2 in a row worth mentioning! Polenta in the oven

years ago I did a polenta in the oven that brought out the flavor of the corn without spending 45 minutes at the stove stirring. 4 cups H2O stirring in 1 cup polenta. Oven at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour; stirring every 15 minutes. Stir in salt and olive oil.

Tomato sauce: 2 large cans of tomatoes chopped, 1 onion cut in half, olive oil, chopped carrot. Cook for 45 minutes and then puree half of it in the blender after discarding onion. Classic Marcella.

Grilled pork chops: charcoal, dry marinade for 30 minutes with sel, poivre, za'atyr, garlic.

Did not overcook them--rare event--sliced thin and served with Goodies' secret green sauce (except for Aiyana). Excellent.

Drank a Tempranillo from Mendoza: La Finca, from TJ's. $3.99. Incredible everyday wine. Even Jen thought so but I would not tell her the price until she tried it. I would buy a casae of of La Finca in a heart beat, except for those 20 miles of ocean separating us from the mainland.

Christmas Dinner: Quail!

Got 6 quail, frozen, from Goodies, Lebanese store in Seattle. Quail came all the way from Georgia, and were amazing. Ate all their little bones, even Aiyana.

Quail: sel et poivre and a little za'atar. Grill over hot coals. Served with rapini sauteed with sweet potatoes. Quail were amazing. Drank with TJ's spiral napa cabernet-a great deal at 4.99. Now just need to figure out how to shoot those little birds on the island!