Photo: iwona_kellie/Flickr

I was having a conversation the other day with a group of friends about “comfort foods.” Generally, the dishes mentioned followed a similar pattern – hotdogs, hamburgers, dinners made by loving grandparents, mothers or fathers from childhood days, etc., which included bowls of soup and juicy slabs of meat.

When it was my turn to speak, I took a deep breath, preparing for the inevitable judgmental stares, before saying timidly, “Well, you see, there’s this Mexican restaurant a few minutes from my house…”

I get it. It’s not healthy, it’s probably not authentically Mexican cuisine, and it’s probably regarded as less than “comfort” worthy. But I can say with full assurance that I would send back my parents’ stew for a delicious taco any day (sorry, Mom and Dad).

Isn’t the point of ‘comfort food’ to make us feel nostalgic? Aren’t comfort foods supposed to be the dishes that we have some sort of attachment to, in some way or another — dishes that make us feel good inside? As a child, the place most popular with my family was a small local chain of Mexican restaurants. At least every other week my parents, older brother and I loaded into the car to feast on chips, salsa and burritos. That’s what I remember: those dinners filled with laughing, great conversation and full stomachs.

Now that I live in Boston, which is far from home and those beloved Mexican feasts, I often find myself craving the same flavors. Eat Well with Janel’s recipe for Soft Taco Burritos brought me home– floury tortillas stuffed with the familiar ingredients that are my favorite comfort food.