The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-01-04
An italian Way to Cook Indian Corn.


Most people in this country cherish the
conceit that the use OF Indian corn for
human food Is substantially confined to the
United States: yet. II they were to see the
immense. the Incompatible. fields OF maize
which occupy all the land In southern Hun
gary, In Servia, In Bulgaria. and In Rou-
mania. they would confess that they had
never beheld such extensi> plantations OF
maize in all North America. We are also
proud OF our ways OF cooking this grain.
and whoever has had the good fortune to
taste that admirable sort Of bread which
they call pons In southern Maryland.
Virginia, and North Carolina. will agree
that the culinary artists Of those regions
know how to make from corn meal what
tho Lmchburo Neps Justly describes as
lone OF the most delicious and substantial
dishes In the world"
Nevertheless. dish equally delicious and
equally delicate is made Of corn meal In
Italy and IL In universal use there. Its
common name is polenta. and II our friend
at Lynchburg should chance to partake of
1t ct Milan or at Naples, he would admit
It deserves quito as much praise as In
his enthusiasm he bestows upon the vir.
ginia pones.
For the information Of our readers We
have obtained recipes for the making Of
polenta from two Italian culinary artists:
and here Ia one OF them kindly furnished by
Slgnor BRIaNoLI Of the Fifth Avenue:
.Ths water must be boiling. Put in salt enough 10
favor. and add Indian meal slowly taking care that Il
contains no Jumps L.: tho whole become quite thick
and stir It constantly to prevent burning 1t must
boil at least fifteen minutes"
This is simple enough. but tho product Is
pretty sure to be good: and the reader will
notice that it IL not 80 very different from
Yankee hasty pudding.
Signor MoRELLo Of Twenty.ninth street
employs both wheaton -four and corn meal
In making polenta: and this Is the way:
"rhe meal should bs Of tho yellow kind. Put the
wheaton -four into boiling water stirring thoroughly
and then put In equal quantity Of yellow corn meal
Care must be taken to prevent lumps from forming
The polenta should be thick and fairly firm sauce
frequently made for II 10 Of nnely chopped onions
boiled In olive oil Tomato may also be used In
serving game and especially brds slces Of polenta
soaked In gravy arc sometimes employed instead OF
toast a. garnish Polenta may also be fried sicea
like hominJ."
Now we come to the recipes OF the Re del
Clochi, a standard Italian book. which re-.
veals q thousand secrets Of the art Of arts.
that Ia to say. the art Of cooking:
MAKE Try Of olive oil and onions: add to It tomato
Juice or preserved tomstoea Salt much water as
you dnd necessary and when hot pour upon the fry
Continue heat until It bois and then drop In corn
meal letting It fall little by little while you stir II with
. adle. that It may not form Jumps. For quart OF
water q quarter Of . pound Of meal will suffice Al
soon the poenta IL cooked. dish It up and with
grated cheese"
As our readers will observe. this is q rather
complex form OF the dish In question, but
here is one that is simplicity itself:
"Polenta is also made BY boiling yellow meal with
salted water merely that 10 to say without the chop
ped onions fried oil but In that DO sea.
soned with butter and grated cheese before taking OF
the fire."
From the same instructive manual we
take another recipe which provides for O
kind Of polenta that is more highly seasoned.
and adapted. perhaps. for more distin-
guished occasions:
"Put two ounces Of yellow meal to boil In three
quarts Of milk with little pinch Of salt When the
polenta half cooked. from the IRE and add
yolks eggs well beaten with pinch Of powdered
cinnamon Add besides ounce of butter and half
ounce OF powdered crackers Work the whole into
paste and finish cooking In q buttered stamp With
nre above and below As the surface has taken
| on . handsome golden color. servo 1t on the table,"
We presume that with these various reci-
pes our housekeeping and artistic readers
| will find themselves enabled to furnish O
new and most excellent preparation OF corn
meal. II they succeed as well with it as the
cooks we have sometimes CHANGED upon In
beautiful Italy. they will thank US for the
information we have now suppl led.