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.\" setup for recipe document, to be printed by rctypeset, rcshow or rcbook
.\"
.\" Type Codes:
.\"   A  appetizer, snack	B  bread, pasta
.\"   D  desert			L  Beverage		M  main dish
.\"   O  other			S  sauce		SL  salad
.\"   SP  soup			V  vegetable dish
.\"   ---------------------------------
.\"   no longer used: [C  cake, cookie, candy]
.\"   ---------------------------------
.\" .RH MOD.RECIPES-SOURCE "RECIPE-ID(<=15 UC char)" "type code" "date"
.RH MOD.RECIPES-SOURCE "POLENTA" "B" "8/13/99"
.\" .RZ "RECIPE TITLE IN CAPITALS" "One-line description of it"
.RZ "POLENTA" "polenta, optionally with seasonings such as garlic and onions, or cooked with stock, or finished with cheese"
.\"   ---------------------------------
.\" Introductory comments; use .PP between paragraphs.
.\" Cite full cookbook reference or other sources.
A major starch.
When hot and soft, as when just prepared,
it can be eaten alone, with butter or cheese melted into it,
or it can be used as a bed for a main dish,
or it can be eaten as a side dish, especially with braises.
When allowed to cool and then sliced or cut into various forms and
grilled or fried or heated,
it again can be eaten alone with butter, or as a bed or side dish,
or as part of a salad or appetizer, etc.
.PP
It can be cooked seasoned only with salt, 
or also with aromatics such as garlic or onions, 
or cooked with stock instead of water,
or finished with added cheese, especially Parmesan.
.PP
From CIA, page 835-836; HAZAN, page 273ff; KAMMAN, page 484.
.\"   ---------------------------------
.\" Ingredients Header; give servings or volume.
.IH "4-6 servings"
.\"   ---------------------------------
.\" Ingredient entry: .IG "amount" "item"
.\" optionally followed by lines of text with qualifying information
.\" and so forth for additional .IG items.
.\" Use .sp # to space between blocks of ingredients.
.IG "" "double boiler,"
holding about 2 quarts
.IG "" "buttered dish"
or
.I loaf pan
to hold and to form polenta if it is to be cooled
.sp
.IG "1 cup" "coarse-grained yellow cornmeal,"
preferably Italian; approximately 6 oz
.IG "4 cups" "boiling water"
or 
.I chicken stock
or
.I vegetable stock
.IG "1 tsp" "salt,"
or to taste; no salt if stock is salted
.sp
OPTIONAL SEASONINGS:
.IG "1/2 tsp" "pepper,"
or to taste
.IG "2 Tbsp" "butter"
.IG "3 oz" "grated Parmesan cheese"
.IG "2 Tbsp" "shallots"
or
.I onions,
minced
.IG "1 Tbsp" "garlic,"
minced
\"   ---------------------------------
.\" Procedure header
.PH
.\"   ---------------------------------
.\" Procedure step: SK step_number
.\" followed by text describing that step
.\" and so forth for additional steps
.SK 1
Saut\*(e' the shallots and garlic if they are to be added.
.SK 2
Set up the double-boiler and bring its water to a boil.
.SK 3
Bring the cooking stock or water to a boil, separately from the double
boiler.
Add the salt.
Add the cornmeal slowly to the boiling stock with vigorous whisking or
stirring.
Put the mixture 
in the double boiler and cook 40 to 50 minutes with frequent stirring,
bringing the mixture up from the bottom, and loosening it from the sides of
the pot.
.SK 4
The polenta is done when it forms a mass than pulls cleanly away from the
side of the pot.  
A spoon should stand up straight in the mixture.
As it begins to cool it should be thick and firm enough to
quiver.
.SK 5
When the polenta is done, add the (selection) of optional seasonings,
stir to mix thoroughly, then taste and adjust seasonings.
.SK 6a
To serve hot, turn the polenta out into a bowl moistened with cold water,
let it cool perhaps 10 minutes, then invert to unmold
onto a serving platter.  Serve at once, possibly with the center of the
polenta dome removed and replaced with the meat dish prepared to go with it.
.SK 6b
To serve cold, fill a mold with the polenta and let cool at room
temperature and then in the refrigerator.
When cold, the polenta cake can be sliced or cut into possibly cute forms,
then fried or grilled or steamed to reheat.
.\"   ---------------------------------
.\" Notes header
.\" Enter notes (commentary); use .PP to separate paragraphs.
.NX
In place of the garlic and shallots, use a medium onion finely chopped.
.PP
A cylindrical cake can be made by turning out slightly cooled but still
very warm polenta onto a sheet of saran wrap, 
then rolling into a rough cylinder
and tightening the ends to force into a truer cylinder.
.\"   ---------------------------------
.\" Rating
.SH Rating
.I Difficulty:
regular attention required during cooking of polenta.
.I Time:
10 minutes preparation, 50 minutes to cook.
.\" .I Precision:
.\" ?
.\"   ---------------------------------
.\" Wrapup:
.\" Signature information. As a minimum you should list your
.\" name, network address, organization (company, university, etc.), and
.\" the city you live or work in.
.\" .WR
.\" John Rupley.
.\" .br
.\" Department of Biochemistry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85711
.\" .br
.\" rupley@cs.arizona.edu
