polenta- beth b
TRANSCRIPT
Staple food in Northern Italy National Dish, “Italian Grits” Started out as one of the simplest foods made
from grain Coarsely ground corn meal Served as a sort of porridge with meats and
cheeses Also hardened in the form of a cake and even
cookies
Polenta
In Roman times, polenta was a staple for
mighty Roman Legions, as well as peasantry All preferred its simplicity and tastiness Besides buckwheat polenta introduced by the
Saracens, most of Italy’s polenta consumption was made from golden yellow corn to the Veneto’s white polenta
History
The old fashioned way is using a round bottom
copper pot called a Paiolo, and a long wooden spoon know as a Tarelle
Soft polenta requires a 3 to 1 ratio of water over heat while constantly stirring for 50min
Cooking polenta today is much easier and only requires occasional stirring
When finished it can be eaten soft, or poured onto a slab and cooled to form a cake
Making Polenta
The reason for polenta’s popularity is also because of
its versatility It can be served with everything, especially what is in
season or locally grown and raised Soft polenta can be a replacement for bread during a
meal Instead of a pasta dish, it could be served with butter
and cheese and shaved truffles Could also be layered into a lasagna like dish Or grilled and served with bruschetta toppings such as
mushrooms and tomatoes.
Serving Polenta
Made from coarsely ground corn meal– from
corn! Italy is the eight largest producer of corn in
the world Grown throughout Italy, but the highest
concentration is in Northern Italy Region of Vento accounts for 24% of the
nations total corn Corn is planted in April through mid May, and
is harvested in September and October
Indigenous Nature
Cheesy Polenta Recipe
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheesy-Polenta/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=polenta&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i4
https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE2NemX-FO4
Perfect Polenta Video
http://
www.delallo.com/articles/polenta-humble-porridge-fine-dining
http://www.lifeinitaly.com/food/polenta.asp http://
www.spectrumcommodities.com/education/commodity/statistics/corn.html
Sources