Polenta help!

[jesvet]

I'm trying to learn how to cook polenta since every time I've had it, I really like it. All they have in the stores is the kind that comes in a tube, but what I'm trying to make is the creamy polenta. All the recipes I've found start with instant polenta, and the recipe calls for way too much liquid for the tube version. Anyone know how to use this stuff?

[bookworm]

Look with the breakfast cereal, for "quick cooking cornmeal."

(You do not want to know how long I spent wandering around the grocery store, getting increasingly frustrated, before I came home and looked this up.)

[jesvet]

Ah ha! Thank you! Even when I asked for help no one knew what polenta was. They said check the aisle with the Mexican food. *sigh*

[tlew12778]

Just get regular cornmeal. I can't even imagine polenta in a tube!

There are a bunch of polenta recipes on this (http://www.buonissimo.org/ricettario_az.asp?page=5&l=p)site. It's Italian but they have an English flag to get the translation.

Here's another one that's just the basic polenta (http://www.cosacucino.it/oggi-preparo-ricetta.php/id_piatto/504/polenta.html) recipe. Basically it says to boil a pot of water, before it boils, add some salt, add the cornmeal slowly and keep mixing it with a wood spoon (medium flame) until the wood spoon can stand up on its on in the middle of the pot. It says to make sure there are no lumps while you're stirring.

[kemaji]

Also, I'll sometimes add milk or chicken broth instead of water to vary the flavor when it is finished.

[skyblu]

Polenta was a favorite dinner staple growing up in Argentina. But back home we make a runny, oatmeal-textured version, not the hard kind that you can slice into disks.

We just use corn meal, cook it with broth, then when it's ready, mix in some mozzarella that melts into gooey goodness. We usually top it with homemade tomato sauce.

Yummy!

[wine_o_girlie]

Also, save the leftover polenta (if there is any!) and add about a cup of grated parm or pecorino and then spread it out in a greased baking dish. Let it refridgerate overnight to "set up". The next day cut the hard polenta into wedges or discs and dust very lightly with seasoned flour. Briefly saute in EVOO until it gets golden and a bit crusty. Yum, so good!

[jesvet]

Thank you all so much for the great suggestions! I think my first attempt will involve mascarpone like skyblu mentioned...yummmmmmm!

[tlew12778]

Mozzarella not marscapone. You'll get two totally different results.

[jesvet]

The recipe I have is for mascarpone, but I might try the mozzarella at some point too. I love them both.

[tlew12778]

Ah right ok. You just mentioned skyblu and her post said mozzarella.

I don't know if you like fontina, but that's a pretty common cheese for polenta here.

[jesvet]

You're right, I'm having a senior moment. :D

Hadn't thought of fontina, but that sounds like it would be great too. So much to try! Polenta is just not something we see often in our area so this is a whole new thing for me. So good!

[laura]

My husband makes a good creamy polenta. I don't know where he got the recipe, but it's probably from that show "Good Eats" since he is addicted to it. We even grilled the leftovers (after firming in the fridge overnight), and that was also good.