Comfort Food for Winter Nights

There's nothing better than comfort food to make you feel grounded, especially in the winter. The preparation need not be complicated or expensive. One of my favorites is homemade Mozzarella Mac and Cheese.

Believe me, this is one hundred times better than anything out of a box. I made it for the family last night and the only drawback is that my garden was out of basil. Plenty of cilantro and rosemary but no basil. I'll have to plan my spring herb garden a little better.

I'm also a big fan of soup and stew; it's a good way to use up the leftovers. I love leftovers; my daughter considers them "used food." I don't agree but you have to admit there's something clever in the analysis.


Another of my favorites is homemade bread. When I first began baking bread years ago it was quite a tedious process. Then I learned about fast-rising yeast. I also like baking sourdough bread but it takes a bit of commitment because if you don't refresh the starter frequently it will go bad on you.

Here's a tip -- you don't have to buy an expensive sourdough starter. You can make your own with flour and water. Just be sure to use whole wheat flour because it still has wild yeast in it. That processed white flour is just wrong.

Happy cooking and stay warm!