This week’s strips got me thinking about that moment we all have: someone’s coming for supper and we don’t have much time to prepare. What to make?

I think everyone should have at least 1 fail-safe meal they can whip out at a moment’s notice when the need arises. Mine happens to be a heavenly rosemary rissotto that I usually pair with chicken breasts. Simple and virtually fool-proof. Granted, rissotto isn’t exactly quick–taking 30 minutes on average–and needs constant stirring but the end product is a nice, rich comfort food that is sure to please most guests.

Another common fail-safe dish is (or, at least, was) linguine with clam sauce. A little more daring, true, because not everyone eats seafood (and some may be allergic!) and there’s a real danger with over-cooking clams, but the requirements for a good clam sauce can be kept on hand for any emergency.

What’s your fail-safe food?