Baked Polenta with Bacon and Gruyere

Let's get the basics out of the way before we dive, face first, into this pan of deliciousness. Is it cornmeal or polenta? What's the difference? What should I buy? Why does one bag say cornmeal and the other bag say polenta? So, polenta is the name of the dish and cornmeal is the stuff it's made out of. Easy, right? You can use regular, medium or course ground cornmeal to make polenta but very fine ground will make it gummy. So, if the bag is labeled polenta, all it means is that the grind of the cornmeal is OK to make that dish. I buy cornmeal, in a regular/medium grind because it's the most versatile.

Caramel Pear Bourbon Cocktail

The weather is finally chilly in New York and that makes me want to drink things like bourbon while wrapped in a cozy throw blanket by the fire. Um, except that I don't have a fireplace and the dog is currently using the throw blanket as her own. But bourbon I have plenty of!

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Crumb Cake

Crumb cakes never last long in my family. Or, rather, I should say that the crumb topping itself has a shorter life span than the actual cake. The cake will eventually get eaten as well but it will likely be missing a lot of it's crumb by then. It's so bad sometimes that, a crumb cake left on the counter almost needs a guard posted to protect it. Assuming, of course, that the guard can be trusted not to eat the crumb topping. The struggle is real here, folks.

Autumn Squash and Smoked Gouda Mac

October, aka my favorite month, is here - check. Cooler weather is here - check. Market full of pumpkins and squash - check. Bring on the comfort food! Creamy, extra cheesy homemade mac and cheese clearly qualifies as comfort food. And even if you're a purist who doesn't like extra vegetables snuck into the mac, I would argue that squash is an exception. It adds a creamy sweetness that's just another layer of comfort.