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Why're Comfort Foods So...comforting? Picture it: you致e just broken up. Eyes red from crying, you listen to 徹ne is the Loneliest Number on endless repeat; no matter what the season, every time you step outside it rains. In a daze, you stumble through your kitchen, and inexorably you are drawn to the freezer; to the third drawer down; to the ice cream. Of course the slightly freezer-burnt Mint Chocolate Chip tastes good, it always does, but with every creamy bite, you find yourself thinking庸or the moment, at least葉hat everything is going to be okay.
This all too familiar scenario is tied into a grand human tradition: comfort food. The fact that we seem to gravitate towards certain foods in times of grief is nothing new, of course (in fact, the term 田omfort food gained official recognition from Webster痴 in 1972 and we've written an article about them once before), but recent research sheds interesting light on the relationship between grief and that fourth chocolate chip cookie.
Why do we want certain foods when we池e sad? Common wisdom dictates that whatever comforted you as a child makes a quick, soothing fallback when you池e an adult. If mom gave you pickles to help with teething, it痴 likely you値l associate pickles with comfort when you池e in pain. There痴 certainly truth to that, but all signs point to the comfort food phenomenon being something more than psychological.
According to one theory advanced by the University of California, we use high-fat, high-sugar foods to balance out our hormones during times of chronic stress. When the body is subjected to stress, adrenal glands release certain hormones called glucocorticoids. In immediate-danger situations (like, say, a car crash or extreme physical pain) the amount of glucocorticoids released can eventually crash our stress-response systems. But during periods of chronic stress, the hormones are released at lower level; instead of shutting us down, they drive us to seek out pleasurable foods and accumulate abdominal fat. By doing so, we send an 殿-OK signal to the brain, which halts the release of any more hormones.
Numerous trials with rats support the theory; chronically stressed rats drank ever-increasing amounts
of sugar water until their stress responses died down. It痴 not much of a stretch to imagine it working in a similar way for you or me. The researchers concluded that the abdominal fat somehow sent the all clear用ossibly to regulate metabolism.
In a different study performed by Sue Zmarzty and others at the Northern General Hospital Trust / Centre for Human Nutrition in UK, participants ate high-fat or high-carb breakfasts, then dunked their hands in ice water; those who enjoyed the fattier pancakes were far more tolerant towards pain. The conclusion: fattier foods may reduce the amount of pain a person feels. How exactly this works remains a mystery, but theories factor in everything from the special hormones released by high-fat ingestion to the palatability of sugar-rich foods.
The point is, our bodies clearly physically respond to comfort food, meaning your craving for Mac n Cheese after a funeral isn稚 just in your head. People do a lot of unhealthy things trying to cope with pain and loss, from self-harm to drugs; in the grand scheme of things, eating some extra fat can稚 be that bad, particularly when your body is telling you to. So when the need arises, don稚 sit sadly in the rain or make good friends with a bottle. Instead, head to your freezer, grab that ice cream, and indulge for a while!
Better yet, try one of the following comforting recipes:
Morning Coffee Cake Although it may not be part of your balanced breakfast, this coffee cake is sweet and gooey better for dessert than first thing in the morning.
Simple Crab Bisque An easy and delicious bisque recipe. Try it for an indulgent lunch!
Lasagna Serve this one to family or friends and your reputation as a is sealed.
Hearty Mac and Cheese Strata with Bacon This dish combines the elegance of a strata with the everyday appeal of mac 'n cheese.
Grandmother痴 Chewy Fudge Brownies Grandmother's cure for a sick child!! This recipe is at least 50 years old.
Shortbread Bars These are no ordinary shortbread cookies layered with melted sugar and chocolate, they are to die for.
