Boiled Cornmeal?

Well, I spent part of the morning making black bean and espresso chili with creamy polenta with leeks. The chili was simple because all the chopping involved was for the onions, everything else was assembled. It did take over an hour with cooking time, but luckily contained no butter. :) PS. I still haven't found instant espresso, instant coffee had to do.

Polenta is another story. I quickly chopped up the leeks to include with the corn meal. I never knew polenta was simply corn meal - I thought it was made from a special grain. The recipe was tricky here - it said to stir until it thickened, but to add water if it got too thick. Well, I guessed and it came out ok (it is always a guess with my cooktop). I am used to cornbread cooked in a cast iron skillet, so I'm not sure I will ever love polenta. Perhaps if I stir in honey and butter instead of leeks? :)