The Comfort Table: Recipes for Everyday Occasions

Food has a nostalgic power. Just like hearing a favorite song, cooking and eating can transport us to a moment in time: Sunday family suppers or brunch with friends, a Fourth of July barbecue or a Chrismukkah feast. Katie Lee grew up in a small West Virginia town where her grandmother's kitchen was not far away, and her warmest memories are of being around the table with loved ones. InThe Comfort Table: Recipes for Everyday Occasions, she brings her roots in southern hospitality to the more >>

Food has a nostalgic power. Just like hearing a favorite song, cooking and eating can transport us to a moment in time: Sunday family suppers or brunch with friends, a Fourth of July barbecue or a Chrismukkah feast. Katie Lee grew up in a small West Virginia town where her grandmother's kitchen was not far away, and her warmest memories are of being around the table with loved ones. InThe Comfort Table: Recipes for Everyday Occasions, she brings her roots in southern hospitality to the table with year-round menus for occasions big and small.

Whether she's throwing a Super Bowl party for friends or putting a pot roast in the oven for the first snowfall of the year, Katie shares her favorite home-cooked menus for making holiday feasts delicious and ordinary meals special. With more than 100 mouthwatering, easy-to-prepare seasonal recipes, she provides sumptuous soup-to-nuts menus, along with practical tips for effortless entertaining, including suggested wine pairings, playlists, hostess gifts, and general cooking tips.

Welcome autumn with the rustic elegance of a home-baked apple pie. Roast an irresistible turkey rubbed in herb butter for Thanksgiving (and stir up a spicy gumbo with the leftovers). Host a relaxing day for your friends with a healthy vegetarian spread and spa recipes for postprandial pampering. From the decadent -- Nutella French toast sandwiches and juicy lamb burgers -- to the sublime -- creamy curried chicken salad and crispy zucchini chips -- Katie serves up a rich assortment of seasonal recipes for the home cook for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

A guide to enjoying great food with good friends around the Comfort Table, Katie Lee's simple recipes for cooking and entertaining guarantee the best kind of meals -- ones prepared with love that turn every occasion into a celebration."Katie Lee's new book about easy, fun entertaining rides the delicious rail between comfort and inventiveness, and makes the real core of delicious fiestas seem a cinch. The recipes are easy to make, the menus are parties waiting to be uncorked, the drink recipes are refreshing and fun, and the music suggestions make for a party ready to happen at the drop of a hat in any location with no effort at all...this is the new party bible in our house."-- MARIO BATALI"My feet are the happiest when under Katie's table. I bet your feet will be tapping all the way to the table with these recipes."-- PAULA DEEN

my must-haves

My house practically has a revolving door. There are always friends knocking and they are usually hungry. These are items that I always have on standby, because I never know when I might fi nd myself having an everyday occasion.

HERBS

I prefer to use fresh herbs, but dried are good to keep on hand for use in a pinch. I recommend planting a small herb garden either in your yard or in a window box.

my essentials

BASIL

CHIVES

CILANTRO

FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY

MINT

OREGANO

ROSEMARY

TARRAGON

THYME

SPICES

I have a whole shelf in my pantry devoted to spices. Each is labeled with the date that I opened it, and after six months, I throw it away and buy a new one. The potency diminishes -- I like to be sure my spices are very flavorful. Whenever I travel, I pick up spices to re-create the dishes I ate on vacation when I get home.

my essentials

BAY LEAVES

CHINESE FIVE-SPICE

CHILI POWDER

GROUND CLOVES

GROUND CUMIN

PAPRIKA

CREOLE SEASONING

GROUND CINNAMON

CINNAMON STICKS

CRUSHED RED PEPPER FLAKES

BLACK PEPPERCORNS

GROUND GINGER< << less