Winter Comfort Food: ideas, recipes

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.

Ribollita
Choucroute Garni
Cassoulet
Pasta and beans

Originally Posted by iammatt

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Ribollita
Choucroute Garni
Cassoulet
Pasta and beans

Cassoulet - a fantastic cold weather dish. Must do it soon. Thanks for mentioning it.

Chicken noodle soup.
Beef stew.
Chilli.
Spagetti & meatball w/ meatsauce.
Steak & mashed potatoes.
Roasted chicken.
Pho.

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!

Yeah nothing fancy here. Just chilli with onions cheese in a breadbowl and a nice winter brew.

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!

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; sautà 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.

Chili and shepherd's pie. All you need.

Chili instantly came to mind even though I don't really like it...

I like eating porridge for breakfast on cold winter mornings.

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.

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.

Originally Posted by Britalian

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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.

Originally Posted by Britalian

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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.

Originally Posted by Piobaire

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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.

Originally Posted by iammatt

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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.