If I could only have one kind of food for the rest of my life, it would have to be comfort food.

So when I saw the new release, Mother's Best: Comfort Food That Takes You Home Again by Lisa Schroeder with Danielle Centoni, I knew this was my new go-to dinner bible.

Lisa is Chef/Owner of Mother's Bistro & Bar and Mama Mia Trattoria in Portland, Oregon. 

What I think is amazing about her story is that she switched careers at the age of 35 and enrolled at The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park (follow your dreams, people!). And it's clear this is what she is meant to do.

Not just the restaurants, but choosing to serve comfort food of all things.

And that's how the book was born, she says:

"I have gathered many of the best recipes from my two restaurants into this book and seasoned them generously with advice gleaned from all my years behind the stove. Like the restaurants from which it evolved, this book pays homage to mothers and their cuisine from around the world."

Lisa goes onto explain that she takes these classic recipes and adds the "love" - instead of a can of mushroom soups, she makes a mushroom sauce, instead of margarine, she uses butter.

Just like you'd do at home.

And while I can't wait to try all 150 recipes, I was so pleased to read through the "Love Notes," where Lisa tells how she does it up - canned garbanzo beans instead of dried (surprise!), choosing bones for stock (the meatier, the better) and why she prefers C&H brown sugar. There is so much education in these lovely sections. It will no doubt change the way you shop, prepare and cook dinner. It has for me!

So what do you feel like making? Appetizers, soups and salads, main courses, sides, breakfast, sandwiches, desserts and/or baked goods?

The 60 mouth-watering, full-color photographs will probably help sway you a bit.  

Mmm, how can you resist Mama's Italian Chopped Salad? And Salmon Chowder is perfect on chilly days such as this!

Pot Roast, Mother's Beef Brisket  Grandma Mary's Meatballs and Sunday Gravy are the ultimate Sunday dinners, and Coq Au Vin is one of my favourite meals of all time.

I can't wait to try the $15,000 Crab Cakes with Creole Mustard Sauce - how can they not be better than my current recipe?   And one of my favourite all-time restaurant meals was caribou and Spaetzle - I would love to create that at home! And for those of you mac & cheese fiends (I'm talking to you, Mum!), there's an entire section, including different variations. Ooh, that's going to be a fall and winter stand-by, I just know it!

And the Breakfast and Dessert sections are so decadent, I'll let you discover those on your own. I don't want to ruin the surprise...

Look, there are a ton of cookbooks out there. I know. I review 'em. But you've gotta make room for this one. 

Because every home deserves comfort food made with love.

It's as simple as that.

Buy Mother's Best.