I just checked on the internet to see if there is a difference between cornmeal and polenta. There is. It is and isn’t a big difference. They are both ground corn. The difference has to do with the type of corn, the way it’s ground and how it’s made. This article explains it better: polenta. What I found the most interesting is that the people asking the question were trying … Continue reading →
Normally I would make this with wild or field mushrooms, but, since I’m not going to the markets at the moment (pandemic) I used brown cremini mushrooms. Also, because you can’t tell be looking, I used a yellow tomato because that was the last ripe tomato from my garden. I peeled it first – a small pan of boiling water, 30 seconds to blanch and 10 seconds to peel….. Much … Continue reading →
I love rice and vegetable gratins. I really love any kind of a gratin that doesn’t require much, if any, advance preparation. It’s the same reason I don’t (usually) brown meat before putting it in the slow cooker. I’ve gotten to be a lazy cook. Or, maybe, I’ve just gotten to be a more efficient cook who skips steps that don’e add a proportionate amount of flavor. I used my … Continue reading →
This classic Italian dish is normally served as a first course (as are most pasta and rice dishes in Italy). We think it makes a great, creamy side dish. The authentic version is more like a thick soup, but I made this a bit thicker. Still, like all risottos, it should be creamier than many American adaptations, not holding it’s shape on a plate. And for those who have not … Continue reading →
The recipes in my Chinese cook books suggest that, if there is a vegetable in fried rice, it should be peas. They also include the addition of an egg. I do know how to make more traditional (I think) version… sort of. I added snow peas to this Fried Rice. But I made this in winter, not spring and I had Brussels sprouts in the fridge, not peas (or snow … Continue reading →
Even though I no longer do a turkey dinner this time of year I am aware that a lot of people do. The discussions on the merits of Green Bean Casserole have been flooding the internet. I particularly enjoyed an article that listed survey results of the most disliked Thanksgiving Dinner foods. Yes, Green Bean Casserole made it into the top 10. The cranberry thing that comes in a can, … Continue reading →
As we all know, Florentine means made in the style of Florence which means the dish has spinach. I love fresh, raw spinach in salads and sandwiches.. I love cooked spinach in anything. Mon mari even likes plain cooked spinach… as in frozen, naked, spinach, thawed in the microwave. I will not even, for one nano-second, contemplate eating plain, cooked spinach. At a minimum it has to have olive oil … Continue reading →
