Comfort foods are classics for a reason. Except for differences, mac & cheese, chicken noodle soup, and pancakes are rather predictable.
Not a bad thing. Consistency and predictability make comfort food comforting.
But sometimes you receive a surprise when you eat one of your favorites. I experienced that years ago when I first tried my father-in-law's beef stew.
When Matt and I drove from New York to Massachusetts, where his parents live, we hadn't been dating long.
one evening when we were there, Matt's dad Dave made his famous beef stew. I was eager to test it, but when I did, I discovered something was odd.
The normal vegetables—carrots, potatoes, celery—were there, and the beef was tender and the broth tasty, but there was a surprising peppery touch.
As a culinary editor and nerd, I searched my bowl for the secret ingredient. I saw pepperoni when I saw a droplet of orange fat floating in the soup.