Mary Berg has 5 kinds of mac and cheese in her new cookbook. She tells us why comfort food is the best kind - Toronto Star

The 'MasterChef Canada' judge offers comfort food classics, like five takes on mac and cheese, in her new recipe book.

Mary Berg’s presence on television has been a comfort to Canadians for the past decade.

Ever since she won “MasterChef Canada” in 2016, her signature colourful glasses, blunt bangs and sunny disposition have become a reassuring mainstay on Canadian screens and a surefire sign of delicious things to come. So it feels highly appropriate that her latest cookbook is dedicated to all things comfort food.

Berg describes herself as “a lifelong try-er,” and it’s reflected in her impressive resumé. Berg has hosted a variety of cooking shows, including “Mary’s Kitchen Crush” and “Mary Makes It Easy,” before becoming a full-fledged daytime talk show host on “The Good Stuff with Mary Berg,” while also becoming a judge on “MasterChef Canada.”

Off-screen, she’s also been steadily writing a growing collection of cookbooks — her fourth, “Mary’s Comfort Classics,” comes out Sept. 22. She says it’s the one she’s been brainstorming from the very beginning: “It’s truly just the way that I cook.”

Mary Berg cuts into a treat with her favourite chef’s knife at home in her kitchen.

Of course, the book has recipes for comfort food classics like mac and cheese — in fact, there are a whopping five different variations, including one that features a buttery garlic bread crust. But for Berg, “almost any food can be comforting if it’s enjoyable to make.” That’s why there’s a whole section dedicated to “Veggin’ Out” featuring the likes of Shredded Kale Salad with Crispies and Creamy Mushrooms with Polenta.

Berg wanted the book to feel like slipping on “a cosy little sweatshirt,” easy and approachable. “I always say there’s this 70-30 rule: a recipe should be maximum 30 per cent effort and minimum 70 per cent payoff,” said Berg. “I was really looking for something that could be almost like an anchor in your kitchen. Something you can reach for when you’re just feeling a little bit funky.”

The recipe in the book she hopes everyone makes first is the Cheddar Ritz Chicken, which “slaps,” said Berg. “It is rude how good it is.” Thin chicken cutlets are covered in a buttery, cheesy Ritz Cracker coating, then baked until golden and crispy for an “out of control tasty” spin on chicken parm.

Mary Berg serves up five different takes on mac and cheese in her new comfort food cookbook.

Berg says the solitary act of writing cookbooks provides much-needed balance for the bright lights of her TV roles. “I’m happy I have both, because I think I would probably go a little banana bones if I only had one.”

While she’s very much the face of “The Good Stuff,” Berg insists that her show’s success is shared with its whole crew. “TV’s kind of like a watch: Yes, you see the face, and that’s where I kind of live. But without all this stuff happening behind it, it’s just a bracelet.”

In fact, she says that element of collaboration is what keeps every day on set feeling fresh and invigorating. “Everybody’s kind of working in a symbiotic relationship, where everything has to balance each other really well. And when that comes together, and when that works, and when every little kind of piece fits together, it’s like magic.”

It isn’t lost on Berg how special it is that she’s beamed into the homes of Canadians who tune in daily to watch her whip up dishes and tackle DIY home projects. “I hope at the end of the show, you feel like you could do it,” she said. “Whether you do it or not is kind of the cherry on top, but feeling like you can do it is my main goal, because I feel like that’s something that we all need. This feeling that you have support, that you’ve got someone telling you the ropes, and that they believe in you.”

What’s Berg most excited for in this next phase of her career? Something refreshingly humble and so very her: the built-in ribbon bookmark on her new cookbook. “It’s my first book with a ribbon,” she said. “What a thrill!”

The items she can’t live without in her colourful and compact kitchen at home in Toronto’s west end.

Microplane zester, $27, nellacutlery.ca

“I don’t even consider it a gadget; it’s as essential in my kitchen as a knife, to be honest. I hate chopping garlic, so I use it for pretty much all garlic unless I’m slicing it.” She also uses it to grate “cheese, citrus zest, nutmeg” and more.

Mary Berg keeps lots of lemons on hand in her kitchen.

“I think lemons save so many things. Anytime something’s a little funky, add lemon and it’ll probably make it taste better.”

Made In seasoned carbon steel frying pan, $179, madeincookware.ca

“My most-used pan is a carbon steel pan that I genuinely think will outlast us all. It is the sturdiest pan — I could throw it in a fire. You can go from the stovetop to the oven. You can put it on the barbecue. You can bake a crumble in it. It’s endless opportunity to make delicious things.”

Wusthof Classic Chef’s Knife, $220, wusthof.ca

The one kitchen item that Berg thinks is worth a splurge is a good chef’s knife. “You can cut bread with it, you can cut cake, you can butcher chicken, anything.” Berg is fond of the German-style Wusthof knives she’s been using since graduating university. Look for “a knife that feels good in your hand,” advises Berg. “Who cares what anybody says? Feel it. If it feels good, that’s the knife for you.”

Bar Keeper’s Friend, $6.50, Canadian Tire.

When it’s time for kitchen cleanup, “Barkeeper’s Friend is a game changer,” said Berg. She relies on it for deep-cleaning her stovetop and getting the “gunge” off her trusty enameled Dutch oven.