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"A great structured, finely textured wine. The black tarry fruit, sweet licorice and black currant flavors all hang together well, leaving ripeness and feel of elegance." -Wine Enthusiast
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"Beautifully focused and refined, with Gala apple and raspberry aromas and flavors that are crisp yet layered, with creamy lemon and lime notes and a finish that lingers with mineral and a hint of yeast." Wine Spectator
92 Points]]> #70 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2008
Fairly deep straw yellow in appearance.The bouquet is harmonious, releasing notes of peach and banana, appealingly complemented by rich floral nuances. The attack is immediately alluring, velvet smooth, and the wine
expands steadily on the palate, assisted by a judicious, tangy acidity. It concludes with a long-lingering finish, laden with well-defined fruit aromas.
On the palate the first impression is of a seductive suppleness; the wine then expands nicely, enlivened by a crisp, judicious acidity and concludes with a lingering finish generously marked by fruity, clean-edged aromas. Marked fragrances of ripe fruit, such as banana and peach, which harmonize appealingly with complex floral notes. A fairly deep straw-yellow in appearance.
"A full-bodied style with lots of character, from peach tart to lemon seed to mineral. Crisp and lively. Drink now." Wine Spectator]]>
#59 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2008
100 % Falanghina. Pale yellow color. Offers a rich and intense aroma of fruit with hints of apple, pineapple, quince and pear. It is fresh and clean in the mouth with excellent acidity, good structure and a floral finish. The wine is aged on its lees in stainless steel but sees no oak.
"A vivid white, with peach. lemon, mineral and light honey. Full-bodied, with lots of fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Very delicious. Very good value as well. Drink now." 90 Points Wine Spectator ]]>
-Wine Advocate
The aim at Terres Dor馥s is to let the varied terroirs express themselves fully. In the early 1990s, Jean-Paul Brun planted 3 hectares of Chardonnay on limestone soil. He has since expanded the production of his well known and sought-after Beaujolais Blanc by contracting grapes from a small number of nearby vignerons.
The clay-limestone soil that the Chardonnay grows on is perfect for the grape. The climate, which is a little warmer than the Cte d'Or enables Jean-Paul to produce a rich wine with lots of character. It is bottled completely unoaked. When young, the wine has a very fruity bouquet that becomes more honeyed as the wine matures.]]>
-Wine Enthusiast
Antique Vines Zinfandel is a blend of two "Antique Vine" vineyards?one on Atlas
Peak in Napa Valley, the other in Amador County located in the Sierra Foothills.
The term "antique" is characterized by excellence, appeal and importance.
For us the name "Antique Vines" reflects our elevated esteem and reverence for old
vineyards. The name demonstrates the endurance and quality of fruit the
vines produce.
This Zinfandel opens with aromas of mature fruit and sandalwood which lead to
ripe berry flavors sweetened with creamy vanilla nuances. This wine is big, rich,
dense, and nicely balanced.]]>
Granite terraces and gravelly alluvial plains of the northern Rhne Valley. Viognier sourced from 20-year-old vines just south of Condrieu, and Roussanne from 30-year-old vines near the appellation of St. Joseph
The Viognier offers elegance and aromatic complexity, while the Roussanne brings structure to the wine structure to the wine. Exotic flavors of mangos and apricots are perfectly balanced by a nice acidity. A wine to drink just slightly chilled in order to let the aromas of peaches and honey fully develop.]]>
"Smooth and silky, this is generous with its pear, lemon curd and floral aromas and flavors, coursing gently through the long, expressive finish. Drink until 2011." -Wine Spectator]]>
The taster is immediately struck by the bright aromatics of this wine. Dominated by aromas of limes, citrus blossom and intensified with notes of gooseberry and lychee, this is a fruit driven yet complex style of Sauvignon Blanc. Lime and grapefruit flavors form the core of the palate while the wines small portion of barrel fermentation adds a textured roundness to the mid-palate, which is balanced by bright, lively acidity and lasting impression of citrus on the finish. The quintessential summer ap駻itf, this wine also pairs beautifully with oysters, fresh ch钁re and ceviche or just by itself.
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