Comfort food: global cuisine
Most of us think of “comfort food” as food that brings us back to childhood and our family’s home cooking.
It is a term first coined in 1977 and attributed to Phyllis Richman, then a restaurant critic for The Washington Post. She used it to describe a plate of the Southern classic, shrimp and grits. For a Southerner, that might feel just right. For other Americans, it might mean mac ‘n’ cheese, or chicken soup, or Mom’s meatloaf. It can be storebought, like a bowl of Ben & Jerry’s or a White Castle burger.
Our ideas of comfort foods often relate to our cultural heritage; Polish-Americans might yearn for pierogi, while those of Irish descent might hanker for colcannon.
But for Carla Hall, the term has no geographical or cultural boundaries. To the former CPA-turned-model- turned caterer-turned- food-show co-host, “comfort food” can be a Brazilian fish soup, a Liberian pepper and goat stew, or Haitian breakfast porridge.
Hall, who was raised in Tennessee and is currently a co-host of ABC’s “The Chew,” believes that food is the great connector. In her new cookbook, “Carla’s Comfort Foods,” she says, “I’m gonna take you from Nashville to Naples to Nigeria so you can taste and see how we’re all united by great meals shared with family and friends.”
That, in itself, is a comforting thought. “Sure, I grew up with grits, but it’s served as polenta in Italy,” writes Hall. “I love seeing -- and tasting -- how home-cooked food works in uniting people.”
I confess that I had never heard of Hall nor of the splash she made on “Top Chef,” where she won fans with her yoga stretches, her dance moves and singing, and by revealing that she and her husband do a calland-response (“Hootie!” “Hoo!”) when trying to locate each other in a crowd. But her approach to cooking seems on target: She believes that if you cook with love, it will show in your food. As her website declares, “If you’re not in a good mood, the only thing you should make is a reservation.”
As an Italian American who inexplicably finds comfort in Chinese Hot and Sour Soup, I found that Hall’s recipe for Hot and Sour Eggplant hit home. The blistered skin and tender flesh of the eggplant make for an irresistible texture, while the spice is just right: enough to engage your taste buds, but not enough to numb them. This dish is among the many in Hall’s homecook-friendly book that will help us all start finding comfort in foods from around the world.
HOT AND SOUR
EGGPLANT Yield: 4 servings 5 small, striped eggplants or Chinese or Japanese eggplants, trimmed, cut in eighths lengthwise, then cut in halves crosswise Kosher salt 3 quarts warm water 2 Serrano chilies, stemmed and minced, with seeds 1-tablespoon sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1-teaspoon cornstarch 2 tablespoons canola oil 2 scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch piec- es 2 tablespoons sliced fresh basil leaves
Sprinkle the eggplant pieces with 1-tablespoon salt, then immerse in the warm water in a large bowl. Let stand while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a small bowl, stir the chilies, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar and cornstarch until the sugar dissolves.
Drain the eggplant well and press dry between paper towels.
Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil, and wait until it looks wavy, then add half the eggplant. Cook, tossing and stirring, until browned and just tender, about 5 min- utes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining oil and eggplant, and then return the first batch of eggplant to the wok.
Add the scallions and the chili mixture. Cook, tossing and stirring, for 2 minutes. Toss in the basil and serve immediately over Perfect Baked Rice (below).
PERFECT BAKED RICE
Yield: 4 servings 1 cup white rice Water for rinsing 1 1/2 cups water, homemade chicken or vegetable stock, or salt-free or low-sodium store-bought broth 1-tablespoon butter or oil (optional) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place rice in a bowl and cover with water. Swish around and drain. Repeat, draining well.
In an ovenproof Dutch oven or deep skillet with a lid, bring the water and butter or oil (if using) to a boil over high heat. Stir in the rice, remove from heat, cover and pop into the oven. Bake until the water is absorbed and the rice is perfectly tender, 17 1/2 minutes. (After years of experience, Hall calls this the “magic number” but advises that “of course ovens are different, so your may take a little more or less time.”)
( Recipes from “Carla’s Comfort Foods,” Atria Books, 2014. Copyright (c) 2014 by Carla Hall.)