Comfort food.

As much as Ive struggled in my transition to Oakland there are many facets of my new ‘hood which are better than the ATX!!! I really enjoy.

OAKtown sidewalk surprise!

The canines! The canines!

The lovely lake.

ahhh Lake Merritt.

The farmer’s markets.

Edible FLOWERS?!

Nothing has impacted me as profoundly, however, as our new synagogue (which surprised this Misfit Jew as “non-traditional” doesnt begin to capture my religious approach).

This year we’re participating in Family Sunday School pilot program.

our very serious Sunday School folder.

A few Sundays ago our focus was on traditional foods and what we think of as comfort foods (it’s a misfit synagogue. there was lots of talk about secular Thanksgiving fare).

We went around the room and each had an opportunity to share what sprung to mind after heading the words COMFORT FOOD.

Everything was mentioned from lemon bars to latkes.

fried in OIL, Baby!

As my turn approached (mercifully slooooowed by reminiscing & food-fantasizing) I began to panic.

As we’ve chatted about before –I possess no foods of comfort.

Which isnt to say I didnt eat many of the foods mentioned (except chopped liver. anyone love the chopped liver?)—I just eat them when I crave them and Im done.

No real sense of comfort involved.

As I listened to the powerful memories the comfort foods evoked for my fellow misfit Jews classmates I wondered if  we werent missing out?

If I werent “denying” the Tornado some sort of life-experience as she doesnt really have a comfort food (yet) & not being a foodieMama theres little chance of us creating powerful food memories.

plain plain plain is how I roll.

We “bond” over food (in our own way) yet the majority of the time our bonding has little to do with the food at all.

Id never thought too much about comfort foods.

They arent how I lick my forearms–Im a comfort-MOVIE person–yet that’s all it really seemed to me.

A different approach to self-soothing.

Hearing the powerful connection between comfort foods & family-ties/comfort food’s power to lessen feelings of loneliness  sparked me to wonder if the Tornado is missing out potentially never having fond food memories to reflect back on.

So I look to you during this Thanksgivukkah season of food & family & hit you up with my many queries:

Am I really unique in having few memories which involve/center around food? Do you feel–as I now do–comfort food isnt inherently “bad” just gotten a bad rap?

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