We have officially had a full week of gray, rainy days in Charlotte. I have to really, really push through the way that weighs me down. Even though the kitchen is my oasis and I love love love to cook, I drag when there’s no sunshine. Enter a slow cooker recipe that turned out so [...]

(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 [...]

I was late to the cast iron cooking game. I think I thought it was too heavy, not necessary, and required a lot of maintenance with tasks like seasoning and hand washing. My impression was wrong and it turned out to be a game changer! Yes, it is heavy. But that weight allows for more even [...]