Polenta with Root to Stalk Radishes

Cooking with all of the parts of a vegetable - from the root to the stalk - isn't a new concept, but I think it's one that many people still don't embrace because they're not quite sure what to do with parts of vegetables that aren't included at the supermarket.  Just last weekend at the Carroll Gardens Greenmarket, I was given a gentle lecture on how to use the greens on the bunch of golden beets I had purchased.

I patiently listened but then told the purveyor that I always cook beet greens, sometimes roasting them like kale and sometimes sauteeing them like swiss chard - which he was surprised by, because apparently many people he talks to at the market ask him to cut off the greens and that many others ask him what to do with the greens aside from throwing them out.  Hearing this made me remember how underused (and wasted) so much of our food is, some of which is driven by simply not knowing what to do with it.

Sweet and Spicy Cornmeal Waffles Florentine

As much as I love brunch, I am no longer a huge fan of going out for brunch.  Yes, I know it's an NYC institution, but I have good reasons.  All too often, there is only one savory and one sweet option on the menu that are vegetarian (seriously, why is that), and since pancakes and french toast always leave me hungry (I have an anti-sweet tooth), that means I'm relegated to ordering the one vegetarian egg dish.  Which is really not my idea of a good time at a restaurant.  I like to have choices.

And even if there are a variety of options, it rather pains me to pay $14 for a pair of poached eggs on a soggy English muffin or a mediocre omelet.  Sure, I still love a good brunch outing on the weekend - particularly to Cookshop or Five Points (ok,  those are basically the same place), and I'm heading to The Farm on Adderley next weekend - but I don't go out for brunch nearly as often as I used to for the reasons mentioned above, not to mention that I'm happy as a clam when I'm in the kitchen.

Creamy Polenta with Braised Greens and Pan-Roasted Mushrooms

I’ve been meaning to make this for weeks and finally got around to it Thursday night. In my mind, this is a perfect meal for a snowy winter night.



Interestingly, I’ve seen a version of this dish pop up on menus at a number of restaurants around the city, which confirms that I’m not the only one who thinks this is right for the season.

Israeli Couscous with Kale, Butternut Squash, and White Beans

It's very obvious that I haven’t been home much in the past few weeks. Between going to my parents’ house for the weekend of Christmas and then back up to NYC the following weekend for New Year’s Eve, I’ve barely been home. And that means that I haven’t gone grocery shopping and that I kind of sort of have the same things in my fridge that have been there the past two weeks. (Thankfully such things last a long time in the fridge.) 

I came home from work tonight and realized that I had slim pickings in the fridge, but I refused to order food because I’ve been eating out for the past 5 days and I couldn’t bring myself to do so yet again.