The first time I encountered a recipe with polenta, I followed the instructions for cooking it the old-fashioned way, thinking “how hard can it be?” What I didn’t realize is that polenta is Italian for “sore arms.” Well, not really, but just try stirring that thick, heavy stuff for 20 minutes straight. You will never need to pay for a gym membership again.
The quick-cooking kind is better for those of us who have neither the time nor the upper-body strength required for the old-fashioned kind, but just because it cooks fast doesn’t mean its harmless.
“Warning: cooking polenta may be hazardous to your health.”
That’s what the cooking instructions should say. Get distracted while you’re cooking it and the next thing you know, hot polenta is shooting out of the pan in all directions. You see, polenta is so thick that steam gets trapped inside and when it builds up enough pressure to escape, kapow! It’s like Pompeii all over again.