"--And, I wonder, what do they eat in heaven? "

Angel Food cake?

But I don't think they eat in heaven. If they do then they will have to have bathrooms. That would stink to high heaven.

Comfort food for me would be food. :-)

dcarch

John...I am sorry....
Often it's hardest to comfort those who need it the most.
For me, comfort food is grilled lamb chops, baked potato and buttered carrots.
I know some consider simple foods like milk toast or scrambled eggs comfort food....and for others it chicken soup.
Treat that lady well, she's had a rough go of it.
Linda C

I'm so sorry for the loss...so hard to understand.

For me, comfort food is carbs and wine. The carbs can be naan, gnocchi, pretzels, ciabatta, or baked potato but it must be carbs, preferably refined.
The wine preference is usually chardonnay.

SWMBO = +1

A lot of foods are comfort food to me but in similar circumstance I'll go with the meal my mother prepared for me on any occasion but what cements it is her preparing it for me on any occasion I made it home from university for a visit.

Grilled pork chops, rice, sauerkraut, green beans and home made cranberry sauce.

An unconventional plate but then she was an unconventional woman and for reasons I'll leave not illuminated a visit home from university was fraught with tension, issues and emotional violence.

So chops, rice and kraut evokes good memories from a hard time. That comforts me to this day, some decades later.

Black tea and baked custard, failing that anything chocolate- mousse, yoghurt, icecream, cookies, brownies, not so much just chocolate though.

I'm sorry for your loss.
My comfort food is boiled eggs and soldiers.
You could eat fruit in the shower - not a meal, though!

''Soldiers''? Please explain, before my imagination runs amuck?

John, I'm so sorry about your niece.

The comfort foods I usually run to are chicken noodle soup or macaroni and cheese, and of course Ben & Jerry's.

"soldiers" are strips of toast....dipped into the egg yolk.
Linda C

John, sorry to read of your loss..

My comfort food of choice would be breads.

When I think about a comfort dinner, my first thought is of a nice pork shoulder roast with mashed potatoes and gravy, applesauce and greenbeans...but I have many other comfort food dinners that come in at a close second.

Nancy

Yes, my mind was going to strange places trying to figure out boiled eggs and soldiers!

John, I'm so sorry for your loss, your wife's loss. So sad. You are a good hubby, though. I see you spoil her, and that's good. My dh does the same for me.

My comfort food is pasta, with blue cheese, olive oil and lots of garlic. I also go for soup of any kind. And chocolate. I guess it is the carb thing. I wonder why carbs are so comforting.

Sally

In Heaven, there are no dietary restrictions.

So for me, comfort foods are plenty, from chocolate to bacon, and everything in between.

My condolences for the loss of your niece.

Sol

John,
What a sad time for your wife and family. My heart goes out to all of you.

I am one of those people who turn from food in times of sadness. But at a reception following the memorial mass for my uncle, I noticed the pasta and dessert dishes were the first to go. Along with AnnT's basil meatballs.
I think great sadness leaves a void that people try to fill with generally, heavier food like pasta. Salad just doesn't cut it.

Jo

What a sad story. I'm sorry for your loss.

A hamburger pattie and macaroni and cheese. And it goes back to a childhood memory: When I was in the fourth grade I had the mumps so badly that it closed off my throat. They put me in the little country hospital down the hill from my house.
I was out of it for five days with a VERY worried mother and father. Finally I came to and said I was hungry. Mom asked me what I wanted and I told her a hamburger pattie and marcaoni and cheese. I can still see her running up that hill from my hospital window to cook it for me lol

John, I'm sorry for your loss.

If Islay_corbel's soldiers are probably the same as what we call "toast Fingers". Toast cut into "fingers" to dip into soft boiled eggs. One of Moe's favourites.

My comfort food depends on why I need comfort. If I'm feeling sick, I want toast and "hot" tea with lots of sugar.

Other comfort foods are chicken stew and dumplings, beef stew again with dumplings,a roast chicken dinner and shepherds Pie. Bread and Butter pudding.

Ann

Oh dear, John, I'm so sorry, my condolences to you and your wife and family and to the husband and family of your niece. Give SWMBO a big hug to go with the comfort food, I'm sure she could use it.

Comfort food? For some reason for me it's chicken rice soup. I never had it growing up, and it's not a family tradition, but for some reason it's plain enough and hot enough and easy enough that I always default to it.

Other choices are alway ssomething smooth and cramy, something that doesn't take time or thought and doesn't need to be cut or chewed or consumed with specific utensils. It's got to be easy to eat.

That would include mashed potatoes, chicken pot pie, custard.

