As Iga Świątek was marching through the women's draw at Wimbledon, she engaged in that time-honored tennis tradition, the post-match on-court interview. After winning her third-round contest, interviewer Annabel Croft asked her the usual stuff about the win, the court, her attitude, and so on. Świątek said that she was "in the zone" and not focused on other things, like what she might have for dinner. Croft followed up and asked her that now that she had won, had she indeed decided what to eat? Świątek said that fish and chips was too heavy, and she was craving her childhood favorite, pasta with strawberries. As the crowd tittered, Croft tried to bring it back to a Wimbledon staple: "Oh, that's strange! With cream as well?" Świątek then described a Polish summertime treat of pasta, strawberries and yogurt. "It's just great. You should try it guys!"
The Pole may have a more powerful and spin-heavy forehand than you do, but gastronomically speaking she is no different. In times of stress it's not uncommon to turn to the things that bring us comfort. Most of us have given up on stuffed animals and blankies, and have to be content with well-worn jeans, sweatpants or slippers. But one carryover from our childhoods that we can still enjoy are the foods that calmed us down when we were five. It might be mac and cheese or mashed potatoes, spaghetti and meatballs or meatloaf and gravy. Doesn't make any difference if you're a mom or dad with a toddler, a neurosurgeon or both: Cheez Whiz and crackers might be just the thing to take you to your happy place. How else to explain that NFL teams easily go through at least 80,000 Uncrustable peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a year?
Those options are ones with which most in this country are familiar. There are of course regional favorites: if you're in the south, biscuits and gravy might remind you of home, while those in the southwest might crave grandma's tacos, and New Jersians wax rhapsodic over Taylor ham. And then there are specific examples that are mothers' milk to the locals, but cause raised eyebrows to those outside the area code. In most of the country chili is a stew of beans and meat and tomatoes in some combination, comforting on a cold day. Fine, but in Cincinnati it's more of a Mediterranean-spiced meat sauce, and generally served over spaghetti or hot dogs. Better not to ask.
Go beyond these shores, and like Iga's pasta and berries, while the favs might be strange to us they might be oh-so-calming to the locals. Years ago I was in Hong Kong with a colleague who was Asian, and all she wanted was some congee, a rice porridge like her mother used to make. But you don't have to go that far. Head just a bit north to our Canadian neighbors, and the way to settle the masses is with a serving of poutine, assembled by topping a heap of French fries with cheese curds and gravy. Meanwhile in Scotland the national dish is haggis, a savory pudding containing sheep's heart, liver, and lungs minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and traditionally cooked in the animal's stomach. And lest you think that only foreigners have strange tastes, our fellow countrypeople who live in Alaska enjoy what is referred to as Eskimo ice cream, a mixture of animal fat, berries and sometimes fish.
Should Ms. Świątek be back next year to defend her title at Wimbledon, I would not be surprised if you are able to buy a bowl of "makaron z truskawkami" at the concession stand at the All England Lawn Tennis & Croquet Club. And should they sell more than a few servings, it just might start a new tradition of offering snacks themed to the favs of the champion. Coco Gauff loves potato chips, while Carlos Alcaraz craves sushi. Perhaps once Kwon Soon-woo, the highest ranked South Korean on the men's tour completes his compulsory military service and returns, he'll make a run up the standings. Should he win at Wimby, next to the fish and chips and scones with clotted cream you might find beondegi, a South Korean favorite, which is boiled or steamed lightly seasoned silkworm hatchlings. It's said they taste like wood. Comfortable now?
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Marc Wollin of Bedford finds peanut butter works in times of high or low stress. His column appears weekly via email and online on Substack and Blogspot as well as Facebook, LinkedIn and X.