Polenta with bananas and maple syrup, or cornmeal mush, can be a delicious alternative to oatmeal and shows up in many nations across the world. In Romania and Moldavia, it is known as “mamaliga”; in South Africa, as “mealie”. In 1607, English settlers who came ashore at present-day Virginia were offered steaming bowls of what the Native Americans called “rockahominy”, corn without skin. Polentina refers to a creamier, more liquid form of polenta that is often served in Italy as a comforting breakfast porridge and is used as baby food.
Recipe Courtesy of Williams-Sonoma. Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Collection Series, “Breakfast”, by Brigit L. Binns (Simon & Schuster, 2003).