I suppose some people hate to see the autumn leaves floating to the ground, a sure sign that winter is coming soon. While the autumn reds and golds fill my imagination with plans for some future canvas, I too dread the winter. The crisp winds, making those leaves crackle under foot, make me walk faster during my morning walks with the Mighty Zeus. They chill me to the bone; they make me dream of warm, comforting foods as we scurry back  home. How I would love to open the door to the aroma of fresh baked bread,  bacon sizzling on the griddle,  warm maple syrup....but alas, we go to the kitchen and I bring out the Kibble and Bits while Zeus does  his version of the River Dance around his little bowl. What can I say....my life is exhilarating.

As for that fresh baked bread, the sizzling bacon, the warm maple syrup....what I really wanted after this evening's last walk of the day,was a bowl of warm creamy polenta. You know how you have a special food that just fills the bill, no matter what that bill might be? For me, it is warm creamy polenta. It always makes everything okay.

I know many people who want a comfort food from their childhood...something their mother made for them. Others want a traditional or regional food. I know a man who wants cornbread crumbled in a bowl with buttermilk poured over it. It must be an Alabama thing; I personally can't imagine that concoction making anyone feel  anything but nauseous,certainly not comforted!
Curiosity got the better of me, so I started asking around "What is your favorite comfort food?" I, of course, got the usual answers...."my Mom's potato salad", and "meatloaf and mac and cheese" and "fried chicken"....but I also got such answers as "A simple rice bowl dish called oyako donburi. It's just chicken and egg over rice, with onions and a light broth" from a Japanese woman and how about "Jaeger Schnitzel"? German, of course. So, I suppose geography has a lot to do with it. I wonder how many people here in Kansas City would answer with "Barbecue!"
What was the number one answer? You probably guessed it.....

            Grilled Cheese Sandwich  

           and Creamy Tomato Soup!

Here is a great Grilled Cheese recipe for you so when you are cold, lonely, down in the dumps, try it. It is from a blog out of  Canada

  It's called Closet Cooking.

Jalapeño Popper Grilled

Cheese Sandwich

A jalapeno popper inspired grilled cheese sandwich with roasted jalapeno peppers, cream cheese, jack and cheddar cheese and crumbled tortilla chips for a bit of crunch

2 jalapeno peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded

  2 slices sour dough bread

  1 tablespoon butter, room temperatur

  2 tablespoons cream cheese, room temperature

  1/2 cup jack and cheddar cheese, shredded

  1 tablespoon tortilla chips, crumbled

1.Place the peppers on a baking sheet with the cut side facing down.

2.Place the baking sheet on the top shelf in the oven and broil until the outer layer of the skin has blackened, about 8-14 minutes.

3.Place the peppers in a zip-lock bag or other sealable container, seal and let them cool until you can handle them, about 20 minutes.

4.Remove the skins from the peppers. The skins should easily "pinch" off.

5.Butter the outside of each slice of bread and spread the cream cheese on the inside. Sprinkle half of the cheese on the cream cheese of one slice of bread, top with the jalapenos, crumbled tortilla chips, the remaining cheese and finally the other slice of bread.

6.Assemble sandwich and grill until golden brown and the cheese has melted,

about 2-3 minutes per side.

Darn! I'm still thinking about Polenta!