Buongiorno miei amata amici!

Accumulating dust in the corner of my counter top, I reluctantly pulled my slow cooker forward with “The Italian Slow Cooker” by Michele Scicolone in hand. My crock-pot once was my treasured appliance, but over time, the meat was getting too mushy and catching in our teeth and so it lost its position of glory. 

With my passion for cooking Italian, I often seek new cookbooks to inspire. It is gratifying to discover new dishes that bring my family back for seconds. At times, an author even teaches me how to make a staple in our household “better.”  In addition, I find it irresistible to tweak recipes and improve them. 

Accordingly, when I perused The Italian Slow Cooker, I was motivated to attempt some appetizing Italian meals without laboring over the stovetop. Polenta has come into play for my family, because of my son with autism and his need for gluten-free. He loves fried polenta dipped in our homemade marinara.

Michele Scicolone is a best-selling authority on Italian cooking, teaches cooking and wine-tasting classes around the world, and leads culinary tours in Italy. Additionally, she is Co-Food and Wine Editor of i-Italy.org.

Michele first gives instruction on the pros and cons of slow cookers and choosing one, followed by the golden section on Techniques and Tips. Do not skip this section! I cannot agree with her more about first preparing your aromatics on the stovetop, something I failed to do in the past when I used my crock-pot. To boot, she explains why browning your meat beforehand gives flavor, texture, and color. I will not put meat into my slow cooker without browning and seasoning it first. 

Next, Michele covers safety to prevent many varied issues followed by a chapter on stocking the Italian Pantry, which is very useful to a novice Italian cook.  I will cover more on the Italian Pantry from my perspective in another article, so as not to digress.

Not only do I appreciate Michele’s recipes, but also she gives serving suggestions, which really helps me comprehend how to utilize a dish I have never cooked before. Many times I am dissuaded to undertake a new recipe if I have no idea what to dish up alongside. In addition, Michele teaches food-styling classes which is evident in the photos of this cookbook. Pictures of the dishes whet my appetite.

The slow cooker does not work for everything, but you will be amazed at how many Italian dishes and desserts you can prepare in it and they do come out scrumptious. In The Italian Slow Cooker, Michele instructs on soups, sauces for pastas, risotto, polenta, grains, seafood, eggs, chicken, turkey, beef, veal, pork, lamb, vegetables, dried legumes, and desserts. The stovetop dishes that require massive amounts of stirring such as polenta and risotto are now simple. I can write an article while the polenta is babysitting itself!

Chunky Pork Shoulder Ragu over Polenta Recipe

I prepared several of the recipes from this cookbook and was delighted with the easy preparation and scrumptious flavors. I believe most cooks will be elated with this cookbook and the time it will free up for them to accomplish other things.

I assembled the Chunky Pork Shoulder Ragu (click link to view recipe). I often buy pork roasts, but the desire to use them in ragu was lacking. It turned out so hearty and tender without becoming mushy. The flavors were a perfect combination. Michele suggests serving it with hearty pasta like rigatoni or on polenta. We tried the latter recipe, Polenta with Pork Ragu. 

Having leftovers, I made panini (sandwiches) with the pork, a little of the sauce, mozzarella, fontina, and fresh basil spread between two slices of Italian bread swabbed in Olive oil and cooked in the oven until the cheeses melted. It hit the spot. If you don’t like the inside of your bread soggy, I would recommend you first put the bread under the broiler to brown it a bit, then layer the bread with the cheeses and put the sauce and basil between the cheeses, before returning it to the oven to bake.

I was delighted to learn an easy technique for making polenta. It cooked beautifully and turned out creamy. It was so uncomplicated.

Yesterday, I primed the Pears in Marsala recipe from this cookbook.  Something about the combination of flavors in the sauce, in the beginning, concerned me that it was not going to be very good. The scent did not appeal to me. However, after an hour of baking, the spicy scent filled our home and we could not wait for the pears to finish cooking! My palate distinguished the sauce as delectable.

