Polenta

Made with less water than is used for soft polenta, the firm polenta in this appetizer has a texture like that of dough. Make sure the work surface, rolling pin and cookie cutter are wet — otherwise, the polenta will stick.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Here's a creamy, low-fat dish that rivals the homey goodness of mashed potatoes. Leftovers are great with scrambled eggs for brunch.

"Ever since I tried the polenta with mushrooms at Vinci in Chicago, I've made a point of stopping there when I'm in town," says Colby L. Crabtree of Lexington, Kentucky. "The dish is so popular that the management counts the orders. Every time they hit ten thousand, the guest who requested it gets a free trip to Italy. I’d be happy just to 'win' the recipe."

Little polenta "tarts" are filled with tomatoes, pine nuts, and blue cheese, then popped into the oven until the cheese melts.

"We lived in New York for several months, long enough to learn to love the creamy polenta at Union Square Cafe," says Ross and Karen Martin of Pasadena, California. "If you can't get their recipe, we might need to fly across the country to have the dish again." This polenta gets its richness from being cooked in a milk-cream mixture instead of the usual water or broth.

We love Marcella Hazan's "no-stirring" method for polenta — the following recipe is based on the one in her book Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. It does require some stirring, but not the constant attention of traditional methods. Active time: 15 min Start to finish: 1 hr

This soft polenta is good topped with parmesan and fresh thyme and rosemary.

Although traditional Italian polenta is simmered for nearly an hour, resulting in a very creamy consistency, for the following recipe we preferred the more rustic texture of this quickly cooked version.

These can be served with the Veal, Mushroom and Red Wine Sauce or as a side dish for grilled meats.

This recipe originally accompanied Rib-Eye Steaks with Roasted Red Peppers a Balsamic Vinegar .

Pureed squash adds wonderful color.

If you have leftover roast chicken or turkey, use it here and save a step. You'll need 3 cups of shredded meat.

A little bit of smoked mozzarella goes a long way in boosting flavor without adding much fat. Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 2 hr

Two kinds of cornmeal are essential here: The fine cornmeal keeps the coating together, and the polenta makes it crisp.

Maison Novelli offers this great entrée. You can find polenta and tapenade at Italian markets and some supermarkets.