The consumption of Comfort foods can be pointed out as a response to stress people are dealing in their daily lives. It is however also said to be contributing to obesity in the United States. Even then it is preferred a lot by all and also can be pointed out to be perfect comfort after any event that leading in to bad mood, like breakup and such. This kind of foods can lead to fat because it is able to make you fall asleep right after consumption, The British calls this Foods as ‘Nursery foods’ and for this reason, where it is suppose to feed the kids to make them comfortable enough for healthy growth.

With the increasing changes in trends there are various international comfort foods that can be pointed out today like luxury burgers, Wagyu beef, ragus, Pepperoni pizza etc. All this foods have turned out to be the latest trend and craze, so somehow these are more preferred today by people than the old-school homemade fried chicken.

Even the latest most innovative international chefs these days are filling their menus with comfort food items. Few of these foods are like ‘Spaghetti & meatball’,  ‘peas and carrots’ ‘surf and turf’” or “Coffee and Doughnuts’.

Now let’s see what these above mentioned fancy foods really are.

Spaghetti & meatballs is actually a dish with squashed spaghetti adding caper berries along with sea scallops and some tomato cubes. It is actually a popular family dish and is liked mostly by the kids.

Surf & Turf is actually preparation of sea food and meat combined; it is naturally seen in British and Irish pubs of North America, typically consisting of lobster, prawn and shrimp.

Peas & carrots is actually an old fashioned dish consisting of peas and carrots with, butter and sauce along with onions and such. It is also quite delicious and does add up a lot to calories.

Coffee & Doughnuts: as the title says it is our most loved coffee and Doughnuts served together making it a perfect combination for a snack break and such.

Los Angeles kind of got famous for this kind of foods, it is now considered as a most kid-friendly cuisine oriented place. The common foods in various hotels like Sofitel Hotel at Simon L.A, are Pizza, mac & cheese, meat loafs, rice krispies, cotton candies, milk and cookies. At the West third street in L.A., there is a Food court which a  few comfort foods served here are chips and fish, another favourite with a name “Mom’s Spag & Balls” which is actually a fancy name given to Spaghetti and meatballs. There are various other popular places in L.A where various comfort foods are served such as pot roast, chocolate pudding, and the most famous sandwiches by Suzanne Tracht, etc.

All this mentioned international comfort foods have grown in to popularity so much lately and is also affecting people in various ways; it is when considered to be a mood swinger is also known to be a major contributor to fat which obviously isn’t a good thing.

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At my house, anytime we’re expecting a crowd for dinner, we make homemade pizza. It’s way cheaper than ordering delivery and it’s the easiest meal to serve a lot of people. You can choose the toppings based on who you know is coming. My foodie book club group? Probably something super-healthful with lots of fresh veggies. A roomful of my husband’s rowdy friends? Something a little more traditional (read: meaty).

For a mixed crowd, we like to serve this Black Bean Nacho Pizza-an over-the-top, vegetarian concoction with black-bean spread, Jack cheese, tomatoes, scallions, olives and pickled jalapenos; it’s part nacho, part pizza. The best part is it’s quick to whip up and it clocks in at just around $1 a slice.

The recipe is pretty adaptable too. You can make it on your grill or in your oven if it’s too cold outside (see Oven Variation below). We can usually find prepared whole-wheat pizza dough at a well-stocked supermarket. We buy a few packages and keep them in the freezer for when we need them.

Black Bean Nacho Pizza
Active time: 40 minutes | Total: 40 minutes

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
1/2 cup chopped jarred roasted red peppers
1 medium clove garlic, quartered
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
Yellow cornmeal for dusting
1 pound Easy Whole-Wheat Pizza Dough or other prepared dough
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 medium plum tomatoes, diced
4 medium scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped pitted ripe black olives
2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeños

1. Preheat grill to low. (For charcoal grilling or an oven variation, see below.)
2. Place beans, peppers, garlic, chili powder and salt in a food processor and process until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed.
3. Sprinkle cornmeal onto a pizza peel or large baking sheet. Roll out the dough (see Tip) and transfer it to the prepared peel or baking sheet, making sure the underside of the dough is completely coated with cornmeal.
4. Slide the crust onto the grill rack; close the lid. Cook until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Using a large spatula, flip the crust. Spread the bean mixture on the crust, leaving a 1-inch border. Quickly layer on cheese, tomatoes, scallions, olives and pickled jalapeños.
6. Close the lid again and grill until the cheese has melted and the bottom of the crust has browned, about 8 minutes.

