Ingredients: 12 oz. paccheri pasta 8 oz. capon breast (or chicken) 5 oz. fresh cream 5 oz. pork loin 3 oz. cooked ham, diced ⅔ stick butter 3 large egg yolks 1 shallot beef broth sage - rosemary cinnamon powder peanut oil salt and pepper Method: Chop the shallot. Chop the chicken and pork. Heat the butter in a wide pan and wilt the chopped shallot with 1 sprig each of sage and rosemary for 1 minute. Add the minced meat and the diced ham, and brown over high heat for 10 minutes, stirring. Combine 1½ qt. Each of beef broth and water, and bring to a boil. Add salt and cook the paccheri until al dente. Mix the cream with the egg yolks, a pinch of salt, a minced one of pepper, and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Drain the paccheri and place in the pan with meat, then add the cream and egg yolk mixture. Stir over the heat, until it takes on the consistency of a creamy sauce. Fry a handful of sage leaves in plenty of peanut oil for 1 minute, then drain on paper from the kitchen. Distribute the paccheri into bowls, finishing each plate with some fried sage leaves and a sprinkle of cinnamon, and serve.
You probably already have all the ingredients for pasta and chickpeas in your pantry.
Three simple, delicious (and vegan) ideas for preparing pasta with zucchini.
What Is Comfort Food?
It can really be anything, but the main thing that defines comfort food is that it’s comforting to you. Comfort food usually is a dish that’s high-carb, high-sugar, or high in fatty acids—think french fries, cheeseburgers, ice cream, candy, and chocolate.
The word “comfort food” has only been around since the 1960s or so. It didn’t start gaining popularity until 1977, when The Washington Post referred to one of their featured holiday recipes as comfort food.
While the phrase hasn’t been around for too long, comfort food itself wasn’t just invented with the word. It’s a feeling we’ve all gotten, whether it’s from a dish your grandma used to whip up or the to-go burger at the drive-through spot your dad used to bring you to. Sometimes it’s comforting just because it’s something that you grew up eating, maybe a special meal your parents or grandparents would make you as a kid.
Why Is It So Comforting?
Foods that are high in carb, sugar, and fatty acids trigger the brain's reward system, which is why it’s comforting to you. Believe it or not, the same rewards and pleasure centers that are activated by drug or alcohol addiction are active when consuming comfort food. While sometimes you can chalk it up to stress or just being in the mood for a specific food, there are reasons why you may be craving these unhealthy foods more often than you’d like.
The areas of the brain that are thought to be responsible for your mood are the hippocampus, insula, and caudate. Studies show that these three areas are activated during food craving episodes.
These areas process the memory, reward, and pleasure systems of the brain. While you may not have as much control over your food cravings as you’d like, some food cravings can be fixed with a change in diet. Making sure you’re getting healthy carbs, sugars, and fats will make a world of difference in how often these cravings strike
Are Your Cravings Normal?
Yes! Over 90% of men and women experience food cravings on a daily basis. You aren’t alone in the type of cravings you’re getting, either. Most people experience those same unhealthy cravings for processed, sugary foods and unhealthy fats.
Men are most likely to experience savory cravings, whereas women are more likely to crave sweets such as chocolates and candies. We know it can get frustrating when your cravings seem to always get the best of you, but just remember you aren’t alone in it.
Physical Comfort
Eating these foods releases neurotransmitters that make us happy, physically stimulating our brain’s reward system. Some studies show that when you eat your comfort foods, your body releases feel-good hormones like dopamine. That is why comfort food cravings are most prevalent when you’re feeling a bit down.
We’ve all downed a tub of ice cream after a break-up, right? So now it all makes sense as to why we want to bury ourselves in a pile of junk food after a long day of work.
Emotional Comfort
This is especially true of nostalgic foods you grew up with or meals shared with loved ones. There are foods that parents and grandparents make that give you all those childhood feelings you miss. We often associate comfort food with good memories and relationships.
Think about your favorite comfort foods—they most likely are associated with a good memory or feeling. Comfort foods don’t always have to be seen in a negative way. Everything in moderation is perfectly fine.