If you're going to tweak the basics, it helps to warn and educate diners. My style of cooking is based on traditions of nourishment. If you grew up with tomato soup and grilled-cheese sandwiches, play off the idea. Or play off balances such as bitter to sweet. The continuing popularity of home-style cooking keeps comfort food on a pedestal.
Preferences are as much biographical as regional.
Growing up in Santa Fe, N.M., puts a Southwestern spin on the cooking style of Chef John Sedlar, whose savory version of sopaipillas gets a jolt from ground red chile. But when meatloaf with imported ingredients and designer vegetables arrives at white-tablecloth prices, men and women in toques become moving targets. Comfort food begins and ends at home, says Michael Foley. But the memory takes on fantasy proportions that cooks are hired to fulfill. You can't make it like mom because a restaurant dish needs to be versatile.