Anna Thomas's 1970s book, The Vegetarian Epicure, is iconic; updated in the '90s and rechristened The New Vegetarian Epicure, it focuses on recipes for entertaining. One of her latest dishes is this crusty baked polenta, swirled with mashed butternut squash and smoked Gouda cheese.
Roasted chicken thighs served with a sweet sour mango chutney sauce with fresh mangos, onion, garlic, vinegar, sugar, ginger, mustard seeds, and red pepper flakes.
One is the loneliest number, except when it's the number of pans you have to clean after making this quick-fix dinner of savory pasta in meat sauce topped with melty cheese.
The heartiness of polenta makes it a comforting menu addition when autumn's chill sets in. The coarse grains develop their characteristic mushiness when they're mixed with simmering liquid, so reserve some stamina for stirring.
I may have the only child in the world who begs for split pea soup as an after-school snack, but I'm not complaining. Yesterday I needed to cook dinner early because we were going out to dinner. To you non-vegetarians,