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Winter blues call for carbohydrate comfort This is the time of year when people who write about food are supposed to make those who enjoy eating it feel guilty. In January, it's a rare food writer who doesn't bludgeon readers with words like "restraint," "overindulgence" and "new self-image." It's a rare nutrition article that doesn't include the phrases "pare unsightly pounds," "proceed at a brisk pace" and ``limit consumption of chocolate," sometimes separately, but more often all in the same paragraph. Immodest authors everywhere overestimate their influence. They figure it's their fault so many people gained weight during the holidays, what with the orgy of cheese balls, truffles and fudge sauce that filled the pages mere weeks before. Repentant, the scribes set to work making amends with offerings of celery soup and six kinds of fat-free salad dressing. This year, I just can't do it. For whatever reason, I just can't bring myself to encourage deprivation, dietary or otherwise. Maybe it's the gray winter weather. Maybe it's the bedraggled Christmas tree leaning against the garage. Maybe it's the $1,200 bill I just got to fix my aging minivan. Whatever it is, I can't face the prospect of all that gloom and bad food, too. And I don't think you should have to, either. What we all need right now is comfort, and if it comes in the form of massive quantities of carbohydrates, then so be it. On a dismal day in January, there is nothing so comforting as something warm and starchy straight from the oven. Homemade macaroni and cheese? Yes. Fresh-baked cinnamon rolls? Of course. Warm oatmeal-raisin cookies? You bet. Now, I'm aware that this is anathema. Anyone who has ever pinched an inch and winced knows that you're not supposed to confuse food with comfort. Faced with a bad day and a killer craving for popcorn, an evolved soul will know to look beyond the butter tub. An enlightened being will face reality head-on, without the crutch of cashew-peanut crunch. I claim no such enlightenment. When it's mid-January and the weather is bad and the bills are thick and the hard drive on the computer just gasped its last, my first and best response seems to be: potatoes. Sometimes I rely on breakfast potatoes like hashbrowns shredded fine and fried in butter. Sometimes I turn to dinner tubers like Yukon Golds, preferably bathed in olive oil and roasted with garlic. And sometimes I take comfort in spuds that taste good any time of day: Twice-Baked Potatoes. Twice-Baked Potatoes are the security blanket of the potato world. Warm and creamy, laced with cheese and broiled to an appealing crunch on top, they're nearly perfect sources of comfort in a cold world. Recipes for twice-baked spuds abound, of course, and they're as individual as the people who make them. Some call for cream but no butter, others call for butter and extra cheese. Over the holidays, I paired a prime rib with twice-baked potatoes made with butter, sour cream and blue cheese, all mashed and mixed and topped with grated parmesan. Comforting, yes. Low-calorie, no. Who cares? One of my favorite twice-baked recipes comes from someone who should know something about comfort: the 11-year-old daughter of a good friend. I remember what it was like to be a seventh-grade girl; middle school cliques can drive even the strongest soul to the potato bin. Ali's potatoes include sour cream, mayonnaise and two kinds of cheese, plus onions and ground pepper if her Dad is eating, too. Next time you're having a bad day, take these spuds for a spin. You'll find the recipe below. Ali's Twice-Baked Potatoes 4 large russet potatoes 1/2 cup sour cream 1/2 cup mayonnaise 4 tablespoons butter 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, plus extra for topping 1/4 to 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese (optional) 4 green onions, sliced (white and light green part only) 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground pepper Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Scrub potatoes; pierce with fork and place directly on oven rack. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool slightly. When cool enough to handle, slice lengthwise. Scoop potato flesh into a large bowl, leaving about 1/4-inch rim of shell. Mash potato flesh. Add sour cream, mayonnaise, butter, cheese, scallions, salt and pepper. Combine well. Spoon potato mixture back into potato shells, mounding slightly in the center. Place filled potatoes on cookie sheets. Top with grated cheddar. Bake filled potatoes at 375 degrees F. for 25 to 30 minutes, or until tops are crunchy. NOTE : Other options include adding raw onions or cooked and crumbled bacon to the potatoes. Experiment with different cheeses, too. Blue cheese makes a fine addition. Send questions to A la carte, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501. Reach JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465 or by e-mail at [email protected] Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA