Comfort levels

For various reasons I have been craving comfort food in recent days. I have also come to realize that there are different types of comfort food depending on the situation that necessitates the comforting. If I am sick, I seek foods that I associate with being nursed back to health: brothy soups, bland dishes from my childhood, and simple things like cinnamon toast or even breakfast cereal. This is the easiest level of comfort to obtain because it requires little in the way of preparation or cooking.

Moving up a little on the comfort scale are items that bring back positive memories, to be used when I need to soothe my emotions or lift my spirits from a loss, such as when I must say goodbye to a cherished furry family member. These dishes can require a moderate amount of prep that may even verge on being ceremonial. The items are ones I am familiar with making but which are not as bland or boring as the first tier of comfort foods. This level includes items I have favorited in the EYB Library such as Perfectly pillowy cinnamon rolls or Croque monsieur mac and cheese.

The next level of comfort foods are those that help quell anxiety by keeping my hands and mind occupied. These are the most challenging recipes, often needing a high level of finesse and attention to detail that serve as a distraction from feelings of worry and as a way to achieve a sense of control. Things may be careening wildly toward disaster in one aspect of life, but in the kitchen all is in order and as it should be. Some people might choose a simple task for this, but for me a trial of my skills works better. Often this involves a baking project, preferably with multiple components or techniques such as Croissants, Pear and fig charlotte, or Chicken shawarma pie. Recent events led to a marathon baking and decorating session that included developing a new cake recipe and piping elaborate designs, plus a side quest into croissants, if that gives you any idea of the stressors I was battling. What types of comfort foods do you seek for various scenarios?

Edit: here are the photos of cake decorating I did. I don’t have a recipe for the cake, but basically I took a regular egg-white only butter cake and substituted 25g freeze dried strawberry powder for 25g of the flour and added a bit of extra liquid.