(Non-Chicken Soup) Recipes for the Soul

Last weekend there was a national uptick in cooking: long simmers, kneading, and focused knife work specifically. (This is an unconfirmed report but supported by circumstantial evidence among our editorial team of ten-ish.)

We cooked enough to feed our respective blocks—some of us did share with the neighbors in order to keep the fridge clear enough to fill up again (win, win). And we cooked food that wasn’t particularly frilly or experimental.

Deb Perelman said, of Thanksgiving, “I don’t think we travel by buses, trains, cars and planes, often during inclement weather [...] for an edgy new recipe someone found in a fancy food magazine this year.”

The same goes for when you’re cooking for comfort. With hopes that it inspires this weekend's cooking, here's what the editorial team made this past weekend:

• The biggest pot of braised red cabbage ("I ate out of it with a fork," says Kenzi)
• Two of us made braised chard and cilantro from Deborah Madison's forthcoming In My Kitchen
• Broccoli rabe in white wine from Verdura: Vegetables Italian Style
• Kale salad with farro, dried cherries, walnuts, and cheddar
• Butternut squash and ricotta toast
• Tahini roasted broccoli
• Broccoli soup with lemon and parmesan

• Chili (duh)
• This chipotle lentil sweet potato coziness
• Victoria Granof's pasta con ceci, "the most comforting fast food ever" says Kristen
• Pork shoulder ragu
• Emiko's pasta e fagioli
• Sausage ragu
• Bolognese
• Caldo verde

• Julia Child's casserole-roasted chicken
• Enchiladas
• Poached chicken (you get broth and meat in one lil batch to use for the week)
• Mom's chicken tortilla soup (ask Amanda Sims for the recipe)
• Braised chicken thighs with vermouth, white wine, onions and garlic

• Deviled eggs
• Scrambled eggs ( ...because)
• And "many, many" scrambled egg tacos
• Tofu scramble with spinach and chorizo

• Malva pudding
• Sweet potato buttermilk pie
• Maple olive oil granola
• Zuni Café's currant-orange scones
• Some quickie scone-like cinnamon rolls (ask Kristen if you need to know more)
• About 5 pounds of pizza dough (for a photo shoot, but the kneading was a balm)

• All the peppermint tea
• Olivia rediscovered the comforting properties of a bowl of Cheerios and milk
• Baked rice à la Pierre Franey from A New Way to Dinner
• Stuck pot rice from A New Way to Dinner
• Multiple tuna salad sandwiches, which are one of Merrill's favorite comfort foods

Tell us: What do you cook to comfort?