Polenta.

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hollyrayburn
hollyrayburn Posts: 905 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Saw it the other day, and I am curious. Can anyone tell me what it tastes similar to, before I buy it? Lol. Thanks!

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  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,951 Member
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    It's like cream of wheat, but corn. A little cornbread like.

    It's the same corn as what's used in cornbread, but generally milled just a little smaller. Cook it up, add a little bacon fat, some shrimp, and done.
  • Zedeff
    Zedeff Posts: 651 Member
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    You can also let it solidify into a brick. There is creamy polenta like cream of wheat, and there is solid polenta that is like a dense bread; it is often pan-fried after it hardens. Both versions are called the same name.
  • xLyric
    xLyric Posts: 840 Member
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    Have you ever had grits? It's the same thing. Similar in texture (depending on how you make it) to grainy mashed potatoes. I like to add cheese, it's very good. :smile:
  • RodaRose
    RodaRose Posts: 9,562 Member
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    ^ Exactly. In the South we call ground corn Grits.
    Find a polenta recipe. It is cooked differently from how we cook grits -- has more liquid perhaps -- as a result--- a different, more pleasing texture for some people.
  • scaryg53
    scaryg53 Posts: 268 Member
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    It's delicious
  • MickeyCastello
    MickeyCastello Posts: 269
    edited February 2015
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    It's absolutely wonderful with a good homemade spaghetti sauce on it. Which reminds me, it's time to make more sauce. BTW, It's pretty filling.
  • Lissa_Kaye
    Lissa_Kaye Posts: 214 Member
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    Its a strange consistancy, kind of crumbly but also a little gel like. It's hard to explain. I tried it with panfried tofurkey kielbasa and now can't eat either one without the other.
  • Laddiegirl
    Laddiegirl Posts: 382 Member
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    Its amazing and one of my favorite things. Its made from corn ground into tiny, tiny bits, and simmered in a liquid. I like to use chicken stock and milk to make it really creamy and flavorful, but some people use water. I also like to add a bit of fresh grated parm or asiago cheese. If you eat it just after it is cooked, it is really creamy. After it sets a bit, it will get thick and some people pan fry it or you can cut it into rounds with a cookie cutter, top it with a bit of tomato sauce (or a slice of tomato) and bake it in the oven which is also really yummy. In my opinion, avoid the premade "logs" you can buy. To me they are bland and tasteless and since it is simple to make polenta I'd make it fresh.

    Now I want polenta, lol.
  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
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    There's many varieties depending on consistency. The commercial "blocks" are like grits. Taste like corn mash, with the consistency of oats. Just cut in slices or cubes, add sauce or cheese, and heat up.

    The "homemade" version I have is more like a corn meal, salt and water paste that can solidify into a flatbread form. We eat it similar to a pizza base - this is common in some regions of Italy. It is made from a specific, medium-sized corn meal (appropriately called "polenta" sized)
  • mockchoc
    mockchoc Posts: 6,573 Member
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    nice with parmesan and butter and something like Osso Bucco! Yummmmmmmm
  • hollyrayburn
    hollyrayburn Posts: 905 Member
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    This southern girl does love grits/corn/bread. I'll pick up some next grocery trip. Thanks!! :)
  • AngryViking1970
    AngryViking1970 Posts: 2,847 Member
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    Yum! I made a polenta casserole with venison and tomato last week and the polenta was like the crust.
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
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    hollyrayburn wrote: »
    This southern girl does love grits/corn/bread. I'll pick up some next grocery trip. Thanks!! :)

    Yeah, it's just corn grits. Polenta I've had is usually yellow corn, while grits I've eaten in the south (US) are usually white. Otherwise, it's the same thing.

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