Annie

I follow the British tradition, comfort equals a cuppa (tea) with something sweet. Soup is a great comfort for a meal. One of my favorites, cream of tomato with a grilled cheese sandwich. Any kind of good soup and good carb will do though. Jewish comfort food: matzohbrei, chicken soup (of course), blintzes or some type of pudding, (kugel), usually noodle but there are other types like potato. Lots of food can be comforting, but for grief, anything carby (easy on the tummy to eat, boosts seratonin), and homeade/home style/traditional. Something warm and familiar, doesn't really need to be anything in particular.

Another sending a heartfelt hug. My thoughts are with the kids left behind.

Meatloaf and mashed potatoes.

My comfort food choices depend on what it is I need comfort for.

If I'm sick, I almost always want Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup and saltines. Can't bear to eat it any other time. :P When I was a kid, my Mom worked, so when I stayed home from school sick, she'd leave me out a can of CCNS and a sleeve of crackers because it was easy for me to heat up when I got hungry.

Emotional stress calls for carbs. Asian soup noodles, Japanese rice and scrambled egg with a side of miso soup, toast or bread and cheese with fruit.

Sally, I wonder if the CarbComfort thing comes from babyhood? I mean, when a baby is fretting, how many mothers hand baby a cracker of some kind to gnaw on?

John, I am so sorry for your loss. Please pass my condolences on to your wife I'm sure this has been a very rough time for her.

For me comfort food has to be really easy because I'm, the one making it! Pasta is my first choice, either spaghetti and meatballs or mac and cheese but mashed potatoes and gravy work as well.

When I'm sick I like toast dipped in ketchup...I know... but that's what I want!

Hope she's doing ok.

When I'm tired and overwhelmed, I think it's eel roll, mostly. It's the closest takeout joint, doesn't require any thought or effort, and no dishes. Sometimes frozen perogies, chamomile tea, or chocolate chip cookies, which are nostalgia things.

John, that is so sad!
My heart goes out to your wife,
And to you, too.

As for comfort food,
Well, I'm not sure.
When I am sad, emotionally stressed,
Or just 'down' for whatever reason,
I don't want anything to eat.
Or maybe, at best,
just because some nourishment is vital,
a very small helping of something cool.
Like a pasta with salmon salad.
Or some Jello.
Nothing hot, please!

Angry type of stress calls for chocolate.

Tired means it's time for something sweet
(for quick energy)
followed by high protien
(for lasting energy).
Usually whatever leftovers I might have in the frig.

If I'm sick, it's Campbell's Chicken Rice soup,
And a sleeve of saltines.
And yes, when I am sick, I prefer the Caampbell's.

Rusty

I'm Asian. So go figure that my comfort food is mac'n'cheese.

But when I'm really sick, like in the hospital-after-the-operation sick, which has happened twice, it's congee with black egg. The rest of the time I can't stand the stuff, so it's really strange that when I wake up from the anaesthetics, it's all I want. Fortunately, DH can just stop by the local Chinese deli and pick it up to go.

My deepest condolences to you and your wife. It's a sad time for her family.

So sorry for your loss.

Since I am the main cook in the family I pretty much make whatever I want on a daily basis, with some input from the family so comfort to me would be just about anything the hubs or the kids would make for me.

When I'm in a funk I will often make myself something spicy to lift my mood...but in a pinch a jar of peanut butter and a spoon will do.

Peace!
Susie

My comfort food can be pretty much anything, really, but I'd have to go with a couple of classics...

Beef stew

Chicken pot pie

Mac and Cheese

turkey, stuffing, gravy, and mashed potatoes.

John you are a terrific hubby and so caring for your SWMBO in her time of need. My condolences to you.

My comfort food are oven foods and mashed or scalloped potatoes. Meat loaf and scalloped potatoes, well-done roast beef and mashed potatoes and gravy, that type of thing. Rice pudding works, for comfort dessert.

My sincere sympathy to y'all and the family. So sad...

Some of my favorites are mac and cheese, pot roast, meatloaf, and a good breakfast at the local diner.

David

My condolences also.

My first thought was mac and cheese (or anything creamy/cheesy/pasta-y).

Second was breakfast for dinner....something with eggs. Which started a discussion with DH about why, after a long and/or hard day, we crave meals that sustained us during the poor years. Like fried potatoes and onions with eggs over easy, or the egg, vegie and cheese skillet thing we made before we knew what a frittata was.

Dinner was served in her bubble bath. How nice is that?

My condolences to your wife and family. A loss like this... no, I don't eat.

But for a standard tough-day, need for comfort food. Today was one of those days. Definitely carbs, definitely red wine. My version of tonight's comfort food - shepherd's pie with a nice Rhone wine, and a mixed berry galette just came out of the oven.

There isn't really any comfort food that can help the pain of a niece dying and leaving 3 kids. It is just plain terrible, and incomprehensible. The temporary bubble bath is just something that one can do. We cannot make the pain better with food. It is a tough situation. My sympathies, John and Swmbo.

