We had a gorgeous 75 degrees sunny, Carolina blue sky day in Charlotte today. That alone begged me to get outside rather than spending time in my favorite place, the kitchen, But the reality is that it is December and a time of year during which more people than ever are sick, overwhelmingly busy, and [...]

Merry Christmas! We have been baking all morning for Santa, friends, family, and neighbors! We choose ginger snaps, sugar cookies, and chocolate chip cookies. This is my favorite book to refer to when I want to make cookies. You can check it out here. There are so many different types of cookies, bars, squares, and biscotti whether [...]

(Polenta cakes served with goat cheese, roasted veggies and hot sauce.) Polenta, which originated in Europe, is similar to grits as both are made from stoneground corn. The type of corn for each varies as does the coarser texture of the cornmeal used to make polenta. I consider polenta to be a great vessel for [...]