Everybody needs a go-to recipe

PART 1: Stir-fried udon noodles from Sarah in Singapore (with audio letter)

Dear Melanie,

As I’ve been opening and reading through all the Meals in the Mail letters sent to me, I’ve been noticing a theme. When people tell me why a recipe is special to them, there are all the expected reasons (passed on to them from grandma, reminds them of a special place or time in their lives, evokes the joy of travel…), but there’s another theme that keeps recurring, but that initially surprised me.

And that is, the lure of the go-to recipe. A go-to recipe is one that you can make for the people you love, time and again, knowing they will enjoy and appreciate it… even if you’re not a cook.

Having a go-to recipe when you’re not confident in the kitchen is a shot of confidence, a hypodermic needle delivered to the upper arm that promises, “They won’t hate this!”