Reviewed: Aug. 31, 2009

fantastic base recipe - you can use any combination of stuff to dress it up! mine cooked in much less time though - more like 5 mins then 15!

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mrsmaggiehunter

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Reviewed: Aug. 13, 2009

Very easy to prepare, mine is usually done in around 20 minutes. Tastes great after chilled overnight, this is a great starter. Do not use masa! The flavor will be completely off. Course cornmeal is the way to go, or if you prefer regular will work and seems lower in calories. If you buy cornmeal that says "polenta" it will cost extra just for these words to be printed on the box.

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Kat

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Reviewed: Jun. 3, 2009

This is a great basic recipe to start with, however, the cooking time is way off. Mine thickened up within a few minutes. My mom and I used to make polenta and she used to add some salt and a dab of butter for a richer flavour. NOTE: no need to reduce water. Keep stirring until it thickens and then let it cool a bit ... it will automatically thicken up some more. Definitely a keeper!

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rosabela

Cooking Level: Expert

Home Town: Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Living In: Regensburg, Bayern, Germany

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Reviewed: Feb. 10, 2009

Good starter recipe! I used 1/2 cup less water as suggested by some, put half the cornmeal in 1 cup cold water-brought remaining water to a boil, (to which I added a sprig of fresh rosemary and a little salt)-then stirred in the cold mixture. It cooked very quickly. Then folded in about a tablespoon cream cheese and 1/4 cup shredded cheddar-rolled it up in plastic wrap to be sliced later. Served hot medallions with red Italian meat sauce. Yummy!

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Cathy

Home Town: Ravenna, Ohio, USA

Living In: San Diego, California, USA

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Reviewed: Jan. 16, 2009

I agree with others who pointed out that this recipe could confuse someona who may not know that the ingredients are water & cornmeal however what surprized me was that there were so many rather compex methods for adding the cornmeal. I have found that the best way to incorporate the cornmael is to use a wire balloon whisk. The trick seems to be the water, it must be at a full boil then just pour the dry cornmeal in a steady stream while whisking it...In two minutes it is ready. ...I have never tried quick cornmeal the regular inexpensive stuff form my grocery store works well.

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Kaz

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Reviewed: Nov. 19, 2008

Polenta...Golden Pheasant has a brand of corn meal called Polenta. Yes it's the finished product's name but it is also the name for the type of corn meal used. Regular corn meal is less coarsely ground! I am in a Itailian family from Italy. In making polenta from the "real" corn meal" it takes quite awhile and some arm muscle to get the job done! This is great sliced thin once set and grilled with cheese added after removed from heat or add herbs & cheese before it sets up. Chicken in a red sauce over this is delicious as well as many other dishes (sausage and onions grilled) or just get creative. Jazz it up! You can also serve before it sets and it is softer in texture. Chow!

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Rowdie

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Reviewed: Nov. 8, 2008

Polenta and stew is my favorite family dish. My grandma always buys Italian Harvest polenta and I buy what I can find. Many grocery stores sell "polenta" in boxes and in bags. But yes you can buy corn meal too.

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momof3prettygirls

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Lompoc, California, USA

Living In: Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA

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Reviewed: Sep. 15, 2008

The flavor was was rather bland. Next time I will try adding salt or some type of flavoring.

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Megan B

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Reviewed: Jul. 15, 2008

Good starter recipe. You can always tweak it to your personal preferences. I like a denser polenta, so I used a bit less water. Unfortunately, it turns out my husband doesn't care for polenta, so I'll probably not be making it again. :-(

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Kristin

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Reviewed: Jul. 8, 2008

this is a great recipe...in defense of the original recipe...polenta can be used to describe the grain as well as the dish. i personally do not like 'polenta' made from the stuff in the blue and orange box at the store called 'cornmeal'. my mom grew up in a very italian home where polenta as they knew it was made with a very coarsely ground cornmeal. my understanding is that polenta is simply the italian word for cornmeal. if there's any way you can get very coarsely ground cornmeal...it's much more authentic as far as what the northern italians centuries ago used to eat and i think it has much more flavor than the finely ground kind. we've tried grinding corn in our large grinder (that we use for wheat) - and even the coarsest setting is significantly finer than the polenta we buy in bulk through the health food store. *Shrug* anyway...good recipe :)

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giovanna

Cooking Level: Expert

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Reviewed: Jun. 2, 2008

I don't know what type of groceries that some shop in, but there is "Polenta" in italian food stores. This is a good basic recipe.

