Comfort Food-Comfort Stories

Here's a fun game to play with your friends, Think of the comfort foods you find most comforting, it might be a long list (Especially if you live in America) But think, what food makes you feel the most full? The most cozy?

Now think of your favorite stories, it could be anything, could be a book, could a movie, could be a musical, could be that classic Disney film you loved in Childhood.

Now which food and which stories are on par with each other?

Let me give you one example.

Comfort Story: The Phantom of the Opera (The MUSICAL! Not the crappy Gerald Butler movie! Not that crappy sequel Love Never Dies either)
Comfort Food: Spaghetti and Meatballs.

So you get that? The happy feeling I get from Phantom is the same I get from a big dish of Spaghetti and Meatballs.

Here are some more

Comfort Story: The Lion King
Comfort Food: Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Comfort Story: Bambi (The Disney Movie)
Comfort Food: Apple Pie

Comfort Story: Bambi (The Original Felix Salten Novel )
Comfort Food: Eggplant Parmigiana

See that? The Novel and the Disney movie have different comfort levels, the Disney movie makes me feel happier so the comfort food is one that perks up my mood more.

Comfort Story: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Disney Version)
Comfort Food: Butterscotch Pudding

Comfort Story: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Comfort Food: Tapioca Pudding (I like my Tapioca hot but cold is good too)

Comfort Story: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Comfort Food: A good mug of Hot Chocolate with Whipped Cream on top.

I saw a small clip of Love Never Dies on PBS, (My Mom was holding the remote control, I screamed CHANGE THE CHANNEL! CHANGE THE CHANNEL) That this is an insult to everyone who loved the original musical a slap in to the face of the audience. That's why Phantom of the Opera has Spaghetti and Meatballs as it's gastronomic equivalent not Apple Pie (My ultimate comfort food) It's tainted by association.

Love Never Dies, is ANTI-comfort food! The first thing that came to mind when thinking a gastronomic equivalent to Paint Never Dries was Creamed Spinach but that doesn't go far enough because some people like creamed spinach and nobody really likes Love Never Dies.

So my equivalent to Love Never Dies is Poi, that disgusting slop made form Taro that gets fed to every tourist in Hawaii that nobody likes.

For the Phantom movie with Gerald Butler I'd say the gastronomic equivalent is a Twinkie because some people for some reason like that crappy movie just like some people like Twinkies and the Movie is like a Twinkie because is looks pretty but is full of empty calories.

And as for the silent movie with Lon Chaney? I'd say...It's gastronomic equivalent is...Oh I don't know Grapefruit Juice. I like grapefruit juice but it is a bit sour.

Let's turn to something a little sweeter shall we? Tim Burton's other stop motion feature.

Comfort Story: Corpse Bride
Comfort Food: Fettuccine Alfredo

Corpse Bride is good, but not as good as Nightmare Before Christmas however it's not a bad movie in the least and I have fond memories connected to the movie.

Comfort Story: Edward Sissorhands
Comfort Food: Chocolate Mousse

More Musicals

Comfort Story: Cats
Comfort Food: Apple Pie: (Yes I know, a repeat but Cats holds a special place in my heart among musicals, to me Cats is more then Apple Pie, it Apple Pie ALA Mode!)

Comfort Story: Les Miserables
Comfort Food: Creamy Clam Chowder.

Comfort Story: Hair (Not Hairspray! Dear God, don't confuse with Hairspray!)
Comfort Food: Sausage and Mushroom Pizza

Comfort Story: Twenty-Fifth Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Comfort Food: Diet Coke with Chocolate Syrup. (If you haven't tried coke with chocolate, try it soon, it's like chocolate milk times ten!)


Not a Musical but my favorite animated movie AND book

Comfort Story:Watership Down
Comfort Food: Caramel Flan

Comfort Story: The Last Unicorn (When I first rented this I watched the opening like three times in a row!)
Comfort Food: Chocolate Frosted Doughnut.

Comfort Story: The Secret of NIMH
Comfort Food: Soft Serve Ice Cream

And now something, that is neither, Tim Burton, a Musical, or featuring talking animals.

Comfort Story: Batman the Animated Series
Comfort Food: Roasted Sweet Potatoes.

OK, and now for something that is in no way a fictional story, rather it is a CD on marriage advice by family therapist Terry Real, it's called Relational Recovery and while it is not a fictional story it's like my personal I Ching, it speaks to my subconscious tells me things I have long forgotten, or things that I have thought about but could never put into words

Comfort Story: Relational Recovery
Comfort Food: Homemade Strawberry Jam.

What about you? What are your comfort foods and comfort stories?