Michele has earned my trust, as she is an excellent chef. She has a superior discernment on which ingredients will merge to make a dish delicious. Now when Michele speaks, I listen with the greatest respect.

Next in my slow cooker, I cannot wait to engage her Sicilian-Style Orange Chicken recipe!

 

Buongiorno miei amata amici!

“What you call Polenta, we called grits in the South. Polenta is just an Italian’s hyped-up name for grits!” I strolled away, deliberating that I had eaten Quaker Grits countless times for breakfast while growing up. Reflecting on the input, I concluded it must be the “instant” reason they cook so rapidly and effortless compared to Polenta.

No wonder everyone respects/fears the “Mamma” in an Italian family. Do you think the “Godfather” sends shivers through the spines of brave men? Just watch how a grown son trembles when “Mamma” calls him by his entire good Italiano name! Between making Risotto, Polenta, and homemade Pasta, “Mammas” have strong arms from all the stirring and rolling. Her arms and hands are nimble from spending hours talking with her hands. Her words slip off her tongue as quick as a lightning bolt. Don't mess with the Mamma!

Yet the difference in color between Grits and Polenta…simply a matter of white corn vs. yellow corn, I guess…

I guessed wrong. While there are similarities between polenta and grits, they are not equal. Fortunately, I met another “expert” on this matter who kindly explained to me that grits come from hominy, which is a different plant than corn, though of the same family. As I recollect, Quaker did call them Hominy Grits. I just cannot ever recall learning about “hominy plantations” in the South…

So what is polenta anyhow? How does it differ from grits or cornmeal mush for that matter? 

Polenta does indeed come from corn, but tends to be stone-ground more finely than cornmeal, thus making it a creamier and smoother dish when prepared. I purchase mine at my local grocery store, Winco, in the bulk, self-serve section. Polenta has its bran and germ intact from the process of grinding. If you look at the photo to the right, you can see the Polenta is flakier than the cornmeal. Click on the photo to enlarge it for better detail.

Grits on the other hand does come from hominy. However, hominy comes from corn. This is hulled corn stripped of its bran and germ. Cooks in the South would usually boil the hominy either whole or ground and serve it up much soft much the same as we eat mashed potatoes for a side dish. 

Before corn made its fashionable arrival in Italy, Polenta was made from ground chestnuts (gluten-free too) or farro (made from certain species of wheat, most commonly Emmer Wheat in Italy). Chestnut flour is still common in many dishes from Tuscany.

                                                                                                                     

Blessed with an amazing son who has autism, who also has a low-tolerance to gluten (he can have some, but not much or he gets intestinal cramps and consequences), we continue in quest of dishes to incorporate. Recipes that our family will enjoy and keeps the gluten down in our meals. Turns out Savory Fried Polenta, dipped in Marinara, (such as Bolognese, as we like our Italian Sausage in our sauce) was a grand slam. Today, I share with you our recipe for Polenta! Following the recipe are some tips for making it *dairy-free too if needed.

To make it even more fun, all you have to do is join in singing “La Bella Polenta” while cooking and eating and your family will be giggling up a storm. What a fun tradition! La Bella Polenta is the last post before this one.  Just click on the keyword La Bella Polenta to the right of this post.

Savory Fried Polenta Recipe

Ingredients:

Directions:

Warm the olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of Butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and salt then sauté for 4-5 minutes. Turn down the heat a bit and add the garlic and sauté for an extra minute or two.

Add the chicken stock, milk, and water. Turn up to medium high and bring to a boil. After liquid is boiling, gradually whisk in the Polenta meal.  Reduce the heat to low and continue to stir while cooking until the mixture is thick and the Polenta meal is softened, about 15-25 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, pepper, and then the Parmesan cheese. You can eat as is or now spread it into a parchment paper lined 13X9 cake pan, and cool completely in the refrigerator.

When Polenta is completely cooled you can cut it into squares or rectangles.  Brush each piece with olive oil and fry or grill. You can sprinkle each piece with more Parmesan while blotting excess oil on paper towels.

My kids prefer to dip their Polenta in the marinara while I prefer my Marinara poured on top like in pasta dishes.