I’m a huge fan of polenta. It’s rich, creamy, warm, and comforting, and the perfect blank canvas to work with. I almost always add a nice handful of cheese to the mix (think cheesey grits), sometime I wilt some spinach or arugula into it to boost the health quotient, or my latest favorite add-in has been roasted butternut squash. The sweet caramelized squash marries well with the wholesome sweet cornmeal.

Not only is polenta delicious, it is also very forgiving, as I learned from Joyce Goldstein, who taught me how to make a pumpkin polenta with pork and chestnut stew. As Goldstein says, unlike risotto, which you have to serve right away, polenta you can baby, and keep it on the stove until you’re ready.

Another reason I love polenta so much is for its versatility. You can serve it freshly made, while it has the consistency of warm pudding. Or, you can chill it in a baking sheet, and then cut it out into shapes (squares, triangles, strips, rounds, whatever you desire) to pan fry into the best leftovers you’ve ever had.