Comfort Food versus Fear Cuisine

I just read an interesting article in Gourmet Magazine called Fear Cuisine. The author focuses on Depression-era foods (clues: lots of sugar, Bisquick and marshmallows) and muses whether our current economic situation will result in a 2008 version of Fear Cuisine.

Now, I am all for good comfort food — but some of the recipes mentioned in the article are just downright scary. Hot biscuits with ketchup? Cream cheese and jelly sandwich load garnished with maraschino cherries.

Err, no. Not now, not later. Give me red lentils, mashed potatoes or hummus. Potatoes and pulses are still inexpensive and higher in nutrition. If I am going to have a sugar fest, I would rather have an excellent cupcake than some of the desserts mentioned in the article.