Polenta (pictured, left center), or cornmeal, is a staple of Northern Italian cuisine. Inexpensive, it's an excellent alternative to rice or pasta. Cooking it from scratch requires about 30 minutes of constant stirring (if you stop, the cornmeal will stick to the bottom of the pot, then burn). Instead, we used the quick-cooking variety, which takes only 5 minutes. Don't limit polenta to dinner-time. For breakfast, enjoy it with a touch of butter along with bacon and eggs.