Those of you who follow this column regularly could rightfully accuse me of being fixated on the subject of comfort food.  Guilty as charged. I, like most people, cook what I crave.

Saveur’s cookbook, The New Comfort Food: Home Cooking from Around the World, is a new “must have” for every kitchen. Numerous books come to my desk each month, this one made me stop, look, and cook.

The editors of Saveur, the award winning food magazine, and its editor-in-chief James Oseland, have brought together a collection of more than a hundred of the world’s most beloved home-style dishes and drinks. Accompanied by first-person stories from some of Saveur’s most acclaimed writers.

We are treated to visually stunning photos of amazing dishes that satisfy not just an American palette, but with the turn of each page one gets to experience home cooking from around the world. Now, this is food to satisfy the soul: gooey mac and cheese, slow-braised Provencal-style leg of lamb, silky Chinese stir-fry noodles, deep-fried catfish and tagliatelle with a rich ragu bolognese. We meet the cooks, families and communities who crave and cook these wonderful dishes. Sure, we may like the American classics, but today our view of comfort food is more eclectic than ever. The New Comfort Food is based on the simple idea that home cooking is the foundation of all great cuisines no matter where on Earth home happens to be.

Foodimentary Fact:

This is a cookbook to read. On a recent evening I found myself, surrounded by my tolerant family, reading aloud the recipes and stories. An animated discussion followed about foods we’ve tried, what we like to cook and, best of all , what we really crave. A memorable evening which has led to many “comforting” meals.