Comfort Food

As thanksgiving approaches, of course the topic on everyone's mind is of course, what are we having for the big dinner? Well folks, it's at times like these when living in the Deep South actually shows it's advantages.

I have lived all over the world, and I certainly understand the appeal of gourmet dining. However, as the holidays approach, I have to revel in the greatest thing that came from the South. Quality Comfort Food.

That's right, here in the South we take just about everything and either deep fry it, throw it in a casserole, or put a bunch of cheese on it. As disgusting as that might sound at the outset, if you get within a suqare mile of any grandmother's house on Thanksgiving Day in the South, you would understand. The smell alone wraps you in a warm blanket and seduces you into a glorious holiday feeling.

Personally, I have a large extended family and I never had to cook for any holidays until I moved overseas. I had nover cooked in my life. My mother was very much a woman of her time, and my brother and I grew up in the time of microwave. That little beep at the end meant dinnertime was fast approaching.

Holiday family gatherings were my only real brush with food that was not packed with preservatives, and trust me, what it lacked in preservatives it more than made up for it with peanut oil, cheese and cream of mushroom soup.

When I moved to Europe however, I found that the selection of ready-made meals was on the lacking side. Unless I wanted to live off frozen pizzas and canned raviolis, I was going to have to learn how to cook. Fine. I accepted the challenge with the grace and poise I accept all challenges put before me with.

I even started making my own style of comfort food. I married a guy while living in Ireland, and his Irish family absolutely went NUTS over my cooking. My cakes were moist and soft (most cakes over there are dryer and heavier, and the icing is usually hard, like a crust) and the way I cooked meat, it was so tender and juicy, it took me a while to convinve my MIL that the meat was actually done. I also made some peanut butter balls (they don't have reese cups over there... I know, I thought I had left the planet at this point) and that hit their family gatherings like an explosion.

So I think Thanksgiving, as an ode to my experiences, I'm going to be thankful for Comfort Food. We are truly blessed to have these wonderful dishes. Let's face it, when food is so good you stop caring if you gain weight... that's some kick-ass groceries right there.

Here's a little of what I'll be cooking this year:
-Cream cheese jalepeno corn (I have relatives fight over this stuff)
-Stuffed Chicken (I don't eat turkey)
-Green Bean Casserole
-Roasted Garlic Maches potatoes
-Black-eyed peas
-Old Fashioned Dressing (the kind so thick you can cut it into squares)

And for desert:
-Tiramisu (my personal favorite)
-Diabetic Friendly (and diet friendly) pineapple cake (this thing melts in your mouth)
-Sugar cookies decorated to look like little pilgrims for the kids
(I will make a pecan pie on request, but pumpkin pie is totally out for me, I can't stand the texture or smell)

Everyone's invited!!