My first mouthful of Polenta seemed to me to be a heavenly cross between cheese grits and cornbread stuffing — two of the most perfectly delicious dishes in the world (especially to a Southern girl.) From that one scrumptious bite, I was hooked — and you will be, too. That’s why polenta will play a part in what’s for dinner tonight.

Polenta has a reputation for being difficult because it takes some time to cook properly (no, you can’t use the instant stuff — that’s not learning how to cook; it’s just learning how to open packages). And tradition holds that it must be stirred constantly to acquire the proper texture without scorching.

However, with a nice, low, even heat under a sturdy pan, you can let your polenta simmer gently while you prepare something to accompany it, giving only the occasional stir to keep things moving along smoothly.

We’re going to let this meal be a little bit more freeform than usual. We suggest your favorite roast or chop with a nice, savory sauce (a mushroom glaze, perhaps?) served over our delicious, creamy Gorgonzola Polenta. For a vegetarian version, serve it alongside Oven-Roasted Asparagus with Dijon Lemon Sauce or Roasted Root Vegetables. Or go spicy with Arroz con Pollo.

Following the Gorgonzola Polenta recipe will help you get a nice grasp on the basic process for making a classic creamy polenta. When you’re ready to branch out, you can start adding in your own flavors and additional textures.

Here are some basic tips, though, that hold true for any polenta attempt:

• Keep an eye on it! Even though you don’t really have to keep stirring continuously if you keep the heat low to medium low, you still need to watch the liquid level.
• Don’t microwave it.  There seems to be a big push lately in favor of microwaved polenta. But anyone who’s ever microwaved anything knows things just don’t turn out quite right when they’re nuked. They may still taste OK, they may even be delicious … but microwave foods rarely taste like the real thing. At least give your polenta a chance the first few times, and clear off a stove burner.
• It’s not grits. I love grits. You (should) love grits. But polenta and grits are two different things. Polenta still retains a husk in a way that grits do not, and it requires a slightly longer cooking time. You can serve the two dishes in similar ways. But respect their differing heritages when learning how to prepare them.
• It doesn’t have to be bland. People will tell you polenta is nothing but cornmeal mush, and that they ate it as kids and hated it. But don’t judge a food by someone’s else’s (or your own) childhood impression of it. One of the reasons why people feed bland foods to children is because kids often reject usual or intense flavors they later grow up to love. Tired parents default to feeding youngsters foods that are inoffensive yet boring … and those kids grow up to hate those same boring foods. (You often can feed kids interesting foods by getting them involved in the process… but that’s fodder for a different blog.) Your polenta can be creamy and intensely flavorful. Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

Once you’ve mastered the basic polenta recipe, you can move on to more interesting textures and uses. Try our Polenta and Tomato Lasagna. Or find your own creative ways to work it in — we’ve even seen mention of firm polenta as a “crust” for a pizza-style casserole.

Happy Eating… and Pleasant Polenta!

So, we talked about gnocchi and how to avoid ending up with flavorless lumps. If you need a little bit of visual reinforcement, this may help:

And for an even-simpler step-by-step look, check out our tutorial, here.

When making our souffles, make sure to follow the step to run a finger around the edge of the souffle dish right before baking.  This way, your souffle will rise straight up as it bakes.

Nuts and seeds can be toasted in the oven by spreading them in a single layer over a baking sheet and baking them on 350 degrees until they become fragrant (8-15 minutes).  Or, toast them in a pan on the stove over medium-low heat.  Make sure to toast in small batches to fit your pan, and stir constantly until fragrant (2-5 minutes).

OK, that title pun was overdone. But these two products will help you ensure that you can cook healthy eggs perfectly every time.

Poaching eggs can be a little hard to master for some — we’ve seen eggs dropped in at the wrong time that turned into shrapnel the minute they hit the water. But a poached egg has many of the flavor and texture qualities we love about a good fried egg … without the grease. So it’s worth your while to make them a part of your repertoire.

The easiest way to do this? Poach Pods!

No, these are not some alien invention out to steal your breakfast. They’re handy little silicone cups that go right into the water and cradle your eggs until they’re all yummy. Just crack your egg right into the pod, and then put the whole shebang into a pot of boiling water. When it’s done cooking, the perfectly shaped egg (no rough edges here) will slip out of the pod easily without leaving eggy residue behind. And they’re dishwasher safe.

We’ve talked boiled eggs before. But now that you’ve practiced and mastered your technique, why not make it even easier?

The Egg N Time combines two, two, TWO tools in one, taking some of the gathering-and-preparing work out of the egg boiling process. This device features a flower-shaped base that sits in the pot and cradles your eggshells as they boil. Set the integrated timer, and you’re good to go. When your eggs are done, you can just lift the entire apparatus out of the pot and place it in a sink or large bowl full of cool water.

Yep … Two kitchen tools egg-straordinaire.

Find a place to buy these egg-ceptional (ha!) tools … and more.

If you are planning to make caramel apples this season, make sure you remove the wax applied to the apples (if you are buying them from the store). Dip the apples briefly in boiling water or scrub with baking soda. Make sure your apples are completely dry before dipping into the caramel.

When beating egg whites it is best to have your eggs at room temperature.  The warmth will cause the proteins in the eggs to expand more.

When making homemade whipped cream,  put your bowl and mixing beaters into the freezer before whipping.  The colder the better,  so you can even put your bowl on ice to help keep the cream chilled while you whip.

When you have over salted your soup, don’t throw it out!  Add chunks of potatoes to the soup to absorb the extra salt.  You can remove the potatoes before you serve the soup.

When cracking eggs, you should always crack them into a separate bowl in case of bad eggs or shells.  If you get a piece of shell into your bowl, use another egg shell piece to fish it out.  The shell attracts to itself so you don’t have to chase it around the bowl.