Creamy Polenta

Like me, Mom grew up with her Grandma, who owned an apartment building with an apartment for each of her three daughters and their families. When Mom was young, her Grandma used to make her creamy polenta. In fact, Mom ate polenta so much, that she got sick of it and never made it herself. This was too bad, because polenta is delicious and filling, especially on a cold winter day.

Here, I have included two photographs of my Great-Grandma, Angela Briglia Sarlo. The first picture shows Great-Grandma with her three daughters: Aunt Mary, Grandma Josephine, and Aunt Helen. The second picture shows Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa on their wedding day. On the back of that photo (shown below), Grandma had carefully written certain key information:
Joseph Sarlo
Angela (Briglia) Sarlo
Married Feb-1904
Joseph born Feb. 3, 1880
Angela born April 16, 1882
Joseph died Oct. 8, 1935
Angela dies April 7, 1966
Angela arrived from Italy 1903 November

There are many recipes for polenta that call for all sorts of toppings, such as mushrooms, pancetta, cooked tomatoes. Polenta can be a base for anything that you might add to pasta, you could add to polenta. While many recipes have savory add-ins, there are also some recipes for sweet add-ins, such as honey or maple syrup. The sweet add-ins sound right up my alley, so I plan to try them next time.

The recipe below makes enough polenta for 3 or 4 good-sized servings. When the polenta cools, it takes on the shape of the container it is in. Leftover polenta can be sliced or cubed before being roasted, grilled, or deep-fried. To make it creamy again, warm it with a little milk or water, and stir vigorously.

Creamy Polenta 

• 4 cups water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup polenta or yellow cornmeal
• 2 Tablespoons butter

Optional add-ins or toppings:
Grated Parmesan Cheese
Peas

Bring the water and salt to a brisk boil over medium-high heat. While stirring gently, slowly pour the polenta into the boiling water. Turn down the heat to low and continue stirring to eliminate any clumps. Cover the polenta and continue cooking for 30 to 40 minutes. Stir vigorously every 10 minutes or so, making sure to scrape the sides, bottom, and corners of the pan. In the last few minutes of cooking, stir in the butter. If desired, add in peas and cheese. Serve immediately. Enjoy!