“They look like grits, “ was the reply I got to my outraged exclamation when E asked about dinner the other night. Of course we both know they're pretty much one in the same – with apologies to any Italian friends who may beg to differ. Nonetheless in THIS household, there's a difference and for my beautiful polenta to have fallen apart into grits was something of a disappointment...even if they did still taste marvelous.
This isn't to knock grits but for someone who pretty much grew up in the South, I actually had very little experience with the stuff. Looking back I can laugh at my first reactions to the stuff and remember quite clearly being about 9 or so years old. We'd just moved to North Carolina and I belive were either still looking for a place to call home or in the process of moving into a house when my Mom took us (being younger siblings and me) to brekkie at a local diner. The special included grits with no other option and so, upon my plate, intruding on my scrambled eggs was this white, almost gelatinous...stuff. Oh, with a pat of butter dying on top. Mom and I shared a look before finally she took the first taste and likely saying it tasted fine.
I remember taking a taste and forgetting the whole incident until I had the Elfling and was left face to face with a bowl of the stuff the day after giving birth. Admittedly, I completely ignored it which left the nurses baffled and offering me, with most dubious looks, oatmeal. I politely declined and quietly starved till lunch. Fortunately, E's Mom taught me the fine art of making grits, including to add important things like salt and pepper. And cheese.
I think a big difference for me, in regards to polenta, is that it's fancier. It gets started with sauteed aromaticish things and cooked in broth as opposed to milk or water. It's always a savoury dish with garlic or herbs...or hell, both! Almost exclusively, I use parm cheese with it and maybe that's why it seems thicker than grits. Typing this I wonder too, if a difference between packaged grits and cornmeal affects that. Who knows?
Anyhow – what did happen to my polenta? I'll tell you what – kids did. The rule around here is that you need to be in by dark and I'd plotted for dinner to be ready around that time. My polenta was thick, creamy and just...all that is good. I had this fab veggie and tomato sauce to serve on top for those who wanted to try. Darkness fell across the yard and....my kids were nowhere to be seen. Not wanting my dish to dry out while keeping warm, I added a little milk and personally stewed before the Diva came in full of apologies. I can accept being late because of a house rule to help pick up after playing so she got a pass for that but reminded that clean up needs to start a little sooner next time.
In the wait for my eldest it seems polenta integrity collapsed. It turned looser, no longer thick and rich. Maybe too much heat? Too long a wait. It collapsed. Into grits. The Elfling...oooh....let's just say she thought she was being clever getting her little sister to summon me to the door, as if that would save her from being in the trouble she got. Heh....no such luck that night.
She found my keys in the forest the next day. The polenta? Delish...despite the collapse.
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