In the Northeast it’s been a brutal winter: single-digit temperatures, merciless winds, and lots of snow and ice. So when thoughts turned to our Valentine’s Day blog, Comfort Food seemed very fitting. The dictionary definition is “food prepared in a traditional style having a usually nostalgic or sentimental appeal.” You’ll find a lot of that here. You’ll also find some riffs on the traditional (oatmeal with caramelized bananas) and foods most of us didn’t grow up with (enchiladas and bibimbap). But they all brought us the comfort we craved this winter. They are our culinary Valentines.
An easy dinner that whispers warmth and comfort
Meatloaf and mashed potatoes: When I think comfort food, that’s my “go to.” While I wasn’t a cook at the time, a friend and colleague shared her meatloaf recipe and I found it so easy to put together. That’s where I still turn when I’m looking for simple ingredients, slow warmth, and a savory aroma that fills the room. Mashed potatoes add the creamy side that makes the whole thing feel like being cuddled in a fuzzy blanket.
I serve this when I want an easy dinner that whispers warmth and comfort. Or put a slice in a bowl, top with mashed potatoes, and settle in to watch the game.
Peggy Mick
A memory like a photograph, but warmer and more delicious
Food has a way of bringing back the people we love.
One of my favorite comfort foods is my mom’s cheese enchiladas. For me, it’s a dish that holds a memory like a photograph, only warmer (and more delicious). One bite brings her back instantly and the unspoken care she put into something so simple. Soft flour tortillas, lightly fried, rolled with an easy cheese filling and Mexican spices, topped with salsa, then baked to perfection. As food writer Laurie Colwin said, “No one cooks alone. A cook in the kitchen is surrounded by generations of cooks past.” Those enchiladas bring my mom back in the most soothing way.
When I want comfort without cooking, Thai food is my go-to! It was a family staple growing up, for nights out or in. Pad Thai (with shrimp, not chicken), satay with peanut sauce, and Tom Kha Gai soup are still my favorites.
Teryl Taglieri
It says, ‘You’re taken care of tonight’
Pasta and meatballs with a glass of red wine is my definition of comfort food. It’s simple, familiar, and deeply satisfying. It’s not flashy or fussy. It just shows up, warm and reliable, and says, “You’re taken care of tonight.”
Ultimately, this is so much more than just food: It represents family to me. It’s comfort you can taste, the kind that settles you back into yourself and reminds you that sometimes the best things are the ones that have always been there. For me it’s infused with lots of memories: family tables, shared laughter, someone calling you in from another room when dinner is ready. Even when you’re eating alone, it never feels lonely.
JoAnne Stauss
Korean food is comfort you can customize
When it comes to comfort food, I can always count on my favorite Korean dishes. I get a hot and spicy kick from a bubbling pot of kimchi jjigae, a satisfying sizzle with dolsot bibimbap (rice, protein, and seasoned veggies served in a hot stone vessel), and anticipatory joy when the little banchan (side dish) plates fill up the table at my favorite Korean restaurant.
But when I really need something restorative and soothing, there’s nothing like a steaming bowl of seolleongtang, or ox-bone soup. Seolleongtang is soul-satisfying simplicity. Ox (or beef) bones are simmered for hours and served with tender slices of brisket, glass noodles, and scallions floating on top. And it’s comfort you can customize. Add a spoonful of radish kimchi or a bit of gochujang (red chili pepper) sauce to spice it up. Cook some chewy sliced rice cakes in the broth or pop in some dumplings. No matter what’s in the bowl, this is a comforting soup that makes everything feel just a bit better.
Margo Hackel
It feels like a hug in a bowl
Oatmeal is my favorite winter comfort food. For some it’s synonymous with bland, boring and beige, but for me it feels like a hug in a bowl. A steaming bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter (for protein), bananas, and maple syrup can power me through a busy morning of writing or whatever the day has in store. On a weekend I’ll go a little fancy with some caramelized bananas, toasted pecans or figs when in season. I love that oatmeal warms me from the inside out and is genuinely good for me while still feeling like a treat. If you ask me, it’s time to give oatmeal the glow-up it deserves!
Danielle Foley
A tangy, buttery explosion that warmed me from the inside
Smells and flavors create a familiarity and can stir memories long forgotten. Transporting you to the place, the people, and the experiences you shared. Bringing comfort on those days when you need it, bringing back those moments that you treasure. When it comes to comfort food that takes me back to the little kitchen in my mom’s house, it has to be creamy tomato soup with a thick slice of homemade bread that she just pulled out of the oven. Admittedly, my favorite part was the warm bread slathered in butter. My mom’s bread was legendary and perfect for dipping into the tomato soup, creating a tangy, buttery explosion of flavor that warmed me from the inside. The kind only a mom provides. The kind that comes from warm, simple food made with love and eaten together.
Cortnae DelValle
A Christmas Eve tradition that began with my grandmother
When I hear the words “comfort food,” Hungarian stuffed cabbage comes immediately to mind. Tender cabbage leaves filled with a mixture of seasoned ground meat and rice, rolled and nestled in a pot of paprika-rich tomato sauce, sauerkraut, and smoked sausage, then simmered for hours – it’s a hearty, flavorful dish that drives away the cold and stress of the outside world.
A Christmas Eve tradition that began with my grandmother (her handwritten recipe set the standard) and expertly maintained by my mother (master of the perfectly plump, tightly tucked roll), stuffed cabbage continues to be a mainstay at our holiday table. Next-generation preparations (including mine) vary slightly, in the way holiday traditions evolve. But – in the making and the eating – the dish is a celebration of busy kitchens, crowded tables, laughter, conversation, and treasured memories. And, after the holiday leftovers are gone, I often make it again. Stuffed cabbage is the perfect winter indulgence!
Cathy Donnelly
Cheesy, gooey, decadent yumminess
So many dishes competed for the honor of my favorite comfort food. The ones that mean the most to me were woven into the fabric of my childhood: Mom’s meatloaf and mashed potatoes, Nana’s tomato rice soup and applesauce cake, Nonny’s brisket and kreplach (dumplings). But the one that gets top honors is a different one – not really a part of my upbringing unless you count the version from the blue box. Mac and cheese (the grown-up sort) is the comfort food I always crave, when it’s cold, when I’m down, or just because of its cheesy, gooey, decadent yumminess.
Valentine for Mac and Cheese
My love,
In a world that moves too fast,
You are my pause
Warm, steady, and always waiting.
You gather me in with gentle heat,
Wrap me in comfort,
And remind me that simple things
Can hold the deepest joy.
Every golden swirl, every tender bite
Feels like a promise:
That I am cared for,
That I am home.
So today, and every day, I choose you.
My faithful comfort,
My delicious devotion
My forever Valentine.
🧡💛🧡💛🧡
Laura Singer
