Oh, hello Comfort!

I decided to devote this post to comfort food.  Most people instantly think of Southern food as synonymous with comfort, but I feel like comfort food can be classified as anything that makes you feel good.  Sometimes when you're down in the dumps, the right kind of dish can make you feel as though everything is going to be okay.  For me, comfort lies in family and my sense of home.  When I eat certain dishes, they take me back to my childhood and the great memories I have built with my family. I only hope I am able to provide a similar experience for my children once my husband and I begin our family.

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The one dish on the top of my comfort food list makes me feel warm, cozy, safe, and loved; my mom's menudo, not to be confused with Menudo.  It is a traditional Mexican soup, also known to some as great hangover food.  Making this dish is a time consuming process, which is why my mom only makes it a few times a year, mostly for Christmas and New Year's.  Traditionally, menudo is  made with hominy and beef stomach, pigs feet are an optional addition and are considered to be the best part.

The preparation alone is so labor intensive because the stomach requires a lot of attention before you can even begin the long cooking process.  The stomach must be trimmed of fat, rinsed very well, then boiled for several hours.  Sometimes my mom will do a slow cook over night with the heat low, or she'll clean it in the evening to start cooking in the morning so we can eat it for the rest of the day.  The basic seasonings are chili pepper or paste and salt, but there are many variations and everyone adds something different. I can't share my mom's recipe, or I'd have to kill you.  Haha, just kidding! (No really, I would). There are also regions of Mexico that don't include the chili pepper/paste so the broth remains clear.  After it is prepared you can add extras like onion, cilantro, radish, salsa, and lemon juice to enhance the flavor.  I myself can't really stomach the stomach (hehe), but the flavor it adds to the broth cannot be replaced by anything else.  I'm not usually one to eat seconds and definitely not thirds.  I'm the one who eats the slowest and is the last to leave the table.  However, when I get the call for menudo, I just can't seem to get enough!  I have to admit, when it comes to menudo, I am a bit of a snob.  My mom's is the best and I'm usually not adventurous enough to order it off a menu at a restaurant when I see it listed, because it will inevitably be compared to my mom's and won't measure up.  I myself have not attempted to make this dish on my own, but once my family starts to grow, I will definitely add it to my recipe book so that I can carry on the comfort.

How many of you have tried menudo? What types of comfort food are on your list?  Why do they make the cut? 

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Peace, Love, & Yummy Stuff