POLENTA........how do I prepare it, and what do I serve it with?

Answer 1

wow...i love polenta and there are plenty of ways to prepare it serve it (what have you)...hmm...what would I suggest?

For breakfast...I've used this site for it...so go for it!
http://italianfood.about.com/od/polentarecipes/r/blr0405.htm

http://italianfood.about.com/od/polentarecipes/a/aa030498_3.htm

Answer 2

For each pound of polenta use 2 quarts of water and an ounce of salt. This ratio applies to a soft polenta, which are always served with a condiment or with other ingredients added. If polenta is to be used baked, grilled or instead of bread, use a 3 to 1 ratio of water to polenta, use the same amount of salt. The problem is that with oen package the ratio may work perfectly while a second package may need more or less water. So, it is best to do it the Venetian way, with is to say eyeball it.

The tools for making polenta, other than a strong arm and a weak brain, are a pot with sloping sides, a wooden paddle or spoon for mixing the cooking polenta, and a circular piece of wood or board. You may also a wire wisk for stirring the corn meal while you are inserting into the pot. The rest of the stirring is done with the wooden paddle or spoon.

Sloping sides on the pot make it easier to stir the polenta. The best kind of pot in which to cook polenta is the classic paiolo, made of copper without a tin lining, and with a convex bottom. For the weak of arm, there even exists an electric paiolo!

The piece of wood serves as a place to put the polenta when it is cooked, as a place for it to cool, and as a cutting board. The board normally has a handle and the handle a hole in it. The hole is there for two reasons: one, so that the board may be hung up on a peg of nail, and two, a place to attach a string. The string is used to cut the polenta by drawing it down across the board, thereby slicing the polenta.
Bring the salted water to a boil, then lower the heat (be careful, because in the beginning while adding cornmeal, boiling water might easily splash) and add the coarsely ground cornmeal, little by little, stirring constantly to prevent lumps from forming. If you use finely ground cornmeal the danger of lumping is much greater [see note]. Do not pour directly from the container, but use your hands, pouring a handful at time. For this initial stirring, a wire whip works best, but after all the cornmeal has been blended into the pot, change to a wooden spoon (or tarello). Increase the heat, and let cook for 40-50 minutes, stirring constantly. While cooking, the heat should be high, to cause bubbles to rise and burst on the surface. While stirring separate the polenta from the sides of the pot and from the bottom toward the top. When ready, the polenta comes away easily from the sides of the pot. It can be served hot immediately with the desired condiment, or it may be poured out of the paiolo onto a wooden board. To do so, smooth the surface of the polenta and with a brisk move, turn the paiolo upside down. The polenta will easily come away from the paiolo. Cut with a wooden knife and serve. polenta is often cut with a piece of thick string stretched tightly between two hands.

Note: polenta made with finely ground cornmeal forms lumps easily. In order to avoid this, add a fifth of the cornmeal to the salted water while it is still cold, mixing with a whisk. Once the cornmeal is blended with the water, cover, in order to prevent boiling polenta from splashing, and let boil for 10 minutes. Then, stirring constantly, add the remaining cornmeal following the procedures described in basic method.

Answer 3

You can find it packaged at St** & Sh**. I am trying to figure out how to make it from scratch. But it is best served with a red meat sauce with meatballs, sausage, pork and even pepperoni.

Top it off with lots of grated reggiano