Kasha

A modern spin on kasha varnishkes, a comforting Eastern European dish.

He and songwriting partner Joel Hirschhorn won Oscars for the 1972 disaster epic and 1974's

Al Kasha, the Academy Award-winning composer who, along with songwriting partner Joel Hirschhorn, won Oscars for the soft rock disaster movie classics "The Morning After" and "We May Never Love Like This Again," died Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 83.

Al Kasha, who won two Oscars for co-writing songs for "The Poseidon Adventure" and "The Towering Inferno," has died at age 83.

Kasha is not the main ingredient here, so I wouldn't call this a grain salad, but rather a substantial leafy green salad with grain. I love pairing this nutty grain with both cooked and raw spinach, and with walnuts and walnut oil.

I like adding cooked grains to a frittata, but you have to choose just the right one; it should be soft, not too chewy. Rice works, and so does bulgur.