The chill has officially set into Charlotte and soup season is well underway in my kitchen. To me, the W in winter means WARM me up. My Piping Hot French Indie Lentil Soup is a staple through this time of year. Lentils are a universal food found in African, European, Middle Eastern, Asian and other [...]

(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 [...]

The key to a good, palatable bowl of oatmeal is retaining some of the original oat texture and preventing the transformation to mush. I use rolled oats (not quick oats) because I can better control that process and they still cook really fast. You can certainly make this recipe with quick oats or steel cut oats [...]