Comfort Cooking? Here are Our Top Best-Loved Recipes

If you’re among the many of us who are coping with the mandatory confinement of this era of coronavirus COVID-19 with some intense comfort cooking and baking, how about a recipe swap? Our correspondent Julie Chang Murphy has gathered the top favorite, best-loved comfort cooking recipes from our far-flung team, and we’re sharing them with you. And we hope that you’ll send us yours!

comfort cooking in a time of coronavirus

We all have our go-to coping mechanisms in moments of uncertainty and during hard times. But sadly, many of the usual self-medicating therapies that we have relied on – like  shopping (my personal favorite), a restorative mani & pedi, or even just connecting with a partner at a romantic restaurant are all totally off-limits for now.

So what’s a WFH harried parent to do? There’s no denying that this past week has been rough. We here at Dandelion Chandelier are feeling it, too.

Which how we got to chatting about comfort cooking. “What are you cooking and eating to make yourself feel better?” And that’s when we decided that a recipe swap was in order to give us some new tried-and-true menu items to add to our repertoire.

Here are eight tried and true recipes – four main dishes and four sweets – that Erin, Jillian, Abbie and I have been cooking up. When we can’t clink our glasses and break bread together, sharing a recipe feels like the next best thing.

By the way, those of you who know our Founder & CEO Pamela know that while she loves to read cookbooks and novels set in the world of restaurants and food, and will watch the occasional baking competition on TV, she doesn’t personally spend a lot of time cooking in her home kitchen (except for Thanksgiving, which is whole ‘nother thing).

However, she promises that if this involuntary containment continues long enough, she’ll take up her whisk, too. And she swears she’ll share her kitchen adventures with us when and if that time comes around.

Main Courses

In the meantime, here are some of our best-loved recipes for main courses that are perfect comfort cooking.

Erin’s Picks

Erin, our Los Angeles based Marketing expert, is also a passionate home cook. She highly recommends Bon Appetit’s Crispy Tofu with Coconut Quinoa. Though the recipe calls for tofu, it can really be subbed with any protein.

Craving something warm and soothing? Erin also loved Alison Roman’s Pork Noodle Soup with Toasted Garlic. The recipe is unfussy and flexible, which is perfect for using up what’s already in the fridge.

Julie’s Picks

I’m sharing one of our family favorites from my brother-in-law’s Mexican food recipe blog, Mexican Please. This Chicken Chile Verde recipe is a keeper for us because it’s relatively simple to prepare and has leftover potential to turn into burritos or throw on top of a salad for lunch the next day. Most importantly, it’s a festive looking dish that brightens the week and our kids will try anything when there’s tortilla chips as a side!

OK, I’ll be honest-  my husband usually tackles that recipe. If you’re more of a breakfast person and have the most energy in the mornings, this Mexican Frittata is delicious no matter how you improvise it.

I’ve made it with different cheeses or left out the chorizo and either way, it’s delicious.

Sweet Treats

Reccos from Abbie and Julie

Abbie, one of our New York City based Contributing Editors, shared that she successfully made New York Times’ Bittersweet Brownie Shortbread. A cookie combined with a brownie- genius!

I have one dessert recipe that is fussy in that it requires a mini tart mold. But it is one of my #1 go-to comfort foods. The Hong Kong Style Egg Tart’s secret is all in the flaky crust. If you’re feeling ambitious, give it a try. This recipe gives very detailed directions to increase your chances of success.

I’m always in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie recipe. To me, that means it has a crispy edge, chewy center and salty aftertaste. If you agree, this Bon Appetit recipe hits all the right notes.

a special family recipe from Jillian

Finally, Jillian, our Head of Research, has a very special family Norwegian recipe to share:

Norwegian Boller

Makes 16-18 buns

Ingredients:

1 ¾ cup milk

3 teaspoons dry active yeast

6 ½ tablespoons melted and cooled butter

½ cup sugar

4 ½ cups flour

½ teaspoon cardamom (No cardamom on hand? Vanilla is a great substitute)

1 cup raisins or milk chocolate chips as optional add in

Egg wash:

1 egg

1 tablespoon milk

Method:

1. Warm milk to 98℉ and add yeast to dissolve. Add a small pinch of sugar to feed the yeast.
2. After 5 minutes combine the yeast/milk together with cooled butter, sugar and optional cardamom in a mixing bowl.
3. Slowly add sifted flour to mixture 1 cup at a time while mixing with dough hook. Next add in one cup of desired mix in and continue to knead in the mixer for about 5 minutes until completely combined and no more flour can be absorbed.
4. Remove dough and place in a greased bowl (you can use baking spray or canola oil) and cover with plastic wrap or a dish cloth. Place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size.
5. Remove dough onto a clean counter top. Grab one small handful of dough and form into a 1 ½ inch ball (rolling hand over dough clockwise on counter top helps to create an even ball shape) and place on a lined baking sheet. Shape remaining dough into balls and continue to place at least 3 inches apart.
6. Cover dough balls again with plastic wrap or cloth in a warm space until doubled in size. Preheat the oven to 375℉.
7. Whisk one egg and 1 tablespoon milk in a small bowl and paint over the uncovered buns.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes on the center rack of the oven at 375℉ until the buns are a light golden brown. Cool on rack before enjoying with coffee. Enjoy!

our favorite family recipes 

From our homes to yours- enjoy! Please share with us what you’re cooking these days. And stay safe and healthy, dear reader.

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Crediting her training as a cultural anthropologist at Wellesley College, Julie has immersed herself in various industries in the last 15 years including fashion design, event planning, and fitness. Julie lives in New York where she loves trying every ramen and dumpling restaurant with her husband and three children. She finds joy in bold prints, biographies of fierce women, kickboxing. And spending way too long finding the perfect polish color to express her mood

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