LOUISVILLE, KY - What is old is new again. As the new millennium approaches, people throughout the U.S. are gathering pieces of nostalgia that bring them comfort. For many, foods such as key lime pie, chunky chicken pot pie and other regional specialties top the list.

"American regional comfort foods are emerging as one of the hottest trends in the kitchen," says New York-based food consultant Dianne Keeler Bruce. "People are seeking comfort in the distinct aromas and flavors that surrounded them as children – whether it’s the spicy scent of toasted ravioli or the sweet smell of spoonbread."

Once described simply as "favorites Mom used to cook," comfort foods were the everyday dishes such as tomato soup, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes that filled our stomachs and warmed our souls. As people moved away to new locations and brought familiar recipes from home with them, the definition of comfort foods expanded. Today, comfort foods include regional specialties from throughout America.

Regional Comfort Food Sightings
Regional comfort foods are turning up everywhere. Bookstore shelves are stocked with cookbooks featuring comfort food; supermarkets also feature regional fare. Restaurants are joining the trend, offering "soothing" regional specialties like New England clam chowder and pecan pie. And, chefs are cooking with a more comfortable flair – creating desserts and entrees with plenty of cheeses, creams and butter. Quick-service restaurants, such as KFC, cater to today’s busy consumers who crave comfort foods from their childhood – but want them fast. KFC offers a wide variety of southern delicacies, such as mashed potatoes, biscuits and, of course, fried chicken.

Southern Classics
Of all the regional comfort foods, southern cuisine is among the most popular. Southerners are famous not only for their warm hospitality, but for their rich, warm style of cooking. Southerner Colonel Harland Sanders, who gained fame by cooking his famous "Sunday Dinner, Seven Days a Week," is known worldwide for his down-home fare. KFC recently uncovered some of the Colonel’s own favorite recipes and compiled them in a free recipe booklet, "The Colonel’s Secret Recipes—From Our Table to Yours."

"We’re excited to share the Colonel’s recipes with today’s families. The Colonel loved to cook for his family and friends," said Chuck Rawley, president and chief operating officer of KFC. "Now everyone can enjoy the Colonel’s favorites – from old-fashioned huckleberry cake to Kentucky biscuits."

Colonel Sanders’ Favorites
The recipe booklet features 10 of Colonel Sanders’ favorites and beautiful, full-color photography for each recipe. For a free copy of "The Colonel’s Secret Recipes—From Our Table To Yours" booklet, send a self-addressed, stamped, business-sized envelope to: KFC Recipe Booklet, 200 E. Randolph, 63rd floor, Chicago, IL 60601. Recipes also will be featured on www.kfc.com.

KFC, based in Louisville, Ky., is the world’s most popular chicken restaurant chain specializing in Original Recipe®, Extra Crispy™, and Colonel’s Crispy Strips® chicken with home-style sides. Since its founding by Colonel Harland Sanders in 1952, KFC has been serving customers delicious, already-prepared complete family meals at affordable prices. There are more than 10,300 KFC outlets in 83 countries around the world serving nearly eight million customers each day. KFC is a subsidiary of Tricon, Louisville, Ky. (NYSE: YUM)