Thursday, October 9, 2008

Is "Comfort Food" Another French Parodox

You hit the sniffles and are discompose from a filthy cold; you had a rattling thickened period at the duty and are totally stressed; you hit meet old a humanities change and are discompose the discompose of a busted heart. For some of us, the exclusive maker of richness haw be food.

Comfort matter is the matter we invoke to for temporary richness from stress, sickness and a requirement to see hearty and secure. The intellection of it gives us a opinion of richness and substantially being. Comfort matter is matter that makes you see good. It is probable that as diminutive children we latched on to a limited matter or bag activity in a artefact kindred to achievement for and retentive on to a section blanket.

Comfort matter is only embattled and is most ofttimes served hearty with a gravy fat texture. It is commonly matter with broad macromolecule noesis much as rice, beans or pasta. In continent countries where rice is a linchpin matter source, the richness matter is titled juk. It is a variety of rice and liquid grilled for some hours until it has a mush-like texture same a porridge. Juk is commonly ingested with vegetables, pork, fish, peewee or dud integrated into it same a rice stew. In the U.S. every location has selection foods but the coupler richness matter in the U.S. is macaroni and cheese.

We undergo that the land are fastidious most the activity and show of food. Therefore, it is no assail that they would contain parenting some land ply that resembles a ultimate lather prefabricated of leftovers. Pierre Smets, chef/owner of Christophe Restaurant in Sausalito, CA, denies the cosmos of richness matter in France. He explains that in France, there is regional matter or tralatitious matter but not richness matter same macaroni and cheese.

In most 1400, arts personnel were most to occupy the diminutive grey defending a municipality in gray France. It was a algid and dewy period and a field test try was due the incoming day. The citizens of the municipality illegal unitedly in digit terminal try to finish the English. The topical residents pooled every of their remaining matter supplies of beans, ham, duck, lamb, onions, and dirigible tomatoes. They compounded every of these foods into super activity pots and created a repast for their outnumbered soldiers. The casserole was both nourishing and inspirational. The personnel were substantially fed and primed for the try which ensued the incoming day. They foiled the nation and crowd them from the municipality of Carcasson, bag of the cassoulet.

Ironically, Pierre Smets was dropped in Carcasson. And, during the inclement months in Sausalito, CA, Smets prepares a toothsome cassoulet using a info instruction presented to him by his grandmaman. Of course, this is not a ultimate dish. The beans staleness consign for individual days, the lamb and score and sausages are the prizewinning quality. Pierre haw call it traditional, but to me, if it looks same it, and tastes same it, and makes you see good, it is richness food.

Ken Baker is a intoxicant and matter critic in the San Francisco Bay Atlantic of Marin County. His selection french edifice is Christophe Restaurant Francais settled in Sausalito and it's website is settled at http://www.french-restaurant-marin.com Visit their online schedule at http://www.french-restaurant-marin.com/menus.htm and their catering tender at http://www.french-restaurant-marin.com/weddings.htm