Produced by Irene Ngo. Photography by Maya Visnyei. Food styling by Michael Elliott. Prop styling by Catherine Doherty. Makeup and hair by Sophie Hsin. Wardrobe by Space Vintage. Creative direction by Sun Ngo.
A stew your mother made. A spicy pasta that calms you when its aroma wafts from the kitchen. We asked Chatelaine staff for their comfort foods. The results are as varied as they are delicious—and we think they’ll warm you up, too.
My mom would whip up a batch of this sticky yellow rice on grey, rainy days. Served in my home with thick chunks of curry beef, this quick and easy meal is perfect when you’re in a rush but craving something satisfying. —Radiyah Chowdhury, former associate editor
Get this Vegetarian Bengali Khichuri recipe.
You can cut down on the cook time by dropping the eggs in whole, but there’s something special about scrambling them first. They puff up, soufflé-style, while steaming in the sauce. —Chantal Braganza, deputy editor, food
Get this Drowned Eggs (Huevos Ahogados) recipe.
I ate this street food dish often while growing up in Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore. It’s simple but comforting, and eating it always makes me feel nostalgic, regardless of where in the world I am. —Irene Ngo, former food content director
Get this Hainanese Chicken Rice (Khao Mun Gai) recipe.
My mom would cook these rich, flavourful short ribs in a huge pot for hours and hours on special occasions. I use her recipe when my family’s craving something hearty—but with an Instant Pot to cut down on the cook time. -Stephanie Han Kim, former art director
Get this Instant Pot Korean Braised Short Ribs recipe.
This is my favourite meal: hot, comforting and full of flavour. My mom would make it on cold days, and it always made me happy. As we’d eat, she’d quickly replenish the ingredients—like bottomless hot pot. —Aimee Nishitoba, art director
Get this Sukiyaki recipe.
My mom adds her own twist to this recipe by Quebec chef Josée di Stasio with spicy sausage from the local butcher, and she makes it whenever I visit. I eat it at my childhood kitchen table, with loads of parmesan. —Andréanne Dion, senior editor, style and beauty
Get this Spicy Sausage Pasta recipe.
I’ve loved bitter melon since I was a child, especially in my mom’s soup. Trying to replicate her recipe from memory was a fun challenge since her instructions were always "a little bit of fish sauce to taste." —Sun Ngo, creative director
Get this Pork-Stuffed Bitter Melon Soup recipe.
I don’t have many ties to the Ukrainian side of my family aside from food. I took over the job of making these perogies from my mom a few years ago, and have been trying to max out the cheese-to-potato ratio ever since. —Maureen Halushak, editor-in-chief
Get this Cheddar and Potato Perogies recipe.
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