[Sca-cooks] polenta

[Edouard de Bruyerecourt]

Angie Malone wrote:

> I know that corn is a new world food, and know polenta used to be made 
> with wheat, so is semolina what they used to use to make polenta?  
> Anybody know where I can find a recipe for polenta? 

Corn as a word really refers to grains (The 19th century Corn Laws of 
England actually refered to imported wheat, while corn gunpowder is to 
granuate it). What we call corn in the US (and other places) is more 
accurately maize.

 From what I remember, ancient Roman polenta was predominately millet 
and food of the lower classes. I thought I got it from Apicius, or 
commentary withing it, but it may be another source.

Modern polenta (from maize) is usually ground a little coarser than 
cornmeal. I'm not sure if they treat it, but if treated with alkaline 
lye, it become either masa harina or grits (it releases niacin and turns 
it white).

At it's simplest, polenta is just a boiled porridge of polenta-ground 
corn. You can do it a little thinner and serve as mush, or thicker and 
let it set cold for slicing and frying (one local restuarant used slices 
of polenta in a veggie lasagne instead of pasta). Adding herbs, spices 
and hard grated cheese are personal variations (like basil, oregano, and 
Parmesan), but not usually for fried breakfast polenta, which usually is 
topped with maple syrup.

-- 
Edouard, Sire de Bruyerecourt
bruyere at mind.net
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"Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, 
while bad people will find a way around the laws." 
- Plato (427-347 B.C.)