When we were young, every winter my dad would get tickets to the annual Feast With Famous Faces, which was a charity event orchestrated by the not-for-profit League of Hard of Hearing which one of his friends was a part of. This event had restaurants from all over New York City showcasing their specialty dishes, with a cute gift bag at the end of the night that contained new products for attendees to try. This was the event of the year for me, and my love of food only intensified thanks to this.

Amongst monk fish liver pâté over crackers, yellowtail tartare, miniature creme brûlée, steak carpaccio, and all sorts of goodies that my sister and I would flit from table to table sampling for while my parents conversed with their friends, was a dish I had never forgotten—a simple creamy polenta with beef ragu. I have to confess I don’t remember which restaurant made it but I still remember how it tasted: smooth, soft, and not at all heavy like the polenta I would later come to be familiar with. It was almost porridge like in consistency. What I also remember is that I went back for thirds on that one!

I’ve always tried recreating it and have still not gotten anywhere near the polenta in my memory, despite my mother’s insistence (she is quite fond of polenta too) that it is already extremely delicious. Perhaps I never will reach that summit, or maybe the event itself made it extra memorable, but I have gotten close enough that a bowl of it brings a smile to my face. Fork tender short rib ragu makes for a wonderful topping, or meatballs and marinara, or some roasted veggies, especially on a cold winter’s day.

I pre-soak the polenta because otherwise it really just takes too long. Some people blend it a couple of times in the food processor as well, to make the pieces smaller. These two processes also make it extra soft which is what I’m after. Instead of pure stock, I add a dash of cream as well. This is not a terribly good recipe if you are looking to fry your polenta the next day (which is quite delicious), as it will fall apart quite easily, but it is a recipe that is absolutely made for leftovers and a good movie.

Ingredients for Polenta

• 1 cup Yellow Corn Meal/Polenta
• 4 cups chicken stock, split in half
• 1 cup milk or 1/2 cup cream with 1/2 cup stock.
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil 2 cups of chicken stock in a pot. Remove from heat and stir in polenta. Allow to sit, covered for 2-4 hours hours. You can start the ragu while waiting for the polenta to soak.
2. After soaking, add the rest of the chicken stock and heat on low, covered , stirring frequently to prevent the bottom from burning until fully cooked. About 30 minutes.
3. Once the individual grains are soft, stir in the milk and butter and continue to cook for another 7-10 minutes, also stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper to taste.