Laptop Television Mom

Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

My husband knows when I’ve had a bad day at work.  When he walks in the door to find me watching Cash Cab on television while making tater-tot casserole, he knows to stand back. And to pour a glass of wine.

Whether it’s a bad day at work, a cranky client or a pissed off family member, I can count on comfort food to make me feel better. I just dig through my mom’s recipe box to find some good, old fashioned Midwestern food.  Green bean casserole, hashbrown potato casserole, broccoli casserole, and (my personal favorite) tater tot casserole are bound to make me feel better.

And what is the common ingredient in all these foods?!  You got it, Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup. I always keep a can of the creamy goodness in my pantry. You can’t make a good casserole without the soup!

I love talking about my personal comfort food, so i jumped at the chance to read and talk about the new book from Kate Jacobs called “Comfort Food.”  The author says this about the book: “Comfort Food is about the power of food to bring people together and the joys of savoring every bite of life.”  How great is that?

This book also gives you a behind-the-scenes look at network cooking shows. If you are a fan of cooking shows, like my personal favorites Top Chef and Chopped, you will enjoy reading about the trials and tribulations of a celebrity chef!  (Oh, if I could only have job — and looks — of Padma Lakshmi. I’d be in heaven!)

Food is such a part of my life, and this Iowa transplant always bonds over Midwestern food with other Midwesterners-turned-Californians.  Just this weekend, I met a woman from Ohio and we bonded over fried chicken, mashed potatoes and greens beans with bacon.  Sigh, I get hungry (and happy) just thinking about the food my mom made!

No matter where you grew your roots, there is always a special recipe of comfort food to calm your fears, fill your belly and warm your soul. What is your favorite comfort food?

– LTV Mom

This post was inspired by Silicon Valley Moms Blog book club selection Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs.  USA Today calls the book, “The kind of book you rush home to finish.”