My Anywhere But Here Blog

Comfort Food on My Anywhere But Here Journey

Comfort food can often be found along my Anywhere But Here journey — in a quiet corner of the world where simple things still matter.

Like for instance:

• A bowl of mashed potatoes.

• A simple meal cooked slowly.

• A good old-fashioned recipe of Mom’s.

The familiar smell of something comforting filling the house — like it does on Thanksgiving when many homes in America smell of roasted turkey and all the trimmings: sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and perhaps the most important side of all, stuffing with gravy.

Oh how on certain days I wish for smells like that to take me back to more fond memories of life. Sometimes life steals away our memories through stresses, hectic schedules, and uncertainties.

In my Anywhere But Here moments, comfort food has a way of doing something quiet but meaningful. It does not solve the big things in life. It does not change difficult news or erase hard days. Yet it gives to us in simple but powerful ways.

It comforts us and reassures us that life can still hold pure moments — moments of low stress and gentler memories. Moments shared with family and friends who often put aside differences over a plate of thankfulness or simple joy.

Sometimes those moments come while recounting childhood memories — like the first chocolate chip cookies baked from scratch by the only chef greater than a Michelin five-star rating.

Our own mothers.

No matter where in the world you live, a mother’s love often shows through her cooking. More often than not, it is healing, memorable, and comforting.

A taste can bring us back to childhood kitchens, family tables, or evenings when someone cared enough to cook something simple just for us.

But I often wonder — does comfort food soften those memories for long periods of time, or does it simply tuck away the heavy things in our hearts and minds for a little while?

I sometimes ask myself:

What am I craving from Mom’s cooking today?

What small taste might give me a few minutes of peace and tranquility — and maybe help me find my smile again at the end of a long day?

Food carries memory with it.

And on days when energy is low or the world feels a little heavy, those small comforts matter more than we might realize. Comfort food is rarely fancy — it is familiar.

On my Anywhere But Here journey, I often look for comfort even in the pit of my stomach. Whether it is a favorite casserole, a comforting side dish, or even a sugary dessert, I imagine it can be the beginning of releasing a little stress.

Sometimes healing begins with something as simple as sitting down with a warm plate and allowing ourselves to be cared for — even if we are the one doing the cooking.

My mother always had a way of cooking that, at the end of the day, gave her a quiet sense of accomplishment.

Today my comfort looked like a simple plate of mashed potatoes and something warm beside it. Nothing elaborate — just food that felt like care.

Before sharing this recipe, I did what any daughter would do — I spoke to my mother to make sure I had it right.

My Mother’s Simple Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 2 cups whole Vitamin D milk

• 4 cups Vermont cheddar cheese

• ½ stick butter (or 1 full stick for a richer roux)

• ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper to taste

• 3 cups elbow macaroni or small shell noodles

Directions

In a medium saucepan combine the flour, milk, butter, cheese, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture simmer gently while stirring continuously until it begins to thicken. Be careful not to let it burn.

In another saucepan fill with water about halfway and bring to a boil. Add the elbow macaroni or small shell noodles and cook until soft and plump.

Combine the noodles and the cheese sauce, then pour the mixture into a 2-quart casserole dish.

Bake in the oven at 325 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until bubbling around the edges.

Then enjoy — and revel in the comfort of either old memories or newly created ones.