recipe: polenta with fontina and mixed mushrooms

When I was researching foods for my long term pantry this Spring I became curious what the difference between corn meal, polenta, and masa was. I discovered that they are all made from corn, however, are ground and processed differently which therefore makes each one useful in varying ways.

Cornmeal - A fine or medium flour that has a gritty/sandy texture best used for baking cornbread, dusting pizza peels, or making crusts for fried foods.

Polenta - A specific type of coarse ground yellow cornmeal and made into a creamy porridge dish, hailing from Italy, or letting it cool into a solid log, slicing it, and frying or baking it. The confusion comes because you technically could use corn meal to make polenta. However, standard corn meal is often fine or medium grind. So, if you plan to make polenta and were going to buy an item labeled as corn meal versus polenta, you would just want to check that the corn meal was a medium or coarse grind to ensure that your finished cooked polenta didn't turn out pasty. Conversely, if you have a package labeled polenta you can make cornbread from it. But due to the coarser grains, your finished baked cornbread will have a denser crumbly texture versus the softer cakelike texture you would get from the fine or medium grains of cornmeal.

Masa - Very finely ground and has been undergone a process called nixtamalization (soaking and cooking dried corn in an alkaline solution like a lime water) best used to make corn tortillas and tamales.

Because of this prior research, when perusing through Cheesy: 50 Boards & Recipes by Farideh Sadeghin, the first recipe that popped out at me to try was Polenta with Fontina and Mixed Mushrooms.

Polenta with Fontina and Mixed Mushrooms

Ingredients:

Polenta

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1 cup polenta

6 ounces shredded fontina (I used gruyere)

3 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream (I used whole milk yogurt)

salt

Mushrooms

3 tbsp unsalted butter 

2 tbsp olive oil

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 1/2 pounds mixed fresh mushrooms, thinly sliced (I did not have access to mixed mushrooms so I just used one kind)

1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme

3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/2 cup white wine (I did not have this so I omitted, which I assume didn't give me a glaze, but the mushrooms were still great)

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Instructions:

To make the polenta:

In a heavy medium saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat, combine the milk and 2 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low, slowly add the polenta, and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and creamy, about 30 minutes. Stir in the fontina, butter, and creme fraiche, and season with salt. Keep warm.

To cook the mushrooms:

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and olive oil together. Add the shallot and saute until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until their liquid is released, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the thyme and garlic and cook for 2 minutes, then stir in the wine and vinegar. Cook until the liquid has reduced and the mushrooms are lightly golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. 

To serve, spoon the polenta into bowls and top each with some of the mushrooms.

This polenta was so easy to make and had a great flavor yet still allowing the polenta to shine through. I'll definitely be reaching for this recipe often this Fall when I want a cozy warming feeling just like I would get if I was craving macaroni and cheese!

book review: Cheesy - 50 Boards & Recipes, from Fondue & Poutine to Grilled Cheese & Cheesecake by Farideh Sadeghin

Thank you Chronicle Books for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

This book is an absolute beauty! The warm colors of the photography perfectly evoke the cozy comfort of a cheese-focused meal. I was eager to jump right in. The author, Farideh Sadeghin, brings an impressive culinary background - including seven years as a chef in New Zealand, a tenure as Test Kitchen Director at Saveur Magazine, and her current work as a recipe developer, video host, and frequent contributor to New York Times Cooking. I wholeheartedly agree with her introduction that "the uniting factor, regardless of the season, is that all of these dishes somehow include the same ingredient: cheese."

As a child, I was completely obsessed with cheese -- a passion that hasn't faded. I still vividly remember sitting two feet from the TV, entirely enamored by a PBS episode detailing how cheese was made, utterly gobsmacked that simple milk could transform into something so incredible. While my adult appreciation has shifted from the science of cheesemaking to simply enjoying it in all its global forms, this book is a perfect fit. It delivers fifty recipes dedicated to enjoying cheese both on a board and cooked into a dish.

While classic comfort foods like Mac and Cheese, Fried Mozzarella Balls, and Grilled Cheese are present, most of the selections push far beyond standard "cheesy" fare. Instead, Sadeghin introduces unexpected globally-inspired dishes like Asiago and Kimchi biscuits with Gochujang Butter, Paneer Chopped Salad, Skillet Sabzi, and Crab and Corn Rangoons. The book also features unique dessert creations such as Black Sesame Basque Cheesecake with Brownie Crust and chocolate mint pudding made from cottage cheese.

The book is divided into four seasonal chapters, each anchored by a custom cheese board tailored to the colors and flavors of that time of year -- one of my favorite elements of the book. The introductory sections also feature fantastic recipes for homemade board accouterments. I cannot wait to mix up the Red Onion Jam, Marinated Olives, and Sour Cream and Onion Spiced Nuts!

This book does also include brief discussion on topics such as the history of cheese, how it is made, types of cheese, how to store cheese, and which knives to use depending on the cheese. However, I appreciated that this book knew that it was not primarily a book on these topics. So, it kept it short and sweet and then moved on to the fantastic recipes!

Though I enjoyed the seasonal structure, a few recipes felt a bit forced into their respective quarters. Given how much I loved the unique, worldly variety of the cuisines, I am on the fence about whether a seasonal layout was the most effective choice, or if the book should have just focused entirely on the sheer breadth of the dishes.

I also have two minor critiques regarding presentation:

- The Cover Art: The current cover art suggests the book is strictly about selecting cheeses and crafting cheese boards. A photo showcasing the actual range of cooked recipes might better represent the diverse content inside.

- The Knife Guide: In the "Cheese Knives" section, a labeled visual diagram of the different knives would have been incredibly helpful for easy identification, rather than relying solely on text descriptions.

Overall, I thoroughly loved this cookbook and cannot wait to cook my way through a plethora of these recipes! It is a stellar addition to any seasoned cook's collection. It would also make a spectacular gift -- perhaps tied with a beautiful ribbon and a real cheese knife!

rock snake on the Paul Bunyan Trail

The rock snake on the Paul Bunyan Trail in Pequot Lakes, Minnesota continues to grow! 

My favorite is the hotdog!