Gorgonzola and polenta, I don't get it...

[Tuba Dave]

So I keep reading about these two great foods. Chefs are waxing rhapsodic about gorgonzola and polenta.

Gorgonzola tastes bilious, polenta is just mush. Polenta with gorgonzola ends up as bilious mush.

Will someone please explain to me what I am missing? I just don't get it.

[GG Mora]

You don't care for gorgonzola; some folks do (some love it). You don't care for polenta; some folks do (some love it). You don't get gorgonzola and polenta? So don't eat it.

[Lindsay B.]

Tuba Dave, do you object to the texture of the polenta? Too soupy? Too rubbery? An experienced polenta cook can tell you how to adjust the texture. I have trouble getting the consistency I like: thick enough to hold the mark of a spoon, but still creamy. If anyone has any advice on how to obtain this texture, I'd be very grateful. Does it matter what cooking liquid you use? Milk, stock, water, etc.?

Most gorgonzola that you find in markets is mountain gorgonzola, which is sharp and pungent, with a dry crumbly texture. You might prefer Dolce gorgonzola which is sweeter, milder and creamier.

[SLAP]

I would let the polenta harden after you've prepared it and poured it into a shallow dish. when its hardened you can grill it or sear it, etc. Also try crumbling some of the gorgonzola in to the polenta before it cools and then letting it harden. Gorganzola definitely has a unique and strong taste. Dolce Latte is the best of them and it's much softer than other blue cheeses. Its also really more aqua green than true blue. so if you see that color your getting closer to the real deal. I make a pasta sauce with heavy cream and gorganzola that might be a good way to try the cheese. simply mash together some of the cheese with the heavy cream and continue with a big chunk and more cream until you have a stew like consistency. you can cook up some pasta, pour the sauce over and mix. (maybe top with a handful of crushed walnuts)

[Karl S.]

De gustibus non est disputandum...

[Joe H.]

"Bilious mush?" Perhaps a cooking lesson might be necessary to know what proper bilious mush should really taste like. Of course this will vary somewhat depending on the type of gorgonzola you are using. Dolce will tend to impart a sweeter edge to the mush while Mountain gorgonzola is a bit sharper while not quite as soft in texture. When absorbed into the mush, well, it could have an interesting texture.
Of course if you had used the proper arborio grain and decided to do risotto you wouldn't have this quandry. If you had added wine, stock, butter, reggiano and toasted the arborio first the result would have elicited moans rather than groans. You would be too busy eating to focus on superficial matters such as this which I doubt anyone will take as a serious post.

[krissy]

Wow Joe, you're nasty...

[Gideon]

Yeah, that was unnecessarily insulting. He also misread the original post somewhat....

[Tuba Dave]

I'm not insulted, I'm just mystified. I prepared the polenta by the Cook's Illustrated (1995) recipe. It was rich and creamy, no lumps, and quite a bit of work (double boiler, stir every 15 minutes, cook for 1.5 hours)for mush. It was good, maybe I expect too much from the descriptions I read.

Gorgonzola is difficult to come by here in Sioux Falls South Dakota. I am guessing it is not the highest quality or the most fresh. I did look all over Minneapolis and St. Paul for dolce gorgonzola last time I was there. The most highly recommended cheese shop (thank you chowhounds) was mystified by my request. My wife is convinced dolce gorgonzola is a mythical creature.

Usually after preparing a food that chefs rave about I understand the raves. I might not like it, but I understand it. But the polenta and gorgonzola situation has me befuddled.

Perhaps I will have a great experience with this in the future. Then I will understand

[Joe H.]

I'm sorry if I misunderstood your post. Respectfully to Souix Falls there are probably quite a few things that are not available there. Even here in Washington, D. C. when I buy gorgonzola dolce I have it cut fresh. There is also a variance from one block to another. Fresh gorgonzola dolce in Bologna is softer, creamier and much better than any I have ever tasted anywhere in America, D. C., New York and Boston's north end included. I am not in to polenta but regularly make risotto. Finding carneroli or vialone nano in a smaller or even medium size American city is impossible. Even larger cities such as Minneapolis are limited in what is available.
For this reason I've actually carried raw ingredients with me on airplanes to cook for friends who live elsewhere.
Some things you can buy through the internet and have shipped to you. I am certain that someone can ship you gorgonzola dolce overnight using blue ice to keep it cold. This will probably be representative but not as good as the best if you could hand pick it in Dean and DeLuca in Washington. And, again, that is not as good as what is available at the city market in Bologna.

[9lives]

This is an excellent market in Boston's North End. I shop here regularly. I haven't tried their mail order (too easy to just walk in) but the quality and selection in the store is excellent and I would guess they do a good job with mail order. I know they've shipped all over the country. They carry a large assortment of cheeses, cold cuts, and condiments.

Link: http://www.salumeriaitaliana.com/

[flavrmeistr]

Don't worry about it. It ain't for you, that's all. After that uneaten polenta sits in the refrigerator for a day or two, slice it in slabs about 3/4" thick and fry 'em up in some bacon grease. A few fried eggs, biscuits and coffee to go with and you're ready to shovel the walk. Save that gorg for a nice salad. Or, eat it as is with a crusty loaf of bread and a bone-dry Chianti, the way God intended.