Makes 6 servings.

Per serving: 317 calories; 8 g fat (4 g sat, 2 g mono); 17 mg cholesterol; 46 g carbohydrate; 14 g protein; 6 g fiber; 692 mg sodium; 249 mg potassium. Nutrition bonus: Folate (30% daily value), Vitamin A (22% dv), Calcium (19% dv), Iron (17% dv).

Tips: To roll out pizza dough: When you’re ready to get your pizzas on the grill, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust the top with flour; dimple with your fingertips to shape into a thick, flattened circle-don’t worry if it’s not perfectly symmetrical. Then use a rolling pin to roll into a circle about 14 inches in diameter.

Pizza on a charcoal grill: Light 6 quarts (about 1 large chimney starter full) of charcoal and burn until the coals are mostly white, about 20 minutes. Spread the coals in an even layer. Place a grate over the coals. Let the coals burn until they are about medium-low. (Grill any toppings for the pizza while the coals are burning down.) To test the heat, hold your palm about 5 inches above the grill rack; if you can hold it there for about 8 seconds before you need to move it away, the fire is medium-low. Transfer the crust to the grill rack, cover the grill and cook the crust, checking once or twice, until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the crust, quickly add the toppings, cover the grill and cook until the toppings are hot and the bottom of the crust has browned, 5 to 8 minutes. If your crust browns faster than your toppings are cooking, slide a baking sheet under the pizza to keep the crust from burning while the toppings finish.

Pizza in the oven: Place a pizza stone on the lowest rack; preheat oven to 450°F for at least 20 minutes. Roll out the dough and place on a cornmeal-dusted pizza peel or inverted baking sheet, using enough cornmeal so that the dough slides easily. Slide the dough onto the preheated stone and cook until the bottom begins to crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven using a large spatula and place it uncooked-side down on the peel or baking sheet, making sure the underside of the crust is completely coated with cornmeal. Quickly add the toppings and slide the pizza back onto the stone. Continue baking until the toppings are hot and the bottom of the crust has browned, 12 to 15 minutes.

Individual variation: The dough can be turned into 4 or 6 personal-size pizzas. After kneading, divide the dough into 4 or 6 equal balls. Roll each portion into a 6-to-8-inch circle.

Original article found at: Yahoo

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In this day and age, people lead a fast-paced lifestyle that prevents them from enjoying a truly

healthy life. In fact, most people spend their day in front of the computer and not involved in

any physical activity or exercise. It also does not help that fast foods, processed, or packaged

foods are easily accessible, which means that a lot of people are not getting maximum nutrients

or balanced diet on a daily basis. Healthy comfort food therefore offers a great alternative to

that and helps the body to cope with daily activities, without depriving you with the food that

provides you with emotional comfort.

The concept of comfort food used to be anything that would make you emotionally fulfilled

when you are eating them. However, people are more health-conscious nowadays and this has

forced many to look for healthier alternatives. The next time you feel stressed or just wanted to

reward yourself for a hard day’s work, you can turn to comfort foods that will provide your body

with its much needed vitamins, minerals, and energy.

The most basic form of healthy comfort food is to grab for yourself a chocolate tea. For people

on a diet, hearing the word “chocolate” almost always incites fear. Hot chocolate is no doubt

the ultimate form of comfort food, but there is now a healthy alternative to it. You can opt

for a chocolate flavored tea that does not contain the same amount of calories as a regular hot

chocolate do. And yet, you can still enjoy the same chocolaty taste that you find so comforting

and therefore love to sip on.

