The Pleasure of Cooking!

Who likes to eat fast food? Do you consider it healthy? Well there are various theories that critique the negative effects of fast food on our health.  A couple of decades ago a new movement has emerged around food.  The “Slow Food” movement!  This movement is an alternative to fast food.  Right now I am not discussing too much in detail on the Slow Food movement but today’s fast-paced life has left less option for many of us other than to rely on fast, packaged, and processed food with preservatives added to it.

Personally I am not a big fan of fast food.  I prefer to cook and eat my food when I am at home.  I get a chance to eat what I want to eat and it also gives me an opportunity to concentrate my attention and relax.  When I am cooking, I am with the food and I only think about cooking and the food.  At least I know what is in my food and I am aware what goes in my mouth and stomach.  Last week I ate a new dish, Polenta.  Polenta is a famous Central European dish.  It’s origin is from Northern Italy, France, and Switzerland.  I liked this dish as it is simple to make and tastes good.

Polenta is made from corn.  Cornmeal is made thick by adding it to boiling water.  To me it first looked like semolina (rava in Hindi).  Initially it also tasted like semolina made in an Indian style.  While in India I ate semolina either salted (upma) or sweet (sheera).  In India salted semolina is made with onion, green chili, ginger and garlic paste, coriander leaves, curry leaves, mustard seeds, water, salt, and oil.  Whereas sweetened semolina and is made with clarified butter (ghee), sugar, water, milk, dry fruits, and some spices can be added to increase the aroma and flavor.

How to make Polenta?

Ingredients:

One cup Polenta

Three cups of water 

Olive oil (for greasing the tray/utensil)

Salt

Cooking time (10-15 minutes)

Boil water add salt and add Polenta as the water boils.  Keep stirring to avoid lumps.  Once the water is absorbed and Polenta is cooked remove it in a tray/utensil greased with olive oil.  Spread cooked Polenta in the pan and top it with your favorite cheese and tomato sauce.  The Polenta dish that I ate was topped with Mozzarella cheese.  With this I had sides such as cauliflower and oven cooked meatballs in tomato ragout.  Polenta with cauliflower and meatballs was an entrée dish.  Of course I started my meal with a greens salad. 

This dish was healthy, nutritious, and gave me the required calories.  It also gave an opportunity to learn a non-Indian dish.  In my next blog I’ll introduce you to the concept of food and some basic tips on hygiene in the kitchen.  Don’t forget to cook food and eat whenever you get time.  Till then eat healthy and stay fit.  

Shabeena Saveri