Polenta Cake

Polenta cakes are very easy to make and do make a nice side or appetizer and they freeze well. They might be better with butter or cheese but I keep them healthy style because I think they are creamy enough as they are.

All they are is for two dozen muffins are 9 cups boiling salted water that you add 2 cups of regular polenta. Bring down your heat to simmer for at least 20 minutes. Then pour into two muffin pans and bake at 400 degrees till slightly browned. Salt and pepper the tops lightly but don’t remove from pan till they are cool.

You can make them plain or add things to them. The ones pictured have corn kernels, hatch chilies, onions, red bell pepper, jalapeño and cilantro. I just threw them into mixture as it simmered.

Speaking of Polenta

Polenta from the Wriggly Mansion

I will never forget the Polenta tower that was served to me at the Wriggly Mansion. It sort of looked happy to see me. It was very stiff and bread like. Honestly I think the chef just used muffin mix and mixed it with polenta. The Wriggly Mansion has hired a new Chef since my visit.

Home Made Pizza

I think everybody likes Pizza.

I think the recipe for pizza is pretty basic. I don’t measure pizza dough and just go by how it feels as I move along. I start it by about a tablespoon of sugar and a pack of yeast in a very large bowl. I add a few cups of 100-110 degree water to the bowl and let it sit maybe a 1/2 hour till it gets really foamy. I then dump in bread flour and mix it up and then add 3 Glunks of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and about a tablespoon of Kosher Salt (I hate regular table salt) I add flour and hand mix till it feels like pizza dough, roll in a ball, cover with plastic wrap and proof in my oven till in rises. I punch the dough down and let it rise one or two more times.

To get a crispy crust in my oven for me it’s a two part process. I stretch out my pizza dough on a pizza pan that’s brushed with Extra virgin Olive oil and either corn meal or semolina flour at 475 degrees. The pizza cooks for about 5 minutes. I flip the pizza out (so the bottom is up on my pizza board, top the pizza. (home made sauce slightly thickened with tomato paste for the right pizza taste and my blend of pizza cheese, mozzarella, mild provolone and sharp provolone, a pinch of seasoning of fresh ground salt, pepper, oregano, basil and a micro pinch of garlic and a spray of extra virgin olive oil across the cheese.

Now this pizza goes onto a pizza stone at 475 degrees for around 5-6 minutes. It’s best to get your oven as hot as possible for the pizza but I find that 475 is the best temperature because your pizza stone can crack at 450 degrees but I find if you keep them oiled 475 works fine.

Pizza is whey good and that’s the Forking Truth!