If you still cannot get enough of chocolate, then why don’t you snack on dark chocolate instead?

According to nutritionists and dietitians, dark chocolate offers the least amount of calories as

most other chocolate varieties. So, if you would like to indulge in anything sweet for comfort,

then you might as well enjoy dark chocolate because it is healthier alternative. In addition, it is

also a good source of antioxidants that offer many health benefits.

Another seemingly enriching and indulging comfort food is warm milk and honey. And yet, it is

not as calorie-ridden as a creamy dessert. You can therefore mix honey into a warm cup of milk

and drink this before bedtime, which is also great for those who lead a stressful life because it

helps to induce sleep.

Whole grain foods are another alternative to high carbohydrates food sources, such as pasta

or bread. You must therefore intake whole wheat products instead of in-taking white varieties

because it helps to provide you with the same level of comfort and indulgence, but minus the

weight gain.

Discovering healthy comfort food alternatives can take a bit of experiment. However, it will pay

off in the end as you can enjoy the same great-tasting food without the risks to your health.

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Quick N’ Random Fact: Today’s sushi began as a type of fast food—the 19th-century Japanese equivalent of a McDonald’s drive-thru.

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Quite possibly the most memorable moment in anyones history is the day they first had cookies and milk. Not just cookies or just milk but dunking the cookie into a cup of milk is enough to bring smiles worldwide. Learning how to dunk the cookie into the milk and letting it soak in and get soft is a perfected art. If not soaked long enough the cookie is still hard and if you soak it too long, you can kiss that part goodbye as it sinks to the bottom of the cup.

Wish you had this right now? Me too

Words of the wise… bring a spoon if you want to say hi to the sunken cookie piece when you finish the milk

Taste:

There is a reason why you keep this out at night for Santa Clause. That is because it’s downright simple and delicious! So many different cookies to choose from. But the classic chocolate chip cookie is the best. Biting into a cookie can only return a huge and warm blast of flavor! Unless it just came out of the oven…then it’ll just burn your mouth. :/

Comfort Food Blog Rating: 8/10 (must have ample supply of both  cookies and milk to achieve this score)

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How about both? Vanilla hot chocolate takes the cake when it comes to comforting drinks. You can feel the warmth of the liquid through the mug and sip it slowly near your fireplace. Rainy and cold day? No problem! Just whip out some of the hot chocolate mix and you can ponder other thoughts…

Taste:

The creamy foam and the chocolate taste work wonders in this comforting drink. The hint of vanilla adds a speck of irony that has you saying ” Why didn’t I think of this drink before!?”

Comfort Food Blog Rating: 9/10 (on a rainy or winter day, of course)

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Thats what they advertise. Everywhere from MacDonalds to Smoothie Kings, who knows if they are lying about their products. The one thing I know is smoothies are comforting.

Taste:

Smoothies really depend on which fruit you get. Some are more sour while others are more sweet. Whatever your preference, make sure you drink it down to the last drop. Keep in mind, you must make noises while sucking on the straw to completely enjoy the smoothie

Comfort Food Blog Rating: 7/10

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Mac & Cheese

Say what?

Mac & cheese isn’t really considered gourmet fare or something you order when you are out, but when made at home, things get good…Fast! Some people believe the dish was created by Thomas Jefferson but whoever invented it, made one of the best comfort food dishes to date. Forget the Kraft’s macaroni and cheese and bring out the old Grandmas cookbook.

Homemade Mac & Cheese

Taste

Can you say cheesy? 65% Sharp Cheddar, 25% Monterey Jack, 10% Parmesan on the dot and you have exactly the amount of cheese for grandma’s recipe. You wouldn’t want to make her mad…now would you?

Comfort level

I would have to say that Mac & Cheese is an excellent choice when it comes as a comfort food. The combination of cheese and carbs is enough to induce a food coma to unsuspecting consumers

Comfort Food Blog Rating : 8/10

Yum... Pancakes

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