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 :-(

Speaking of okra, my all time favorite comfort food is gumbo: Seafood Gumbo 1-1/2 pounds okra, sliced into 1/4” thick pieces (fresh or frozen) 2 tbsp canola oil 2 cups chopped celery 1 large onion, finely chopped 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped 4-5 large cloves of garlic, minced 2 tbsp grapeseed oil (or canola or avocado oil) 8 cups water 4 vegetable bouillon cubes or 4 tsp paste 2 tbsp clam or crab soup base, or to taste 2 tbsp butter 2 tbsp canola oil 1/2 cup flour 3-4 bay leaves 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (or 1 tbsp dried basil) 1-1/2 tsp chopped fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme) 4 tsp chopped fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried oregano) 1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (do not substitute dried for this one) 4-6 Thai chili peppers, seeds removed, finely chopped 1 tbsp filé powder 1 10 oz. can chopped tomatoes, drained 1-1/2 pounds King Crab legs (or 1 pound lump crab meat) 1 pound shrimp, shelled and de-veined 1/2 pound bay scallops or clam or oyster meat 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste 4 cups cooked rice Saute the okra in a small amount of oil in an iron skillet for 8 minutes on high heat and then about 7 minutes more on medium heat, or until the stringiness is gone. Set aside. Note: Do not substitute olive oil in this recipe. Saute the celery, onions, bell pepper, and garlic in 2 tbsp oil until the onions are translucent. I usually start the celery first for a few minutes, and then I add the onions and bell pepper and saute those for a couple of minutes and add the garlic last. This way the garlic will not burn and not turn bitter. I saute with the garlic only about 2 minutes. You can then store these on top of the okra. In a large saucepan or stockpot, make a roux with the 1 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp canola oil, and 1/3 cup flour. Cook the roux until it is a deep reddish brown - this will be just a few minutes past the “peanut butter” color stage. Add more oil, if needed. The roux should have the consistency of yogurt and be fairly easy to stir at this point so that you do not burn it. Add the tomatoes and cook until all liquid has been absorbed and the mixture is thickened into a paste. Add the file, basil, oregano, and thyme and cook about 5 minutes more. It will be a very thick paste at this point, similar to a choux or puff paste. Add the water slowly, stirring constantly, and then add the bay leaves and bouillon. Stir until the bouillon has dissolved, and then add the sauteed vegetables, including the okra, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. This is a good time to start making the rice. Just before you are ready to serve, add the crab, shrimp, parsley, and scallops, and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the scallops are done. Check the seasoning, and add a dash of cayenne, Tabasco sauce, Chinese Chili Paste if it is not hot enough. It should be slightly salty, as the rice will require a bit of salt, but be careful not to overdo the salt - this will ruin the flavor. You can always add a tiny bit of salt at the table. If you are using precooked shrimp, add them only at the time of serving, and store leftover shrimp separately. Serve in large, deep soup bowls over rice. You may want to offer Tabasco or chili paste for those who want more pepper flavor, but I don’t find this necessary. If you use Thai chili peppers, it will be hot enough. If you use milder peppers, you may have to increase the quantity or you can leave the seeds in. When I make quantities that I expect to freeze, I always store the leftovers in individual containers of whatever amount I want to reheat at one time. Gumbo can be reheated once, but not twice. Yield: 4 quarts, or 8 large (2 cup) servings, not including rice Lars

Way to go, pqtex. Chicken soup is great for treating a cold and a great comfort food. I have chicken stock and cooked chicken in the freezer because when I got them I had to process quickly. Now that I've gotten everything caught up, I will be canning the rest of my approved soups, veggies and chicken. I'm even getting too many eggs from my chickens so will be needing room in the freezer for quiche and eggs. Donna, I love Aldis. Been shopping there for years and I'm not afraid of anything they sell. I hit good sales everywhere and as a result, my freezer is full and my shelves are filling up with things I've canned. My 40 year old dehydrator is sitting here just waiting for me to start using it and I will. Happy preserving, everyone! Madonna

To me, "comfort food" is a misnomer. I find any good food to be comforting, and it doesn't have to be a big Thanksgiving buffet. A good sandwich is comforting to me too. Fall time is a good time for hot foods, long cooked foods, slow roasted foods. Stew, chili, pot roast, meatloaf, turkey breast, ham... Done right, they're all comforting. Add in a pecan or apple pie, spice cake, good cup of coffee or tea and have a feast. Even some good quality bratwurst fit in here too. Never was big on soup. Soup is a side dish, not a meal. I don't drink a meal anymore. I want a thick, hearty stew instead.