Comments on: Meet This Grain: Polenta

By: magnesiummangel

magnesiummangel — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 07:36:31 +0000

Really really good post!! I love polenta. It has very large amount of proteins and minerals .. It is very good for healthy diet.. Thanks for sharing.

By: mary

mary — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 12:55:52 +0000

My mother is northern Italian-polenta was our Sunday dinner. The big copper pot, the polenta stick (that my grandfather made) and hours on the stove. The men in the family would make it because it was so hard to mix-and if it splatered you got burned-its like larva! The further north in Italy you go the harder they make their polenta. Ours was hard enough to slice-by the wedge. We would have a chicken or beef gravy over it. Now I make a small polenta for myself as my family doesn't care for it. No big production-still have to be careful when it boils, I have gotten burned-keep the kids away.

By: katemarie

katemarie — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:23:10 +0000

good thought dana
thankyou

By: danawhite

danawhite — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:03:33 +0000

Hi Michele and Katemarie –
To take the guesswork out of it, choose organic corn products – they are GMO-free. Local is always a good way to go too – many local farms are much smaller scale and do not need to resort to farming with genetically modified plants.

By: katemarie

katemarie — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 16:59:03 +0000

i would be interested in the feedback to michele's comment… this has been my reluctance also…
still, gluten free is so needful in the cooking i do, that i need more information…agree the ease of prep and the flavor possibilites are enticing…

By: Michele

Michele — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:37:14 +0000

Polenta sounds delicious. I used to love corn products until I realized how very unhealthy corn is for us today. It is one of the worst foods you can eat for your health. The overwhelming majority of corn today is genetically modified (GM). Research has proven that we do not yet know the vast potential harm of GM foods to our bodies, but it is harmful indeed While I would love to try some of these receipes from a culinary standpoint, the dangers of corn products to me far outweigh my desire for any tasteful food. There are too many great tasting foods that truly ARE healthy for me to put my health in danger eating corn and corn products.

By: Billie

Billie — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 18:36:34 +0000

Sandee,
Polenta, or Cornmeal mush as we call it in the south, is made from ground dried corn. Grits are made from corn that has been treated with lye and turned into hominy and then ground into grits.

By: Diana

Diana — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:56:45 +0000

My grandmother always served it soft with rabbit hunter style. But my Mom made it with Sausage and a side of Spinich sauted in garlic and olive oil. She always made extra Polenta so that we could have it on Friday night (when we weren't allowed to eat meat on Friday). She would slice it about 3/4 of an inch thick, dredge it in flour , salt, pepper and fry it in olive oil until crispy. When it came out of the skillet, she would put a slice of Munster Cheese on it and put another slice of Polenta on top. Then you could either put syrup on it or eat it plain or put some Spaghetti sauce over it with grating cheese. Delicious any way you chose to eat it.

By: Peggy

Peggy — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:42:50 +0000

I grew up with a grandmother from Pennsylvania who made "fried mush." She would hold the corn meal in her hand, high above a pot of boiling, salted water and let it drift into the pot. Heaven only knows the proportions…. After it cooled and became solid, she'd fry the slices in butter and serve it with maple syrup for breakfast! It's interesting for me to find this Italian version, although I wouldn't like it with cheese. However, I'm aware that, in the South, people often serve (hominy) grits as a side dish for dinner, and it's usually layered with American cheese.

By: Sandee

Sandee — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:39:44 +0000

what's the difference exactly between polenta and grits? I made grits last night with vegan chipotle fauxsage and it was delicious! I just noticed that it was remarkably similar to the prepared polenta I buy. Anybody?