Recipe from Bert Greene, The Grains Cookbook

1. Slowly bring the milk to a boil in a medium-size heavy saucepan, the then gradually add the cornmeal. Whisk them together over medium-low heat until the polenta is smooth and thick, 5 minutes.

2. Using a bowl scraper, pour the mixture into a lightly buttered pie plate. Cool on a wire rack, and then refrigerate for 1 hour.

3. At this point, polenta may be sliced into wedges and either dusted with Parmesan cheese and baked, or lightly sauteed in butter. Serves 6 to 8.

Bert's Notes: "Cornmeal recipes abound in a clutch of surprising cuisines. Italians, for example - who would never consider chomping corn on the cob - dote on a dish called polenta, which is basically nothing more than cornmeal mush carried to gastronomic heights.

"In northern Italy there is a great mystique about the shape of the pot in which polenta is stirred; a U-shaped copper pan is adjudged the ideal utensil. However, not being Italian, I merely use any heavy-bottomed saucepan. And for a creamier texture, I prefer milk to water." p122.