Comfort Food

By Maeve Bannister

Call it the change of season, call it the isolation, call it the strange time everyone in the world is experiencing at the moment, but over the past few weeks I’ve found myself making my favourite comfort foods for dinner over and over again.

Australian Google trends data shows that searches for "comfort food recipes" spiked in May.

But why is there such a thing as comfort foods?

The power of comfort foods has been a popular research subject, which shows that food is a popular coping strategy for people in times of uncertainty or emotional fatigue.

It helps to have something to look forward to, something familiar, something, well, comforting.

In other words, when everything goes belly up it’s time to fill that belly.

For me, baked potatoes are the ultimate comfort food.

There’s nothing in this world that can beat a crispy skinned potato with a soft, fluffy inside, covered in butter and cheese.

Baked potatoes remind me of winter nights in Canberra, my home town.

When the sun goes down at five and it’s freezing outside and you’re wearing just about every layer of clothing you own because Dad has an arbitrary rule about not turning on the heating until after ANZAC day, even though the Canberra winter starts well before then.

Lake Burley Griffin, Canberra.

A baked potato for dinner truly warms you from the inside-out, and whenever I’m feeling a bit homesick, I make them for dinner.

And now, you can too.

Baked Potatoes

Recipe and photos by Maeve Bannister

ingredients

4x large, washed, white potatoes with the skin on

Olive oil

Butter

Cheese (I like something that melts well like tasty cheese or gouda)

Favourite toppings: Get creative! Pretty much anything works on a baked potato, from crispy bacon, sautéed mushrooms, avocado, sour cream, mince in bolognese sauce. The world is your oyster! And the humble baked potato is your blank canvas.*

method

1. Preheat your oven to 180℃ or 160℃ fan forced.

2. Line a baking tray with tin foil.

3. Rub your potatoes with olive oil and place on the tray.

4. Put in the oven for two hours. This means the skins will get nice and crispy, and the inside fluffy and delicious. Keep an eye on the potatoes and if the skins are getting too dark, cover in tin foil to keep cooking.

5. Once the potatoes are cooked, serve straight away with the toppings of your choice. Don’t forget the cheese!

_{*Toppings on the potatoes pictured are: mushrooms sautéed with butter, garlic and chilli flakes; cheese; chopped baby tomatoes; sour cream; chives}