TLC has ordered eight half-hours of the new series "Craving Comfort" from True Entertainment.

Chef Art Smith hosts the series, which explores the obsessions, triumphs, and secrets behind some of America's favorite comfort foods.

More than a cooking series, "Craving Comfort" will travel the country, exploring variations of the simple, sumptuous dishes that everyone craves, the experience shared with favorite foods and the stories they embody. Each episode will focus on one specific comfort food, from fried chicken to apple pie, with three tales that reveal the passion behind the plate.

"'Craving Comfort' celebrates the great personal stories behind America's classic comfort foods. Art Smith's passion for great food and its ability to bring people together makes him the perfect host for this journey,"  Nancy Daniels, TLC's senior VP of production and development, said in a statement.

Smith is a two-time James Beard Award winner and bestselling cookbook author. He also serves as specialty chef for many of Oprah Winfrey's events and runs restaurants Table Fifty-Two and Art & Soul.