More go-to comfort dishes

AKWASI BRENYA-MENSA, TATALE

My comfort food of choice is waakye. It’s a Ghanian rice and beans dish often served with stew, meat or fish, gaari, spaghetti – or macaroni as it’s called back home – shito and, of course, a boiled egg. I really love it, as it’s a super-authentic street-food dish in Ghana and, if I want to get a really good one in London, I go to Waakye Joint in Seven Sisters, Tottenham, or my auntie Ama, who makes my favourite version. tataleandco.com

CHAVDAR TODOROV, SLOWBURN

One of my comfort foods is a meal I connect with my very first cooking experience. I’ve always liked toasted bread, and one day – I must have been seven or eight – I decided to toast the spaghetti before cooking it. It was so good, I have been toasting spaghetti ever since. I now make toasted spaghetti al olio with the fattiest brined white cheese you can find crumbled on top. I prefer it when made with either sheep or buffalo milk – you can try to leave the cheese uncovered in the fridge to dry a little for extra punch. I know some Italians will be rolling their eyes but, growing up, I had no access to parmesan or pecorino, so my memories are strongly tied with this type of cheese, which is very popular in Bulgaria and present at any meal. slowburn.london

DANIEL WATKINS, ACME FIRE CULT

This is a tricky one for me, as I try to eat very well and load myself up with nutritional food where I can. Outside from my work, I consume very little dairy and no meat or fish. So eating well is, in such a way, comforting – I have never eaten a KFC or McDonald’s burger. So, having said that, when I’m in work, comfort food is easy – anything buttery and cheesy. The best has to be a proper cheese on toast with lots of worcestershire sauce, or a Dusty Knuckle sausage roll with brown sauce – both packed with fats, umami, sweet, sour and deliciousness. Comfort eating should be what it says, and all food should have some comfort when eating, but as our diets have changed so dramatically over the decades, we crave the carbs, fats and sugars for comfort. acmefirecult.com

CELESTE WONG, O COFFEE EXPERT

Whenever I miss my family or home, or want to share some of my personal culture with new friends, I make my mother’s wontons, which I call WONGtons. I even have a tattoo of a wonton! It’s one of the few things my mother taught me to make. She has a style of cooking where there’s never a recipe, it’s all about instinct and balance. So, I guess that style has also translated into my own cooking and coffee-making to an extent.