Mamaliga - Also Known As Polenta

Mamaliga is the Romanian word for polenta. It is also the staple food of Romania, kind of like potatoes is for the Irish or rice is for basically all of Asia. I know Italians serve polenta oftentimes grilled or cut up into small pieces that they top with various things such as sun-dried tomatoes, but in Romania, we just cook it to a soft, creamy, cheesy consistency. It is like mac and cheese, without the mac. It is so freakin' good. I am not including the exact recipe here, but basically you mix about 2-3 parts of milk or water (I prefer milk for its creamier texture) with 1 part polenta or corn meal, bring it to a boil, turn down the heat and whisk like mad for about 5-10 minutes, until it thickens. We always add sour cream (I tend to have Greek yogurt at home so I use that) and plenty of parmesan cheese as it thickens, to give it wonderful creamy, cheesy flavor. Taste it to ensure that the little grains or grits are cooked and check for seasoning. You can add salt or just more parmesan cheese, which is salty in itself. It is usually served as a side dish with chicken (as in the picture below - and yes, I know that chicken looks like frog legs) or some kind of stew. It is excellent with stew. Give it a try. It's very good, very cheap and very fast to make.