Book Review: The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Comfort Food

The phrase "comfort food" means different things to different people. For some people, comfort food means having breakfast for dinner, as we did in my house on Sunday evenings during my childhood. For others, it can mean macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, or any of a number of different dishes that remind them of home-cooked meals.

Comfort food is not about the latest trendy ingredients, high-tech cooking technology, and ingredients that no one can pronounce. The unifying factor among comfort foods is simply that they are simple meals enjoyed by families.

The term comfort food is usually used to describe home-cooked meals that remind us of childhood with our families. Therefore, one person's idea of comfort food may not even remotely resemble another's. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comfort Food, written by Leslie Bilderback, features more than 350 recipes, so you're sure to find some of your favorite comfort food dishes included in the table of contents.

For example, I was pleasantly surprised to find one of my family's traditional meals included in this book, even though it is not typically considered to be comfort food in my corner of the world. Arroz con Pollo (Yellow Rice with Chicken) was a staple in my household when I was a child. The recipe in this book is tasty and easy to make, and it is very similar to the way my mother used to make it.

Who Will Enjoy CIG to Comfort Foods?

If you're looking for ways to create tasty and delicious home-cooked meals reminiscent of traditional family gatherings, this book is a must-have addition to your cookbook collection.

What Will I Learn From CIG to Comfort Foods?

You'll get great ideas for making recipes that will create fond memories of home-cooked meals for your family. This book offers great breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snack recipe ideas. No matter what your family's dining preferences, if you and your family enjoy delicious home-cooked foods, you will learn how to make great dishes that are destined to become family favorites from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comfort Foods.

My Favorite CIG Comfort Foods Recipes:

• Biscuits and Sausage Gravy: This recipe is a perfect reminder of childhood breakfasts for a southern girl like me! If you've never had the experience of eating biscuits and sausage gravy, you owe it to yourself to try this southern delight for yourself.
• Chicken Pot Pie: You don't often come across a recipe for home-style chicken pot pie in modern cookbooks. I actually haven't tried this recipe yet, but I can tell by looking at it that it will remind me of the chicken pot pie served in my home when I was a child. I'm definitely looking forward to this one!
• Popovers: The very first recipe I ever tried to make was popovers. My first attempt failed miserably, and I never tried again until I came across the recipe in this book. Many years later, thanks to CIG Comfort Foods, I have mastered the art of the how to make popovers!

The next time you are preparing the menu for a family gathering or holiday dinner, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Comfort Food can be a great tool for locating easy-to-make recipe ideas that everyone in your family will love.