The Pig and I

I've been on this thing lately where I've been buying beets that are about as big as my head. I don't know why I'm buying these because it's seriously a lot of food. But I'm glad I have been because it's been an adventure in deciding what to do with 4 cups worth of beet that all has to be used quickly. Once again, I have (half) a beet in my fridge, though it was a lot more. The last head-sized beet probably had half of it eaten in little handfuls of diced beet as I walked on by it and the rest went into things, like an enchilada sauce (that I'll tell y'all about as soon as I remember what I did). This time, I had made falafel for dinner but was out of both sesame seeds and tahini so I couldn't make the type of hummus I wanted. Instead I used the chick peas to make a salad and we all agreed it was a wonderful addition to the falafel. Hope you enjoy! 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed (or a can's worth of cooked from dry, so about 1 1/2 cu...

Shrimp and grits. This classic Lowcountry dish is one of those Southern foods that makes me really understand how a person could love Southern food. Which is not to say I don't like Southern food, but I do find it really heavy with its emphasis on everything fried or laden with lard (both things I love, but moderation and all that). I would call this shrimp and polenta but Ross, being a Texan, prefers the word "grits" over "polenta." I'm not sure why this is since they're basically the same thing, but here we are anyway. It's a delicious meal no matter what you call it, and one I nearly always enjoy since it has a kind of breakfast for dinner feel without actually being breakfast for dinner. Hope you enjoy! 1 cup cornmeal 3 - 3 1/2 cups water salt and pepper to taste 3 tablespoons each: parmesan, butter 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used previously frozen) 2 tablespoons each: vegetable oil, lard, butter salt and pepper to tast...