Comfort Foods

I've been convalescing at home the last couple of days with an upper respiratory infection. I'm fine and that's not what I want to talk about.

I've been reading a bit, sleeping a lot. But in between, in my boredom I've been watching a lot of cooking shows. Yeah, whatever.

But here's the thing. Some of the gourmet chefs who host these shows often talk about "comfort foods". Now for me that means fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, vegetable or tomato soup, mac and cheese, peanut butter and crackers... Right?

So here's Paula Deen cooking her "comfort food" -- chicken chowder with hot poblano chili peppers.

And then there's Rachel Ray cooking pasta with sardines sauteed in olive oil and making mashed sweet potatoes with mint and rum and telling us that these are her "comfort foods".

Maybe my upbringing was more boring than I thought.