Comforting Dishes From The Times Pantry

 Comfort food is going to be big this season. We're going to need dishes that soothe and help our troubled souls and minds. Luckily the New York Times has gathered some of the best recipes from  From The Pantry, a series of recipes that helped home chefs during the pandemic. Sadly, it's ending its' run soon yet home chefs can enjoy the many recipes it still offers.

Melissa Clark curated these in today's New York Times food section. She offers the highlights of it and what the recipes can do.  They're confident and flexible along with being versatile to stretch to two or even three meals.They represent the best of pantry cooking, which done right can help you adapt your favorite recipes to what's in the pantry. Ms. Clark also shows how to get past all those panic bought beans and boxes of pasta and create comforting meals for the entire family to enjoy. She starts with the recipe for baked polenta. This is the perfect dish for fall and for a weekend supper. It starts with corn kernels,whether canned, frozen or right off the cob sizzled in a pan with butter. Polenta grains are added. Then throw in anything you want, Alliums like shallots or scalions, greens, like kale . You could add some cheese like feta ,blue or Parmesan. She suggests my favorite, adding eggs along with a lot of freshly ground pepper and sea salt. Another pantry dish is the famed Irish dish colcannon. She up the flavor with crispy fried leeks and add some sliced garlic cloves. Cabbage or kale is traditional but you can use broccoli rabe too. Add milk or vegetable broth and lots of butter for a truly creamy taste.

Comfort meals got us and are still getting us through this pandemic. There are recipes for tuna casserole and roasted chicken. Ms. Clark's take on the tuna casserole?  Zing it up with garlic and white wine! There's also a pinch of red pepper flakes for heat. You can use tuna in water but use the one in olive oil for a richer flavor.It'll be mashed into white beans , giving the dish a chunky texture. It's topped with Gruyere, according to the original recipe by Diana Henry, a British based food writer. her recipe was a Breton  tuna and white bean gratin. Ms. Clark gives it an American spin by adding potato chips to the topping. Roasted chicken is another dish that's not only comforting but versatile too. The bones can be used for stock while leftovers can be turned into chicken salad for lunchtime sandwiches. The stock though is the best. It's just taking the bones, and  cooking them with aromatics such as ginger or onions , carrots or herb stems. Cover with cold water and simmer for two to three hours. How does she end these meals? With a comforting dessert, the classic chocolate cake made with mayo! This is a rich cake anyway, made with Dutch cocoa and chocolate chips. The liquid used is hot coffee although you can use tea too. Vanilla can be used but so can bourbon or brandy if you don't have the first. Ms. Clark recommends just dusting it with confectioner's sugar although you can add a cream cheese frosting or chocolate glaze for more decadence.

There's nothing like comfort food,especially during these crazy times. Make what you want. Then enjoy these good for the soul, good for the mind dishes.