Comments on: Dinner for One with Bittman’s ‘Polenta without Fear’ + A Huge Thank You

By: Robin

Robin — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:57:09 +0000

Gorgeous photos! You’re quite the artist!

By: Blond Duck

Blond Duck — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:38:12 +0000

I’ve never had polenta…

By: Maria

Maria — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 17:37:46 +0000

I could totally go for a hot bowl of that right now … it’s rainy and gray outside and that dish looks so warming.

By: Chelsea

Chelsea — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:35:03 +0000

Add a little Sriracha to the mix and you’ll be in heaven.

By: Wendi

Wendi — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:53:27 +0000

Congrats on being featured over at Bitten!

By: wyngrrrl

wyngrrrl — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:41:26 +0000

If anyone is looking for a good way to flip around Thanksgiving Polenta is the way to go. We added a bit of grated smoked cheddar instead of Parm and it went beautifuly with the Turkey and Mole (instead of gravy) it was hard to go back to the traditional Thanksgiving the next year with the Family.

By: TheKitchenWitch

TheKitchenWitch — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:45:30 +0000

How could you make polenta–something I don’t like–look so delicious? Wow. Now I’m actually considering it…

By: stefano arturi

stefano arturi — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:10:29 +0000

hi there and congratulations for yr good blog.
I have been a food writer here in Italy for some time and I admire Mark Bittman a lot. His polenta version can be bettered though. Polenta needs a longer cooking to fully exploit the potential of corn (its sweetness). 45 minutes to 1 hour is better - it does become creamy and sweet, even without any fat. Try the recipe in Hazan’s Classics. Polenta doesn’t need to to be stirred all the time, it can be cooked in the oven (covered/a good recipe in Paula Wolfert’s Mediterranean Grains and greens (excellent book, btw)) and you can even start with cold water (and this is what I do. I mix everything together and then I cook it in my Le Creuset, stirring lazily and occasionallly)
I also tried (for some article I wrote way back) instant polenta.. well it is an ok/ish choice (with parmesan and butter) if one is pressed with time… but…
polenta is very versatile indeed. I also have it just with butter and taleggio, or with some thin slice of lard (Italian lardo) over it, or mixex with vegetabels - this is called polenta incantenata (e.i. you cook the polenta and then you pour cooked beans/cooked cavolo nero?cooked carrots?cooked leeks in it towards the end / kind of Tuscan recipe)…
ciao ciao from Milano and … well done again for your friendly and useful blgo. ciao stefano

By: Shannon

Shannon — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:09:46 +0000

Wow, not only is that absolutely stunning, it sounds delicious as well

By: nicole

nicole — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:55:34 +0000

this looks the most divine meal of all time. i adore fried egg over salad greens and over rice and sometimes combines…over polenta sounds heavenly.