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Winter Comfort Food: ideas, recipes

post #1 of 36
11/11/07 at 5:16pm
Thread Starter 
I stop eating salady foods around September usually and as the temp plunges I start to yearn for those hearty, warming foods which are one of the great things about the Autumn and Winter months.
So, with this in mind I thought I'd initiate a thread in this vein.

Some personal favourites:
Risottos; mushroom, cheese (carciotta, parmeggiano reggiano, etc), vegetable
Mashed potato/squash/garlic combinations
Cheese pasta dishes
Gnocchi dishes - with gorgonzola or other strong cheeses
Polenta, with wild boar, or sausage or cheese.

Yesterday I did a butternut squash risotto which was fantastic accompanied by a Frescobaldi Chianti Rufina. The gf really appreciated it after a hard afternoon shopping in the crisp cold air....
( http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/womansho...7_43_wed.shtml )

Further, as a sweet offering, I can repeat what I've said in another thread: a classic panettone slathered with Nutella. Probably best not to try this after most of the above, however.
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post #2 of 36
11/11/07 at 5:38pm
Ribollita Choucroute Garni Cassoulet Pasta and beans
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post #3 of 36
11/11/07 at 5:49pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by iammatt View Post
Ribollita
Choucroute Garni
Cassoulet
Pasta and beans

Cassoulet - a fantastic cold weather dish. Must do it soon. Thanks for mentioning it.
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post #4 of 36
11/11/07 at 5:56pm
Chicken noodle soup. Beef stew. Chilli. Spagetti & meatball w/ meatsauce. Steak & mashed potatoes. Roasted chicken. Pho.
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post #5 of 36
11/11/07 at 6:01pm
1) Braised red wine short ribs w/ garluic mashed potatoes and a CA shiraz;
2) Charcroute Garni with a dark beer; and
3) Rice casserole with Chinese sausages and preserved duck with a dry reisling
....................hmm, let it snow!
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post #6 of 36
11/11/07 at 7:06pm
Yeah nothing fancy here. Just chilli with onions cheese in a breadbowl and a nice winter brew.
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post #7 of 36
11/11/07 at 7:11pm
cream based soups, stews, seafood bisques
shepherd's pie
roast chicken and potatoes
roast pheasant in port sauce
duck with peppercorn sauce
venison
Roast stuffed Lamb!
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post #8 of 36
11/11/07 at 7:52pm
How about some good old-fashioned butternut squash soup with roasted red pepper puree?

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 2 1/2-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups (or more) vegetable broth

3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

for the red pepper puree:

1 cup coarsely chopped drained roasted red peppers from jar
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

Puree all ingredients in processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

For the soup:

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add squash and 5 1/2 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until squash is soft, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. Add 1 teaspoon thyme and orange peel. Thin soup with more broth if desired. Simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and chill. Rewarm before serving, thinning with more broth if desired.)

Ladle soup into bowls. Swirl 1 tablespoon Roasted Red Pepper Puree into soup in each bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons thyme and serve.
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post #9 of 36
11/11/07 at 8:49pm
Chili and shepherd's pie. All you need.
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post #10 of 36
11/11/07 at 8:55pm
Chili instantly came to mind even though I don't really like it... I like eating porridge for breakfast on cold winter mornings.
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post #11 of 36
11/11/07 at 9:14pm
You guys are missing out on the best thing of cold weather: breakfast.

Steel cut oats simmered all night in a crock pot with condensed milk, raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Put it on low before bed and wake to the smell of that. Stoke up a nice fire with some fragrant and crackly wood like juniper, a nice French press coffee, and you have a perfect morning.
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post #12 of 36
11/11/07 at 10:09pm
French onion soup.

It's a soup. It's a meal. It's absolutely delicious. Make sure to caramelize your onions over a long period of time. And use good aged cheese for god's sake!

Good call on all the butternut stuff though. I'd never thought of using it in a risotto. I make the pureed soup all the time though.
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post #13 of 36
11/12/07 at 3:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Britalian View Post
Cassoulet - a fantastic cold weather dish. Must do it soon. Thanks for mentioning it.
Good call Matt. That was going to be my suggestion as well. I've always thought of Fondue as a great cold weather dish. It just doesn't work in the summer. Plus, their so easy to make, and fun to eat, that it becomes a no brainer. Excellent for the cozy dinner with the lady.
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post #14 of 36
11/12/07 at 4:05am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Britalian View Post
Polenta, with wild boar, or sausage or cheese.

I once had the most incredible wild boar stew. Never saw the chef make it again, and have yet to find anything like it. It was a perfect fall food.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Piobaire View Post
You guys are missing out on the best thing of cold weather: breakfast.

Steel cut oats simmered all night in a crock pot with condensed milk, raisins, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Put it on low before bed and wake to the smell of that. Stoke up a nice fire with some fragrant and crackly wood like juniper, a nice French press coffee, and you have a perfect morning.

Devil to clean the crock pot, though.

I'll add ragouts to the list. One of my favorite foods. And Arabian chickpea stew served over barley. Man, do I love barley.

For the perfect fall desert, caramel apples with nuts.
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post #15 of 36
11/12/07 at 4:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by iammatt
Ribollita
Choucroute Garni
Cassoulet
Pasta and beans

All of these are awesome. I find that almost every week in winter, I make a big pot of minestrone. Eat it fresh on day 1. Days 2 and 3, we make a ribollita out of it, and it just gets better and better each day.

I'd add to the list:
clam chowder
mashed potatoes
roasted/mashed parsnips
oxtail stew
pot-roasted game bird (pheasant or quail, usually)

One of my favorite fall/winter side dishes is red cabbage, braised for hours in red wine/stock and apple cider/apple slices. Sometimes with chestnuts, too.
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