When tempted with banana-flavored pellets (the primate equivalent of our reuben or Ben & Jerry's), monkeys at an Atlanta primate research center developed an appetite for the fatty foods. As with humans, the fat blocked stress responses, but monkeys did not harbor guilt after the snackfest like we do. They didn't picture Kate Moss or skinnier monkeys after bingeing on the fatty snacks. Monkeys actually do feel comforted by comfort foods—not comforted then paralyzed by self-hate....
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Beth Hensberger, in the San Jose Mercury news: "The venerable pot pie, a classic comfort dish that disappeared from the repertoire of most home cooks for decades, is enjoying a revival." She goes through a short history of pot pies, explains what they actually entail and shares five recipes, including ones for fresh oyster pot pie with drop biscuit crust and lamb and andouille pot pie. Yum!...
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The Philadelphia Inquirer's Marilyn Marter, on a favorite comfort food: "The first choice to satisfy - and to comfort and cure cold weather ills - is a steaming bowl of chicken soup. And that is not just in America, but in most of the world." If you're feeling adventurous, she includes two recipes for bases as well as four different chicken soup recipes: Guatemalan Ginger Chicken Soup, Thai Chicken, Galangal and Coriander Soup, Pennsylvania Dutch Style Chicken Corn Soup and Italian Wedding Soup....
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Shuna Fish Lydon, on Jewish Comfort Food: "It is my ultimate opinion that there are no real bagels in the Bay Area. I have tried and retried them all. I've been cajoled by hopeful and starry eyed non-Jews as well as other deperate New York Jews. Nope, they do not exist here. Just because bread is round does not mean it's a bagel. When a bagel is a bagel, every gram of your being knows it. It's taste and texture, the smell of your grandmother's kitchen. It's whipped butter, freshly sliced red onions, and too much cream cheese." (A friend of mine who grew up in the Bay Area but lives in Brooklyn brings a sack of bagels home for...
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