Food

Polenta isn’t only a forgotten camping food, in North America, it has almost disappeared from kitchens and restaurant menus. It has an undeserved reputation for being finicky and bland, but once you get to know it, it becomes a rich blank slate, perfect for exciting sauces or savory toppings.

Originally an Italian gruel-like dish, inexpensive and quite easy to whip up, polenta is a smooth version of American grits. Like grits, polenta is corn-based, but it’s prepared with finer cornmeal, rather than chunkier hominy kernels. Its consistency can range from loose gruel to a denser cake.

Polenta’s reputation for being tricky is unfair. This might stem from recipes that call for the cook to constantly stir the mixture – for as long as 20 minutes – to avoid lumps. (The camping recipe, above – which needs your full attention for only about a minute – is far more reasonable.)

Polenta can also be bought pre-made, but that is a rather unattractive option. That form of polenta is usually made from densely packed slabs that are expensive and tasteless.

But the truth about polenta is that it’s not difficult to make (or swallow for that matter). It’s an easy, versatile food. Explore some recipes and take the time to try a few to see what suits your kitchen.

You might want to check out food blogger Molly Winzenberg, who has gotten over a longtime fear of polenta. She recommends an easy-as-pie polenta recipe from the Zuni Café’s Judy Rogers. Try it, you might love it!