Comfort Food Stories, Volume 22: Alice Raine

In talking with Alice about her cheese and broccoli soufflé, phrases like “cloud of cheesy goodness” and “pillowy extravagance” came up often. And despite its luscious, ethereal appearance, Alice claims it “isn’t tricky to make”...perhaps not for her, an extremely talented gardener and cook, who knows food so well, and from multiple vantage points at that.

Alice says some people may opt to make individually-sized soufflés, but she prefers to make a big dishful to serve family-style. It’s ready when the soufflé rises above and beyond the dish, much like Alice’s overflowing generosity and kindness.

I love how her family is choosing to create their own Thanksgiving customs, centred around this dish that is familiar and comforting to them. Rumour has it that soufflé is on the menu tonight as well!

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 21: Addy Stirtzinger

Sometimes the tiniest tweak is all it takes to turn an otherwise basic food into something that feels like yours. With a healthy dose of pepper and garlic salt, and a slice of prosciutto, @astrtz and her partner are claiming their stake in the ascendancy of avocado toast. And in making this toast their own, they’re also claiming those rare moments of sunshine and genuine presence with one another.

It’s true that food can’t mend a broken heart, or fend off nightmares, but it can at the very least help us recognize and celebrate the small things with those we love.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 20: Amanda Nguyen

Amanda’s comfort food came to her in university, where she found love in a foil wrapper: a burrito. So many ingredients, so much flavour, packed into something she could hold in one hand (or maybe two).

No stranger to adventure, Amanda finds comfort in the uncomfortable: the hotter the hot sauce, the better the burrito. Burritos wake up her senses, and open her up to all there is to discover in life, food-wise and other-wise.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 19: Alex Drawson

I met Alex a few years ago at a conference, and it didn’t take long before we were talking about food. She knows her stuff.

Alex comes from a long line of talented bakers, and finds comfort in reflecting back on her family’s rich history of baking together. Equally comforting are the ways in which baking grounds her in the present. For however long it takes her to whip up a recipe, she has one focus, one purpose.

These days, Alex has a new baking companion: her baby daughter. She’s starting her young: cultivating a sense of connection to family and history, and passing on knowledge and skills for using baking as a means to comfort oneself, and one another.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 18: Laura Scholtz

Laura is a physiotherapist with a passion for understanding the inner workings of human anatomy. She’s also passionate about the inner workings of the anatomy of this baked brie dish.

While it may look like there’s a lot going on here, Laura does a beautiful job of breaking it down into its component parts, and explaining how these components work together to bring her comfort. It’s all about balance: the flavours both sweet and salty, the textures both gooey and crispy. It’s a dish that’s shareable, but that also allows for each person to experience it in their own way depending on the combinations of flavours and textures they choose to scoop up.

Laura has dissected this dish to reveal family traditions, feelings of anticipation, and the ultimate satisfaction that comes with a carefully assembled bite.

It’s comfort wrapped in crescent rolls.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 17: Kate Bishop-Williams

Sometimes comfort food is not just one food, but an entire category of foods. For Kate and her family, all aspects of brunch mean comfort. Brunch is all about making time, making things fun, and making things together. With two young kiddos, “slow” is a pace that’s hard to come by, so the slower pace of brunch is one that they cherish.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 16: Katrin Sawatzky

If you’re lucky enough to know Kat, you’ll know being around her is like having the warmest, most luscious gravy spread over your entire heart and soul. Kat’s comfort food is not just one food, rather a dish, that is slowly and lovingly prepared. For her, sauerbraten is steeped in tradition, history, and family. Learning and passing on the recipe from generation to generation is what keeps Kat and her family connected, across countries and through pandemics. Sauerbraten is comfort, and an act of comforting.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 15: Amy Kipp

Amy goes above and beyond in everything she does, always with immense heart, passion, and authenticity. At first glance, you’ll see her comfort food is a steadfast and delicious classic. But if you look a little closer, you’ll see her personalized touches: the alphabet noodles, and the precise method of dipping for maximum flavour and minimum sogginess. Her story shows how it’s not always just a food itself that brings us comfort; it’s how we make that food our own.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 14: David Borish

David’s comfort food is one that he uses to literally and figuratively spread comfort onto other foods. David is an artist, peanut butter is his medium, and pretty much everything is fair game as a canvas. Peanut butter brings him all kinds of comfort: from the satisfaction of the first plunge into a fresh jar, to the joy of discovering new and nutty combos.

Pre-mixed jars of peanut butter stifle his creativity, and prevent him from enjoying the full peanut butter experience. This guy is serious about peanut butter. When it goes on sale, watch out. He’s got an even bigger backpack now.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 13: Andrew Fedosov

Andrew is the master of taking a seemingly simple recipe and doing full and complete justice to every single ingredient. Each decision is intentional, and executed with the utmost care and attention to detail, as evidenced here. I would go so far as to say that the process of making this meal is a huge part of why it’s so comforting to him. Just the way he describes his process is captivating. Seriously, I felt comforted just READING about how he prepares his cutlets and mash.

