Tomorrow, our family leaves for our Christmas holidays in Italy. My husband, Luca, is from Asolo, which is located in Northern Italy. As I am busily packing for the trip, my stomach has already begun to rumble thinking of all the wonderful things we will eat over the next few weeks.

Introducing Polenta

One specialty of Luca’s region in Italy is polenta. The Northern Italians use it as a staple, as we use rice here in Shanghai. Polenta is an extremely versatile dish that can be fried, grilled, baked or eaten on its own topped with meat or tomato sauce.

Personally, I love polenta. It is simple, tasty and economical. Although I am not Italian, I think I make a pretty mean cheese polenta. I am not sure if it is authentic but my family enjoys it.

Polenta Recipe

This week, I share with you my secret polenta recipe:

Ingredients: 1 cup of cornmeal 1 cup of cold water 1 teaspoon of salt 3 cups of boiling water 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

Method: 1.) In a mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, cup of cold water and salt. 2.) Grease a loaf pan 3.) Stir in cornmeal mixture into 3 cups of boiling water 4.) Bring mixture back to a boil while stirring constantly 5.) Reduce heat and stir in cheese 6.) Simmer for 20-30 minutes, while stirring frequently (this is key!) 7.) Pour mixture into the loaf pan. 8.) Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Once it is ready, you can take it out and slice it. Some people like it cold. Some like it pan-fried. You can add different sauces to it or just eat it plain. One of my favorites is to add fried, sliced mushrooms to it. Or, you can add your favorite pasta tomato or meat sauce.

An alternative is to skip the loaf pan and refridgeration. You can just serve it right from the pot (see picture above).

I hope you all enjoy this special Italian treat.