For four people
Six to eight ounces of the finely ground cornmeal
A pint of water, boiled

"One more of the farinaceous foods beloved by Italians is the yellow maize flour, known as polenta, which can be obtained in Italian provision shops in this country. It can be bought either finely or coarsely ground, depending on he taste of the consumer. It appears frequently on the tables of the north of Italy, frequently being used in lieu of bread, and although the plain boiled polenta is stodgy and uninteresting, if it is allowed to cool, it can be cut into slices, or formed into small dumplings, something after the style of gnocchi, and can form the basis of a good many agreeable dishes. To cook sufficient polenta for four people, start off with six to eight ounces of the finely ground variety. Bring a pint of water to the boil in a fairly large saucepan, and to this add the polenta and cook slowly for about twenty minutes, stirring all the time. At the end of this time it should be thick and smooth. Spread it on a large plate that has been rinsed with cold water, allow to cool, and then either cut it into slices, or with floured hands form it into little dumplings the size of a small egg. The following are one or two ways in which the cooked product may be used."

This recipe was taken from "Italian Cooking" by Dorothy Daly. It was published by Spring Books in Great Britain. For the complete copyright-free cookbook see www.archive.org. A variety of recipes from Daly's "Italian Cooking" can also be found on this website... Photo: Mary Melfi.

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