SUNDAY "GRAVY"

Clocks reset.... Check. Realizing its 7:00 instead of 6:00 AM...Check. Blog and Sunday Menu... I'm on it. First- Congratulations to the Sansone-Guthartz Families on Maria and Joshua's Wedding. Good Luck to them both. SUNDAY GRAVY Around here, DC, my husband, which you will meet and get to love like I do, Is the cook. We used to cook together and than the ugly kitchen witch came into my house and now-it is HIS Kitchen. We do NOTHING alike. Me flavor/him safe (Think low everything). One thing we do agree on is any and all of the Italian he can make. One of our very favorite, very authentic Italian cookbooks is the no-non-sense, depression cooking, of Henry Hill: The WISEGUY COOKBOOK-My Favorite Recipes from MY Life As A Goodfella to Cooking on the Run. Many of these recipes provide the backbone for good, hearty, inexpensive meals. And all make fantastic leftovers. Due to my new-found "Agita" and Prilosec routine, we decided to find some comfort food without reflux. Two great thoughts, neither of which I can get enough; Polenta and Risotto with Peas. Both are sinfully easy and can be had with without spice and herbs but never suffer. The Polenta is for me, the truer comfort food of the two because prior to being she-she,froo-froo, we ate it as kids pretending to be German Settlers. Was not called Polenta and did not warrant a huge price tag per serving. The recipe I use is from the Wiseguy Cookbook and it is fine. Basic Stovetop Polenta 6 C. water 1tsp. Salt1C. Course grain Corn Meal 1-1/2 T Margarine or butter1 1/2-1 tsp. Black Pepper 1/4 C. Fresh Ground Parmesan Cheese (optional) 1 T. Olive Oil (optional) (Note: If you happen to have a heavy bottom copper pot called a paiolo, this is great to use for this recipe.Thank-You Evyelyn DiLoreto for mine.) 3C. Water heavy bottom pot (paiolo), and 3 C. water to regular sauce pan. Add salt and corn meal to water in heavy pan and stir with wire whisk to start and then switch to wooden spoon as it thickens. Heat the water in the suacepan to boil and then keep at a simmer. Heat the Polenta mixture to high heat to boil, stirring constantly. Lower heat and simmer, occasionally, for 10 minutes. When the mixture starts to thicken, add another cup of the heated water pan and stir well. Stir constantly for 2 minutes. Cover the pot and let it cook until mixture thickens, approx. 10 min. Polenta should be simmering fast but not boiling. Remove lid, stir well for about 30 seconds. Re-cover and allow to cook another 10 minutes before stirring another 30 seconds. If mixture is too thick,add 1/2 C. heated waterfrom the suasepan, at a time, stirring weel, (You probably won't use all the heated water.) Repeat process once more (for a total of 30 minutes). The polenta should be pulling away from the sides of the panwhen you stir it. If it is not,Stir well and cook another 5-10 minutes. It should have a smooth, not grainy texture. If serving immediately, remove polenta from heat and stir in butter and pepper, then optional cheese. Stir well to combine and serve. If making firm polenta for later use (**MY plan), Cook an extra 5 minutes to thicken a bit more. Lightly oil a 1-1 1/2 Qt. casserole and spoon warm polenta into it, smoothing on top with a spatula or knife.Cool to room temperature, cover with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for about one hour. Polenta will get firm as it cools. That's it. I am not going to add the chees into the polenta this time because my step-son likes the slightly sweet flavor without it. I'll add mine on th side. Because I DO LOVE FRESH Grated Parmesan. MANGIA!