Reading this thread makes me want some comfort food. My deep sympathy for your loss.

For this type of sadness, a homecook meal with lots of love is comforting for me. When I'm sick, my comfort food would be rice congee, soups and fruits that has lots of juices in them.

During the time of the month... chocolate it is! Except for one time, I craved for watermelon together with dried salty shrimp (??).

Mostly simple food from one's childhood, then. Makes sense.

When I'm down, I eat nothing. I wonder what that says about my childhood.

Who knows what I'd eat if there were a death in my family. So far, there's been none, except my grandfather who passed away at 100. I can't recall eating after that. SWMBO has had a lot more death in her family. She has many times more family than I do, a profusion of siblings and cousins and nieces and aunts. Gotta love those Catholics. They don't have the superior Chinese genetics (wink, tease). And, I tell you, the health care in their little corner of western Washington is abysmal (okay, maybe I'm being unfair, but it sure isn't impressive). Everyone who can afford it goes to Seattle for serious treatment, SWMBO's sister goes all the way to UCLA, but for most folks, that's not an option.

Finally, since I am feeling ornery (try getting on a plane in Portland at 7:30 am, sleeping five hours inflight, forcing yourself to go to sleep at a normal hour in NYC, and now wide awake at midnight - I'm about ready to get dressed and go out for a walk) I don't get the bathtub thing. SWMBO loves her bubble baths, I won't get in a bathtub unless I'm sick or injured.

P.S.: For those of you with trainable husbands, I recommend starting with a latte in the bathtub. Then you can work him up to full meals. Worked in my house :-(

John, I'm so sorry to read this and I send my sympathy to SWMBO, you, and her nieces family. It was wonderful of her to go and help and always sad when someone dies young, and leaving young children and a spouse.

I agree with you, you don't eat each much when someone close dies, despite the always large amounts of food that seem to appear.

A latte in the tub wouldn't work for me either, now one to hold during a long shower, that's another thing indeed. My DH, doesn't cook as much as he used to although he does ALL the clean up and will help with any prep that I ask him to do, but he always has an early morning latte for me. Either in a cup brought upstairs or waiting in a travel mug for me to grab and go. He makes much better lattes than I do!

In SWMBOs place right now, I would appreciate many phone calls from my DH. I'm sure she would feel much better if you were at home so soon after this tragedy. Just hearing your voice will probably be more comforting than any food.

Lee

PS I hope you recover soon from your long travels and have a good time on your evening out - can't wait to see/hear about it.

How caring of your wife to help out so much. I'm sure anything made will be appreciated (especially in the tub). I am a non-eater in stressful situations. No cravings, no taste. Very unfortunate story, sad. Hope her family is okay.

My sympathies to you and SWMBO~hold tight.

I'm not much for eating when overwhelmed by sadness. My taste buds kind of go on hiatus.

When we were little and not feeling well, my mom used to make Pastene for us~little pasta stars which we ate with butter and grated cheese. Cream of wheat cereal with butter, brown sugar and milk was another staple.

As a kid, graham cracker mush, in a glass of milk, or cereal, or leftovers, or my mother's Spanish rice now, any carbs, potato chips, good bread, bread and more bread. I do try to stay disciplined, Try, but fail, lol. I don't know why it's carbs, perhaps the forbidden factor?

I'm very sorry for your family's loss.

Tapioca pudding is my comfort food.

Condolences on the loss of your niece.

Wild rice is my go to comfort food. I grew up eating it for breakfast. And I still like it for breakfast in the cold winter months.

Teresa

My sympathies to your whole family.

No doubt about it -- soup. I'm even surprised people list anything else -- I thought it was the universal comfort food.

When someone calls me to tell me that someone has an illness or death in the family, I'm in the freezer hauling out a bag of soup from the stash to take over before I even get off the phone.

They all work, but the champ, works even for I'm-gonna-eat-worms feeling-sorry-for-myself not-even-ready-to-cheer-up-yet blues, it's got to be cabbage soup. Specifically my Nana's cabbage soup. Makes you feel comforted and loved and is a complete meal, even without bread.

Nana Hattie's (Hodel) Cabbage Soup, via Cousin Nancy, via me, to you. It'll be okay, honey!

46 oz. can tomato juice
Head of green cabbage, cored and cut up
2-4 handfuls yellow raisins (Nancy says must be yellow, but I don't always have to do what she says)
1 handful brown rice (Nana probably used white)
Sugar or even artificial sweetener, lemon juice, sour salt (citric acid)
About 2 cups water

Optional (but I always use):
Short ribs or other meat
1 large can tomatoes

Combine everything in pot. Make it really sweet and sour with sugar/sweetener, lemon, & sour salt. Cook 1 1/4 hour with meat or 45 minutes without. Freezes great.