Mush.

I’ve never been a great fan of polenta. But they’ve started selling it ready made, so I thought I’d give it a another shot. Due to a flash of inspiration, I’ve come up with something rather palatable.

First make your favourite tomato-ey sauce. A good one involves cooking onions in a little olive oil, as if making French onion soup (i.e. slice very thin and cook gently in a covered pan for ages, until caramelised). Then add lots of garlic, a finely sliced and chopped red pepper and a tin of tomatoes. Simmer. Season with salt and basil. Alternately, leave out the peppers and add some red wine and a pinch of oregano (not too much - wine makes it bitter).

Next, take your polenta. If ready made, mash in a bowl, with the addition of a little hot water. Or I understand that if starting from scratch you can use a microwave. Same for porridge. Or else, the classical; method, which requires a wooden spoon, a couple of hours to spare and forearm muscles like a Neopolitan laundress. Anyway, however you do it, you’re aiming for a thick yellow porridge.

To this, add a drained can of canellini beans, a generous amount of butter, lots of freshly grated parmesan, a dash of nutmeg, some pepper and a crushed clove of garlic. Microwave until piping hot.

Put a mound of this lot in the centre of a plate. Surround it in sauce as opposed to pouring the sauce over). Top with more parmesan and (optional) a few chilli flakes. (No chilli with a winey sauce, though. It doesn’t go.)

****Kultcha Korna******

Some of you might have listened to the No. 1 single by indie dub-meisters Cornershop and thought "Brimful of WHAT?" Well - mystery solved. Actually, It makes sense if you listen to the lyrics. Only the lyrics only make sense if you know the story.

Asha Bhophle - a.k.a. Ashaji a.k.a. The Voice of India has just recorded her 10,00 th song. She mainly sings backing for Hindi movies. In her sixties now, she is still capable of sounding like anything from a young Shimla Pink to an old crone.

Everyone needs a bosom for a pillow,
D.