Savory Sweet Life

June 18, 2012
A bound version of Currah's popular blog of the same name, this collection of 100 comfort food dishes for all occasions and seasons is a mixed bag of interesting takes on classics (Mulligatawny Pot Pie), comfort food standards (including beef stew and chocolate chip cookies), and banal filler (she points out that a sharp knife makes for easy cutting, and a recipe for oven-broiled s'mores seems particularly unnecessary). But what makes this cookbook a must-have is its focus on organizing dishes according to events, and not just holidays. Currah provides suggestions for everything from Sunday mornings, a birthday party for a tween, Father's Day, potlucks, family game nights, Valentine's Day, a block party, a welcome home celebration, and more. Hosts will appreciate simple but impressive fare like an olive, pesto, and tomato tart; homemade biscotti; cucumber-mint tea sandwiches; and sweet and spicy wings, all of which come together with minimum fuss and seldom a hard-to-source ingredient. More time-consuming dishes include from-scratch cinnamon rolls, corn pudding, and a "molten lava cake" made with Nutella. For those without an upcoming event, Currah also organizes her offerings according to traditional categories and individual ingredients. Photos.