I went to Vegas last week and tried Polenta for the first time and I decided to make it tonite... and the way I had it in Vegas, the chef melted a block of cheese within the mixture, and he gave me the name and I forgot, it was some italian cheese.... if I hear it, im sure ill remember it... the only block of cheese I had in my fridge tonite was colby, so i just used that for now...it tasted ok, but it was tooo strong in flavor...anyone know a good cheese that is normally used in polenta? i wish i could remember that italian name, it sounded funky... but it tastes wonderful....any ideas?
thank you! :)
2007-02-27 13:22:17 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Food & Drink ➔ Cooking & Recipes
TO anyone who said Marscapone cheese, I THINK that is what the chef said... but what does it taste like? is it a soft cheese? salty cheese? and can I get it at my local food market or speciality store like Nino Salviggios? thanks guys!
2007-02-27 13:34:17 · update #1
Polenta is one of the favorite dish of North Italy, and believe or not also in South Germany. Each little towns of Italy, the polenta has different taste, even if the process is the same, the ingredient are different. The polenta is made with milk or water, butter, Semolina ( fine corn Meal), Parmiggiano Reggiano, and fresh herbs as option.The cheeses that I use in my polenta is Parmiggiano Reggiano. Sum time I use other cheeses which are, Fontina cheese (mild and creamy),Regianito Parmiggiano, Romano cheese ( sharp ), Taleggio cheese from Brescia which is very creamy and strong flavor, Provolone, and even Gorgonzola cheese(blue cheese). The cheese that you do not want to use in polenta is ricotta, mascarpone, or cream cheese. As Italian chef my suggestion is to start with a grated cheese as Parmiggiano Reggiano then you can experiment with others. Also you can use your favorite vegetables. Sum time I make wild mushroom polenta, sundried tomatoes, roasted garlic, herb polenta and other. P.S If you have sum left over please spread it in a sheet pan the next day cut it in any shape floured and deep fried or just grilled, you will love it.
2007-02-27 14:22:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
making polenta from scratch takes hours of stirring over a wood burning stove. Use the instant stuff - should be able to find in any good quality gourmet store. Follow the instructions - you'll just need to use some salted water. Next step is to find a good hard cheese you can fry. A firm Asiago or fresh Montasio would do fine. Get your non-stick pan hot (no oil) and drop a slab of firm cheese in. Let brown (toasty) on one side then flip and do same. Put the slab of cheese on a plate of hot polenta and go to heaven. Make sure your plate has been preheated. Make sure the polenta isn't too hard - should be semi-soft. A chilled and fizzy bottle of Lambrusco would go down fine here.
2016-03-18 03:28:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Best Polenta
2016-12-10 19:22:15 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Polenta is mainly a dish from Piedmont and Aosta Valley; the traditional cheeses that suit with polenta are toma and fontina; fontina is identified with Aosta Valley, while toma is Piedmontese although Aosta again has a strong tradition as well.
As for mascarpone, Wikipedia says:
Mascarpone is a triple-creme cheese made from crème fraîche, fresh double cream by fermentation with rennet. Sometimes buttermilk is added as well, depending on the brand. After fermentation, whey is removed without pressing or aging.
One can manufacture mascarpone by using cream, tartaric or citric acid, or even lemon juice. Mascarpone is used in various dishes of Lombardy, Italy, where it is a specialty. It is milky-white in color and is easily spread. When fresh, it smells like milk and cream, and often is used instead of butter to thicken and enrich risotti. It is also a main ingredient of tiramisu and lasagne.
Mascarpone is often mispronounced as if it were spelled "marscapone," and also often misspelled that way.
So, if you want to follow tradition, fontina or toma. Or both :)
I dare to strongly disagree with Wikipedia here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polenta
though, when saying the most famous polenta is Lombard one (with gorgonzola); it is famous, but end in third place...
2007-02-28 00:42:16 · answer #4 · answered by Pinguino 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Philadelphia Cream Cheese
2007-02-27 13:24:43 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
almost any cheese will go well in polenta .. mascarapone is like cream cheese .. you can use strong cheeses like parmesan and bleu cheese .. just use less.
2007-02-27 13:44:13 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Marscapone. mmm
2007-02-27 13:24:55 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Parmesan is usually what I like. Mascarpone is used a lot too.
2007-02-27 13:25:50 · answer #8 · answered by ami 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Try some from-unda cheese. It's wonderful.
2007-02-27 13:26:32 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Parmesan is the best I think. It is what I use and it turns out great..
2007-02-27 13:30:46 · answer #10 · answered by Donna 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