chopped onions (and I like to add garlic as well), in oil (I use soy oil). Next you fry the uncooked rice (sounds strange I know...) After frying the rice for about 2 minutes, you add water and allow the rice to cook the same way that we would cook the rice at home. After the rice is done, you fry the beans (which are already cooked-I buy mine pre-cooked from my host family) for a couple of minutes. Next you mix the fried rice with the fried beans and yes, you fry them both together. This dish may not be one of the healthier dishes in Nicaragua, but it definitely is delicious and I think when I leave here in 2 years, I will miss it. This dish may just become one of the recipes I bring home with me to add to my list of comfort foods.