Comfort food: calming cuisine for family and friends.

The unpredictability of the world situation, added to my already overloaded schedule, can cause me stress. To help soothe my soul, many nights I gladly dine on pot roast made from my mother's recipe, kasha the way my grandmother made it and creamy rice pudding--in other words, my own personal comfort foods.

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Along with the resonance of family ties, comfort foods often have strong ethnic and national connections, even for people far removed from their roots. Witness the common cravings for cheeseburgers among soldiers and sailors stationed overseas.

Association with ritual is another reason foods can soothe, particularly dishes we associate with celebrating holidays, birthdays and other special occasions. This really came home to me when planning a Thanksgiving dinner with friends. We had to serve cranberries three ways--including canned sauce, a homemade conserve and fresh berries ground with a whole orange--because the meal would not be right for particular participants without one of them.

The ritual of preparing comfort foods is important too. While chopping tomatoes for the spaghetti sauce that I learned to make from a favorite post-college roommate, my mind dwells on good times we shared. After scrambling eggs, I hear my mother and Julia Child--who both taught me to cook--admonishing me not to use soap and water on this skillet reserved solely for making omelets. Instead, I clean it by rubbing it with salt.

The following recipes also bring us back to real food--dairy-fresh butter and eggs, simmering ripe tomatoes at their peak and the joy of baking from scratch.

As the very act of cooking becomes as consoling as the foods themselves, let the aromas that fill your home further connect you with your loved ones.