I am only beginning to scratch the surface of my soon-to-be-Uncle Andrew’s deep love and rich history of preparing and sharing food for others. I feel so grateful to be marrying into a family where gathering around food is central, and where Andrew is central to the food around which we gather.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 12: Eve Lampert

Eve has a heart made of pure gold, and has a Midas-like power of bringing out the gold in other people’s hearts as well. Eve finds comfort in curling up watching Jeopardy under a blanket of noodles, which sounds like the best blanket ever. Her special meat sauce recipe, in addition to sounding delicious, gives her a time, place, and person to turn to when life gets heavy. Scroll to the end to find out her secret ingredient that is so secret her partner still doesn’t know about it 🤫

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 11: Samantha Casey

I can just picture Sam strolling through downtown Guelph on a Saturday morning, the leash of one of her foster doggos in one hand, and a maple walnut donut from Cadence in the other.

For Sam, these donuts are comforting because they represent a celebration of community. Something that can be hard to feel these days as we isolate from one another, and our favourite local shops close their doors (we miss you, Cadence!!). But physical distance doesn’t remove us from our communities, rather, it encourages us to build community in new ways.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 10: Alice Kennedy

In addition to her physical and mental strengths, Alice has a strong talent for whipping up delicious recipes (check out her Instagram for proof). Her banana bread recipe has gone through several iterations, all rooted in the same memories and love for the loaves her mom made growing up (and did she mention how much she loves bananas?)

Alice’s story shows how foods can be comforting when they are able to evolve as we do while still retaining the qualities that drew us to those foods in the first place: even as we move to new places, learn new techniques, acquire new tastes, and experiment with new flavours. Comfort foods can encompass both newness and timelessness, and become a sort of living archive of who we were and who we're becoming. Thanks Alice 🍌

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 9: Danielle Statz.

Danielle brings both precision and passion to everything she does. When she invests her time and energy into something or someone, she always gives 1000% of herself. So when she says this Pad Thai dish from PAI Northern Thai Kitchen is her number one go-to, you know that love is real.

Danielle also noted that for her, this dish is comforting regardless of context, and regardless of how she’s feeling. It’s not necessarily comforting “because of” anything, it’s just comforting, period.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 8: Michele Wood.

Those who know Michele will not be surprised by her love for redberries. Picking, eating, and sharing redberries is an important part of who she is, and where she's from in Labrador. Michele is a passionate, thoughtful, and all-around beautiful human who feels and loves deeply.

And the way she talks about redberries evokes every single one of the senses: the sight of bright red berries peeking through green ground cover; the taste of sweet spring berries and tart frozen berries in summer; the smell of jam bubbling on the stove; and the feel of ripe berries squishing through her fingers.

Thank you Michele for sharing your story, and I hope you're enjoying your jam!

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 7: Amy DeLorenzo

For Amy, pesto = summer, and summer = family. Basic math logic would then conclude that pesto = family. The process of making it is as comforting as eating it, which is why Amy makes it so often. I think it’s also the secret to her sunshiney personality

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 6: Meris Kieller.

Meris is a natural storyteller who uses photography as her medium. She has a knack for capturing not only moments, but also feelings and emotions. Check out her portfolio. Seriously, do it.

What’s more, she puts the same level of thought and care into her photos as she does her pancakes. For Meris, pancakes are comforting regardless of who makes them or what’s in them, just as long as they’re fluffy.

There’s something about learning to make meals as an adult that you grew up loving. It’s like an act of care from your adult self to your inner child.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 5: Claire Brooks-Tarasko

It was only a matter of time before ice cream made an appearance! Claire is a teacher and mom to two sweet girls, so life is pretty busy these days. For Claire, curling up with a bowl of ice cream is a chance to pause, breathe, and celebrate the little wins.

For all the parents and caregivers out there raising, teaching, and loving small humans amidst this global pandemic, you’re doing great. Better than great, actually. So curl up on that couch with a bowl of ice cream. Or, at the very least, sneak a scoop from the freezer when no one’s watching. You deserve it.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 4: Lisa Santry.

Lisa is a person who can warm your soul right up, much like a bowl of ramen. She also has her PhD in molecular virology and is currently doing vaccine research. Let’s hear it for Lisa and all the healthcare professionals and researchers working so hard to keep the rest of us healthy and safe. (And if you can, send one of them a meal or five...they could definitely use some extra comfort food these days).

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 3: Geneviève Lalonde.

Gen is one of the kindest, strongest, most resilient people I’ve ever known. She is always the first person to volunteer their time and energy to solving a problem. A true team player, she always puts others before herself. So, it makes sense that her comfort food comes from a place of making others feel comfortable.

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 2: Ashley Knapton

I had the pleasure of meeting Ashley a few months ago. She’s one of those people that makes you feel super validated and comfortable and before you know it you’re telling her your life’s story. The kind of person who asks, “no, how do you REALLY feel?”. A farmer who truly does it all. AND who makes mac and cheese with cheese from her family’s farm! How many people can say that?

Comfort Food Stories, Volume 1: Anonymous.

Lucky for this person, their local sushi place is continuing to do takeout during the pandemic. Lucky for us too, as we really do need all the help we can get to solve the world’s problems.