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CMW2

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Reviewed: May 31, 2008

Great basic recipe. I used slightly less water than called for (which allows the cornmeal to thicken MUCH quicker-- approx. five minutes). I also added about 1/2 tsp. salt to the water. After thickening, I stirred in some chopped green olives, sun-dried tomatoes, and shredded parmesan cheese. I then sprayed a wax-paper lined cutting board with PAM, spread the mixture out, and let it cool. After 20 minutes or so, I hand-packed the whole thing into a log shape and sliced it into medallions. Then I pan-fried the medallions in olive oil. They were soooooo yummy, kind of like polenta "fritters" I guess. Delish!

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JESSERS11581

Cooking Level: Intermediate

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Reviewed: May 23, 2008

Simple and works. Keep stirring to keep the bottom from burning. You could also add a pinch of salt, much like you would to rice.

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mcmeg12

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Annapolis, Maryland, USA

Living In: Helsinki, Uusimaa, Finland

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Reviewed: Jan. 31, 2008

This recipe is easy and yummy. I use these for breakfast. Once the polenta has cooled I cut with a round cookie cutter, freeze, thaw and brown in skillet as needed.

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wat2eat

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Reviewed: Jan. 12, 2008

Good recipe for basic polenta. Although a little vague, technically it is correct. Polenta refers to coarse-ground yellow cornmeal or the finished product.

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Teleboy20

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Reviewed: Dec. 13, 2007

The instructions are not very clear and may confuse some people..."Polenta" is the finished meal..."Corn Meal" is the ingredient that is needed to make POLENTA., also I use 2 cups of cold water to 1 cup of cornmeal for a thicker polenta. To diminish any concerns of lumps, just add some corn meal to cold water, stir then add it to the boiling water and stir constantly.

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Cookies

Living In: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

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Reviewed: Oct. 8, 2007

In Romania, this is not cooked quite as long as this recipe says, and it is called mamaliga. We serve it with sour cream and/or feta-style salty cheese on top. It really is this simple, and it is a nice (and quicker) alternative to mashed potatoes.

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CBARBUSCA

Cooking Level: Intermediate

Home Town: Bradenton, Florida, USA

Living In: Bucharest, Bucuresti, Romania

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Reviewed: Sep. 9, 2007

I agree with italiangirl that this needs less water - you just need to cut the heat when you put in the cornmeal. I took it a step further and put in about an eighth cup chopped up sundried tomato and about 3 TBSP prepared jar pesto. (I got the cheap stuff for $2.00 at Wally World). Some people may need salt, but it tasted just fine. Turned it our into an 8x8 pan to cool so it would have some shape. I was trying to come up with a way to make it into a tube (cylinder), similar to what is sold in the store, but nothing really fit the bill.

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Ben

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Reviewed: Jun. 11, 2007

This is the basic way to prepare polenta, which is cooked corn meal, I felt like giving it less stars b/c I was annoyed this recipe doesn't mention that. I pictured people walking through the store searching for polenta to add to the water...anyway, 3 parts water, one part cornmeal, and you have polenta. It take minutes to make before it thickens so don't be surprised based on the instructions. I like to chill mine a few hours then cut and grill it and top it with pasta sauce, grilled veggies and parm. yum!

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outnumbered

Home Town: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Living In: Flowery Branch, Georgia, USA

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Reviewed: Mar. 22, 2007

Very easy, but I only had to cook it for about 5 minutes until it was THICK. I used Quaker Yellow Cornmeal (Enriched and Degerminated)- I wonder if this is "quick cooking" polenta? Either way, it turned out good- I'm excited to fry some tomorrow!

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