I'm amazed that foodies go ga-ga over adding polenta to their dishes. Polenta is the the Italian name for porridge, cruel, cornmeal mash, cornmeal mush, peasant food, and even some names that I should't say in public or nice company! IT'S BOILED CORNMEAL! The poorest of the poor man's dishes! Culinarily I would rank it below a single slice of white bread.
As I was growing up, my dad, who is NOT a cook, would cook cornmeal, let it set over night and then slice and fry it the next morning as breakfast, served with butter and syrup before we headed out for a day of fishing.
It carries no flavor of its own, and is about as bland as any food on earth. It's a filler - period. Perhaps it could be a textural thing, but that's about all. In a supermarket I've seen it come prepared in a roll the size of liverwurst. Why? They sell you 3 cents of cornmeal for $1.98!!!!! If you can't boil cornmeal yourself and refrigerate it over night, then maybe you should stay out of the kitchen. The skill level is right up there with making toast.
As I was growing up, my dad, who is NOT a cook, would cook cornmeal, let it set over night and then slice and fry it the next morning as breakfast, served with butter and syrup before we headed out for a day of fishing.
It carries no flavor of its own, and is about as bland as any food on earth. It's a filler - period. Perhaps it could be a textural thing, but that's about all. In a supermarket I've seen it come prepared in a roll the size of liverwurst. Why? They sell you 3 cents of cornmeal for $1.98!!!!! If you can't boil cornmeal yourself and refrigerate it over night, then maybe you should stay out of the kitchen. The skill level is right up there with making toast.