I can think of few things better to lift your mood and warm your tummy in the midst of a long, unending winter than this meal.  Look at this beautiful dish and tell me you’re not hungry:

We tried a new polenta preparation method thanks to Cooks Illustrated which required very little stirring – just slow and low cooking, with a bit of baking soda added to the mix to help break down the cornmeal.  I was skeptical, but the polenta was amazingly creamy, and the pan required minimal scrubbing after dinner – a bonus.  We topped warm plates of polenta with cherry tomatoes sauteed with olive oil and garlic, a chiffonade of basil and the last of the homemade mozzarella.  The mozzarella melted gently into the polenta as we ate, and the juices from the tomato, rich with oil, pepper, and garlic, were just right.  This dinner was so good.  The only disappointment was that the tomatoes were a bit too, well, tomatoey for Shane’s tastes.

Recipe:
Creamy Parmesan Polenta from Cooks Illustrated (online subscription required)
Sautéed Cherry Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella Topping from Cooks Illustrated (online subscription required)