Katie Lee Joel may not be as famous as her husband, music legend Billy Joel, but she has quite a following in the food world. She was the host of the first season of "Top Chef," has appeared as a guest judge on "The Iron Chef" and has a column on food and entertaining in Hamptons magazine.

Her first cookbook, "The Comfort Table" (Simon & Schuster, $25), is full of recipes and memories from Ms. Joel's childhood in West Virginia, where she learned to cook in her grandmother's kitchen. These delicious dishes are made from short lists of easy-to-find ingredients.

Ms. Joel's emphasis on fresh, local, seasonal ingredients is part of her philosophy of "conscious consumption," which she describes as "being aware of what you eat and how it affects not only your own body but ultimately everyone around you and future generations to come."

When Ms. Joel was growing up, neighbors and relatives on nearby farms raised chickens, cows and vegetables for food. "Nothing's better than corn that's picked a mile from your house," she recalls.

Ms. Joel was in Pittsburgh April 18 for her husband's concert and to kick off her book tour at Joseph-Beth Bookstore on the South Side.