You Say Polenta; I Say Mush!

I first took notice of Polenta while watching a cooking competition on The Food Network.  I recognized the dish, but not the name.  Back in the hollow, we called it mush.  It is basically cornmeal and water.  We would cook it up and pour it into empty tin cans.  Once it was cold, we'd empty it out and cut it into slices.  Mom would fry it up in a little butter until it was cripsy on the outside.   Most times we would put a spoon of blackberry jam on it for breakfast.  I never dreamed or heard of anything called Polenta.  But, I suppose you can charge more for mush if you call it something fancy or foreign.
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Have you noticed how much they charge for rolls of Polenta in the grocery store?  Try saving some money and make your own.  Here's a vintage recipe, but you would still make it the same today.  Try experimenting with adding different spices.  Tell your family it's Polenta when you serve it, but know it as mush in your heart.

CORN MEAL MUSH

Allow one pint of yellow or white corn meal and one teaspoonful of salt to a quart of water. Sprinkle meal gradually into boiling salted water, stirring all the time. Boil rapidly for a few minutes, then let simmer for a long time. Very palatable served with milk; some people like it with butter and pepper. For fried mush let it get cold, then cut in slices, dip in flour and fry in butter until brown