What My Version of Cozy Comfort Food Looks Like

From spooky season right into cozy season. [Today On The Spruce]( [The Spruce Daily]( [Today On The Spruce]( [Today On The Spruce] [Officially Cozy Comfort Food Season]( [It’s Officially Cozy Comfort Food Season]( [READ MORE]( [Kristin Stangl](, Editor Whether you celebrated Halloween, Samhain, or Día de los Muertos this past weekend (or all of the above), we are all now firmly planted in cozy season. Cozy comfort food [looks different to everyone](. It’s influenced by what you grew up eating and what you’ve grown sentimentally attached to throughout your life. When I think of cozy food, my brain says “cheese.” I will pull out the [fondue pot](, invite over a few friends, and whip up a batch of [ooey, gooey cheese and crab fondue]( to kick off the weekend. (Speaking of fondue, if you need a way to use up all of that leftover Halloween candy, [we have you covered](.) Or if it’s a rainy Sunday, my partner and I will bake a [classic ricotta and meaty layered lasagna]( while Dean Martin plays and [the wine flows](. The comfort of [slowly-braised meat]( cannot be understated. Whether it’s a [chicken tagine with preserved lemons](, or a [lamb]( tagine—always with [bread]( for sauce sopping, it transports me back to my travels to Northern Morocco. But sometimes comfort is the simple desire to be alone and not cook a thing. Solo dinner dates with a good book in hand, perched at the bar, are something I adore, whether at a spot new or familiar. My most recent “me date” was at [Diner](, an under-the-Williamsburg-bridge establishment that also happens to be the very first restaurant where I ate when I came to the city in 2007. Nostalgia plus alone time = a one way ticket to cozy-town. My order: the caesar salad (a non-negotiable garlic bomb), freshly cut fries with mayo, beef tartare, and a bracingly cold, [extra-dry gin martini with a twist](. No one said comfort food has to look a certain way. [Today On The Spruce](#) What to Make This Week [Hot Crab Fondue]( [Hot Crab Fondue]( A fondue filling enough to make a meal alongside breadsticks or crackers. [Get the Recipe]( [Moroccan Chicken Tagine]( Preserved lemons impart a bold, bright flavor to this traditional Moroccan dish. [Get the Recipe]( [Our Take on Classic Lasagna]( [Our Take on Classic Lasagna]( This version leaves out all embellishments for a truly classic take on a family favorite. [Get the Recipe]( [Arroz Con Leche]( Mexican rice pudding is a thick, creamy treat that requires just 10 minutes of prep. [Get the Recipe]( [Today On The Spruce](#) The Spruce Eats on YouTube [Best Fall Comfort Recipes]( [Get Cozy With 7 of Our Best Fall Comfort Recipes]( [Watch & Learn]( [Today On The Spruce]( [Spruce Eats Banner]( [Today On The Spruce](#) Did somebody forward you this email? [Sign Up for The Spruce Eats Newsletter!]( Have feedback? Send us an email at contact@thespruceeats.com, subject line: Newsletter Feedback. [The Spruce]( [The Spruce]( Follow us: You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to The Spruce Eats newsletter. [Unsubscribe](page=spruceeatsprefnew) © 2021 Dotdash.com — All rights reserved. [Privacy Policy.]( A DOTDASH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005