A tweet from FoodTimeline.org sent us to the site to drill down on the origins of comfort food.

According to the site, the first record in print is in the magazine section of the Washington Post of December 25, 1977: “Along with grits, one of the comfort foods of the South is black-eyed peas.”

Judith Olney’s book Comforting Food, published in 1979, began the discussion.

There is no single definition or list of “comfort food.” Food psychologists note that provide solace and food feelings, and are typically items our loved ones cooked for us when we were children. Thus, favorite comfort foods are based on where you grew up and your heritage; for example, hush puppies or grits for Mississippians and bagels and lox or cheesecake for New Yorkers.

Typically, comfort foods are:

Here’s what comes up on the list of all-American comfort foods on About.com:

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Hey, what happened to grilled cheese and rice pudding?

Another all-American comfort food: macaroni and cheese. Photo courtesy Mackenzie Ltd.