Quick Step By Step: Comfort Food

Do you labor long hours to revive the culinary masterpieces of Master Chefs, only to lapse into disappointment? Forget the intimidating ingredients and implausible perfection of haute cuisine?the spiritual nourishment of cooking is more gratifying by far. In this flavor-filled journey from the family table to the "underbelly" of professional cooking and back again, a one-time head chef dispels the myth that culinary success hinges on being a famed or flawless cook. As the narrative progresses through and ultimately beyond Wisconsin's Chippewa Valley, touching on everything from pioneer eats to bountiful bread dough, beer-battered cheese curds and family feasts, one cook learns to take time and care in the kitchen, nurture relationships in the dining room and practice the art of living well.