Patricia Heaton’s Food for Family & Friends: 100 Favorite Recipes for a Busy, Happy Life

Heaton, a television star (Everybody Loves Raymond) and host of the Food Network’s Patricia Heaton’s Parties, has assembled a collection of family-focused recipes for weeknights and entertaining. Heaton’s uncomplicated fare is an homage to her childhood memories growing up in Ohio in the 1960s and ’70s and coming home from school to see her mom watching Julia Child on the TV and taking notes. Breakfasts feature fruit-filled muffins, scones, and doughnuts along with pancakes, waffles, and cheesy stratas; there are eggs atop pot-roast hash or baked inside avocados. Finger foods showcase dipping sauces for mini–crab cakes, spicy cauliflower bites, or nachos. Meatloaf, pot roast, stuffed shells, and lamb stew are among the hearty mains on offer, along with a taco salad and a shortcut paella. Sides include stuffed winter squash and quinoa-based salads. For sweet treats there’s a chocolate chile tart made with cayenne pepper and a lemon-raspberry icebox cake. Heaton is big on organization, offering practical ideas for kitchen setup (“build your own kitchen over time”) and the “bare-bones” pantry, which includes the usual staples as well as vodka (“It helps to have a drink when you’re cooking”). These mainstay recipes are not sophisticated, but they are certainly accessible and comforting. (Feb.)