So things are looking good with you and your special someone. Hooray! Good enough that you've decided it's time to introduce each other to your respective parents. Double hooray! And you've decided that the perfect setting for these introductions would be a cozy home-cooked meal. Um... gulp. Let's talk about a menu that will make sure the whole evening goes smoothly, shall we?

We had some friends over for potluck dinner a few weeks ago, and one couple brought some fennel and citrus to roast, inspired by a recipe in the Jerusalem cookbook. Right before pulling them out of the oven, my friend Olaiya tossed in a generous handful of kalamata olives. The result was one of the more glorious things I've tasted coming out of a roasting pan: warm and citrusy with a salty kick from the olives and a slight bite from a mustard vinaigrette. Since we shared the steps for making perfect stovetop millet with you yesterday, I decided to recreate this flavor combo for you in make a substantial millet side dish. More

You may be thinking that a recipe for a thick, hearty soup is a bit odd considering that yesterday was the first day of spring. But this Spanish bean soup is not just any soup. Rather, it is a soup sent straight from the soup gods (if the soup gods took the form of my future mother-in-law).

More

This week I've been sharing one of the most fun dinner parties I've ever hosted — we invited six friends over and threw an Italian polenta party anchored by a four-foot-long board in the middle of the table! Today I want to share the whole party with you and show you how it all came together. 

From dramatic polenta pouring, to bottles of red wine, to my favorite tip for keeping polenta warm and creamy for hours before dinner, here's a peek inside this cozy supper. 

Millet is an ancient seed, originally hailing from Africa and northern China, and it remains a staple in the diets of about a third of the world's population. Rich in iron, B vitamins and calcium, millet has a mild corn flavor and is naturally gluten-free. Sure, on first glance you might be tempted to think that raw millet looks like birdseed. But these little yellow beads have a really lovely and light texture when cooked, are relatively quick-cooking because of their small size, and are incredibly versatile in dishes ranging all the way from breakfast to dinner. More

This week in Gatherings from The Kitchn, we're sharing the details of an Italian Polenta Supper featuring lots of toppings, like hearty braised beef, on a bed of creamy cornmeal polenta. For a lighter, vegan-friendly accompaniment to polenta, let me suggest this spring vegetable ragout. Like the braised beef, it's rustic and uncomplicated yet completely dinner-party worthy. Make it now if you're already basking in the glow of peas and asparagus, or save this recipe so you can celebrate the moment spring arrives. More

Do you often look down at your plate and think, This again? Does making dinner feel like a chore? Has cooking become boring? Sounds like you're in a dinner rut. Here are five ideas for getting out of it and making the evening meal fun again.

Every time I buy a can of coconut milk, I always end up with a half-used can somehow. I put it in a resealable container, but inevitably forget about it in my fridge cemetery (the top shelf). Well, not this week. No, sir. Because we're going to round up some great dinner recipes that use coconut milk, along with some sides to which you can add coconut milk so there is none leftover.

Rachael Ray didn't necessarily invent the 30-minute meal, but she certainly made them the norm for weeknight dinners. Anything longer, and we save it for the weekend. Anything shorter starts to feel like we're not really cooking. But a recipe that claims to be ready in 30 minutes says, "I'm quick and easy! Make me tonight!" But how real is the 30-minute meal? Is it a myth? After our conversation yesterday about how long we spend making dinner, today we're wondering about the 30-minute meal. Have any of you have actually cooked a full meal from start to finish in just 30 minutes?

When I think about throwing a dinner party, especially a big one like this polenta supper I'm sharing with you this week, my thoughts immediately go to: What can I make ahead? Last week, I had an easy answer: a shredded, succulent mess of beef braised in red wine and tomatoes, falling apart in its juices. It's a terrific make-ahead dish, since like most braises, this beef gets better overnight, and takes all the stress of a main dish off your hands entirely. Sound good? It gets better.