Creamy Parmesan Polenta →
In most places where corn or maize is grown, there is probably a local version of cornmeal mush that is used to make fried bread-like pancakes or is used as a vehicle to put a sauce or stew over. In Italy it’s called Polenta, in Kenya and Tanzania it’s called Ugali, Central African countries call it Sadza. In meso-America, Elote is a maize-based drink that dates back to pre-Columbian indigenous people and traditional corn tortillas (flatbread) have become a staple in many parts of the world. Indigenous native Americans made cornmeal porridge and fried cornmeal bread-like pancakes. Early American settlers made a sweet Indian Pudding using cornmeal instead of ground wheat which was scarce in the New World colonies. Hoe-cakes and Johnny-cakes are contemporary regional versions of fried cornmeal pancakes that date back to early U.S. European settlers, and of course, the southern U.S. version of polenta is called Grits. This polenta pairs well with the Braised Beef Short Ribs on the website/blog or a simple marinara, or sauteed vegetables.