Noshing Out – Comfort Food Friday

“And after all the voting, I’m ignoring the winner and next month’s theme will be: Comfort food!” declared Caryl, the founder/leader of the Foodies meetup group. Every year, January’s theme is comfort food, and every year, Caryl still takes a poll and votes on a theme that she theatrically ignores.

There is an expected degree of chaos at the beginning of every Fabulous Foodie event. Despite participating chefs’ mis en place, there is always warming, roasting, composing, and finishing touches to be completed before service. Dishes appear on the table as they are ready; the dull roar of conversation the background for the symphony of corks popping and food sautéing. The first dish passed around was a split pea soup, a dark green mash thick with aromatic vegetables and smokey from added bacon and kielbasa. The sausage was cooked before being added, the casing popping as you bit into a spoonful.

My offering was in the oven at 425⁰ from the moment I took off my coat. Sliced potatoes, diced onions and garlic had been tossed in olive oil, parsley, and perfumed with a touch of truffle salt. Steam billowed from the oven when I opened it to reveal the roasting tubers. After a toss and other stint under the heat, the crispy slices were removed. The crunch on the edges gave way to a starchy center. Unfortunately, the heady aroma of the umami truffles that wafted from the potatoes quickly dissipated.

The star of the party was still being created. A variety of custom grilled cheese sandwiches sizzled away in a wide brimmed pan, the stuffing ingredients arrayed to the side. Scents of butter, toast, brine, meat, and of course, bubbling cheese emanated from that side of the kitchen. The crisp bread crunched as the sandwiches were cut in half, barely making it to the table before being consumed. My favorite combination was constructed with tomato, pickled jalepeno, dill pickes, and ham. A variation on a croque monsieur, the vinegary vegetables and fresh tomato added brightness and acidity which was a keen counterpoint to the heavy bread and cheese.

Plate filled a second, or perhaps a third time, I sat down with a glass of wine and was regaled by a foodie friend of he and his wife’s trials and tribulations of travel over the holidays having her green card stolen.  I was among my people.