[Eric Eto]

There are a few different kinds of Gorgonzola available, but the one you want to use is dolce latte gorgonzola usually wrapped in a gold foil. The harder mountain gorgonzola is wrapped in a silver foil. Both of these are Italian products and whenever you see a gorgonzola recipe, you should be using either one of these. There is a domestic gorgonzola produced in wisconsin by Stella, which is a pretty lousy product. Be sure to avoid this one.

[mangiabene]

Eric I'd like to second your point on Stella's "gorgonzola". Occasionally I'll order something from a restaurant and discover later, after a frustrating experience with a dish,that they used this brand,which is undistinguished and,to my mind, not real gorgonzola. Now, I have to ask before my order about the specific gorgonzola the chef is featuring. When I lived in Italy, the common distinction was between "dolce" and "piccante" types. For some reason,many of us are especially dolce crazy.

[Mr Grub]

Here's a place to get gorgonzola in SD.

Link: http://www.igourmet.com/shoppe.asp?ca...

[tony]

Happy Holidays to you Professor Risotto!

[Dor]

As a frequent guest in Tuba Dave's home (and one who ate of the "bilious mush"), I must defend Dave's culinary skills. While I'm sure he would thoroughly enjoy a cooking lesson, I don't think his skills were the issue. If you had had the opportunity to sample the marvelous grilled pork loin that accompanied the bilious mush I'm sure you'd concur. The bilious mush was not bad; it simply wasn't a "wow."

[Sharuf]

Years ago, Mom would feed the family and hired hands one of several kinds of mush for breakfast. Corn meal mush was one of them, and soft polenta is virtually identical, so I just can't think of it as a starch to put on the dinner plate.

Let it cool and firm up overnight, and then broil or fry the pieces and it makes a quite proper accompaniment to lots of things.

[SLRossi]

Really? Polenta prepared properly with copious amounts of Reggiano in it is the best. It's a wonderful complement to so many meats. I find that most folks who don't like polenta haven't had it prepared correctly, like fish. It's great to trade in your rice and potatos for something different. I grew up with it, and must admit it wasn't my favorite back then, but now...

[Barbara]

Could you tell me how to prepare it correctly? I've never had it good and I figure it was because of the way it was prepared. I would love to do it right - cause I do get tired of the same rice and potato things. Many thanks in advance!

[SLRossi]

Glady... Enough for 6 servings. Boil 4 cups water, whisk in 1 cup polenta. Reduce heat to a simmer. The polenta needs to cook for 30-45 minutes and you may need to add water to keep the right consistency (very loose, but not watery.) Whisk every few minutes. Add 1/2 cube of butter or more, or as much as your conscience will allow, add 1 - 2 cups grated parmessan (Reggiano is the best and the cheese you choose WILL determine the fate of your polenta!), and salt and pepper to taste. For variations you can substitute white cheddar or favorite cheese, and/or add your favorite fresh herb, etc. Cooking polenta is an art, it is not a science. I serve it with chicken cacciatore for a flashback to childhood, or a great meal is to grill up some simple pork chops, place them in the center of the plate on a serving of the polenta, and some french green beans.... yum.

[Barbara]

Thanks! I have some good Reggiano in the frig and will try it next week.

[Gideon]

I have a gorgonzola steak recipe that's just terrific. I don't eat gorgonzola often, but I like it on this particular dish.

Maybe you've just tried it with the wrong food combos.

[pwrube]

Would you be willing to share the recipe? Email me if you'd like. Thanks!

[Gideon]

I'd be happy to -- might be after Thanksgiving before I can get around to it, though.

[pwrube]

Not a problem whatsoever! Would really appreciate it! Have a wonderful and safe holiday.

[pwrube]

Hi Gideon....just a gentle reminder, if you can, to email that gorgonzola and steak recipe! Would love to see it and try it! Thanks.

[ironmom]

Try this:

After pan-grilling your steak, put it on a plate, pour some brandy in the hot pan, then heavy cream. Add gorgonzola, mash and simmer until the cheese melts into the sauce and it thickens a bit. Pour over the steak. Serve.

[pwrube]

Thanks! Will give this one a shot!

[Donna - MI]

I think you should consult with Mario Batali before you give your final opinion on this subject of polenta and gorgonzola.

He can cook for me anytime. D.

[Sarah C]

Hey Tuba Dave, you should move to New Orleans. You will hardly ever be bothered by either gorgonzola or polenta here. (I have to eat mine at home.)

[stevesa]

Gnocchi with gorgonzola sauce is delicious (this sauce attenuates the sharpness of the cheese quite a bit). I believe that there's a recipe in Marcella Hazan's "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking." As for the polenta, maybe it's the inexplicable bland, coarse/creamy texture experience. I grew up in rural N.C. and ate grits all the time, and the two are very similar. I love them both.

[GG Mora]

Polenta is, to my mind, more a vehicle for something else (as is pasta) than an end in itself. At the restaurant where I used to work, we made polenta and then blended in creme fraiche, duck fat, grated parmesan and some butter, then topped it with a wild mushroom "stew". It didn't taste anything like polenta (wierd, huh?).

My apologies for the snarkiness of my first response; I thought you were just trawling for trouble.

[Deb Van D]

Oh, heck, it made me laugh. Succinct, terse, laconical, all those things.