Tasty - Tasty Total Comfort

Just like putting on an old sweater or pressing Play to watch a favorite movie, a good meal has the power to comfort us. When that meal has all the familiarity of home, family, and love, the comfort can be next-level powerful.

Welcome to Tasty Total Comfort , a book stuffed to the brim with 75 timeless and super-satisfying recipeseverything from hearty breakfasts, satisfying lunches, cozy dinners, exciting sides, classic desserts, and refreshing drinks that will quickly become your go-to, gotta-have, how-did-I-live-without, I-could-do-this-in-my-sleep recipes.

Just like every culture has unique, quirky, and maybe slightly embarrassing traditions, these recipes reflect everything that makes American comfort food so special. The United States is unique in its blend of broad ideas, perspectives, cultures, origins, and experiences. Our food cant help but reflect that blending because what we consider American cuisine is, at its foundation, a crossroads of immigration. Traditional dishes from across Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America, intermingled with those of our own indigenous populations to create the backbone of the American diet. Over time, those cuisines morphed into something slightly different, special, and uniquely American. But it all came from somewhere, and the story behind that journey is what makes it valuable.

But, hey, cooking is fun and so is this book! While we respect traditions, we also fully believe that modern perspectives and creative twists are always welcome. The recipes in this book build on flavors and techniques you already know and love, but they add something new to the conversation. Dishes like Huevos Rancheros Breakfast Tostadas () make the classic dessert dangerously easy to keep eating.

Of course, we also include the familiar comfort staples of American food, streamlined with the modern home cook in mind. Favorites like Matzo Ball Soup () is undoubtedly the most satisfying thing youll drink all year.

We hope the food in this book will bring that nostalgic feeling of cozy satisfaction. In times of need or celebration, whether youre gathered with family or friends or are dining solo, we hope these dishes fill your home with all the warm smells and cheerful sounds of classic home cooking. But most of all, we hope youll find yourself reaching for these recipes again and againuntil they become your own version of total comfort.

Every home cook knows two things:

Recipes are living documents.

If you find a shortcut, take it.

We firmly believe that made from scratch means you took the time to make it yourself, put love and care into the preparation, and left your mark on the presentation. Beyond that, we firmly believe in cooking smarter, not harder. Theres no shame in leaning on store-bought ingredients when that saves you time, money, sanity, or all of the above. Common packaged ingredients repurposed into a homemade dish can be just as tasty, and no one ever needs to know. Sure, there are some places where true from scratch cooking is preferable, but if you have a solid shortcut go for it!

As for the recipes, sit down: we need to have a talk. Not to shatter the illusion here, but Grandma didnt invent all her go-to recipes. She likely pulled many of them from an old cookbook, magazine, or newspaper, or she learned them from someone who got them from a cookbook, magazineyou get the point. But those recipes, over time, developed and changed, were written and rewritten on scraps of paper, and were adapted and substituted until they became hers.

Think of this book as the entry point for your own set of specialty recipes. These 75 recipes are tried and true, tested to perfection and meticulously edited. But theyre your recipes now. Go ahead and fill the book with scribbled notes, adjust the seasonings to your taste, add your secrets in the margins, and play with them until they feel unique to you. Thats how you start the journey from delicious dishes to total comfort.

This book uses a range of ingredients; some you might already have, some you might need to go looking for. But everything called for in this book should be readily available in most major grocery stores, and that might even encourage you to see familiar aisles in a new light. (Well note the few things that might require specialty or online shopping.) Welcome to your modern American pantry!

Fats

Extra-virgin olive oil. There are some delicious and inexpensive brands of extra-virgin olive oil in every grocery store, perfect for everyday cooking. Keeping a second bottle of more expensive, super-flavorful EVOO for dressings, dips, and finishing dishes is a pro move.

Neutral oil. With light flavors and high smoke points, neutral oils are perfect for deep-frying, stir-frying, and high-intensity cooking. Vegetable, canola, and grapeseed oils are all affordable, versatile choices.

Sesame oil. Look for a reasonably priced bottle of pure sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil is great for sauces and finishing dishes but will become bitter at high heat.

Nonstick cooking spray. A can of neutral oil is best; skip the butter or flour varieties, which can burn quickly.

Unsalted butter. Stick with unsalted so you can control the salt levels in your food. We think good butter is worth its weight in gold.

Acids

Red wine vinegar. Super-flavorful red wine vinegar adds a lot of punch to any dish. Use it to stand up to (or cut through) big, rich flavors.