Polenta = Cornmeal

[tutsiwarrior]

yesterday when rummaging around the cupboard in the family's kitchen I found a bag of polenta. Polenta? I wondered 'how does polenta figure into thai cuisine?' then I saw that it resembled...cornmeal! who cares about goddam thai cuisine!

without delay I rushed down to my kitchen and assembled (see google for 'easy cornbread recipe') the necessary...my instincts kicked in and it was perfect and devoured half of the batch on the spot with marge.

engorged with success and cornbread I looked around and found a can of 'Ayam' brand canned beans...drained and washed the sweet sauce off, sauteed onions, garlic an' chiles added the washed beans and sum tomatoes and then had an orgy of cornbread an' beans...I then laid in front of my netbook and dreamed the dreams of the righteous...

so, if yew can't find cornmeal, polenta will do...

(diabetics beware...the above plays hel_l wid yer BG...)

[JR Texas]

That is really good to know. It is so difficult to find cornmeal in Thailand (think they know we want it........also Corn Chips too).

I saw polenta in the store and it looked just like corn meal to me but I wasn't sure.

As I don't have an oven, I did not know what to do with it......maybe you can make "fry cornbread."

I love pinto beans, onions, ham (usually the bone with meat).........and cornbread........one of my favorite dishes.

If anybody knows how to make fried cornbread using polenta, please let us know. Yes, I can Google it.......but I would like to hear from a person who actually has done it and made it taste good.

Thanks.

[tutsiwarrior]

JR...you can probably use polenta in any way that you use corn meal...if you got yerself a good skillet you can do stove top cornbread in the usual way...

someone on a previous thread mentioned that polenta can be used like cornmeal...I think that I must've bought the stuff in BKK on a visit home from saudi but didn't use it as my kitchen wasn't operational then, my stove and oven were upstairs bein' used as a storage facility/counter space...the wife then chucked the bag in the upstairs kitchen cupboard where I found it the other day...

[bangsaenguy]

I use polenta the same way I use cornmeal. Same thing if maybe a bit coarse. Foodland has had Jiffy Cornbread Mix recently, as well. If I could only find a cast iron skillet, I would be happy.

[JR Texas]

I use polenta the same way I use cornmeal. Same thing if maybe a bit coarse. Foodland has had Jiffy Cornbread Mix recently, as well. If I could only find a cast iron skillet, I would be happy.

JIFFY CORNBREAD MIX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love the stuff.........never saw it in Thailand. Good to know some things are here now that I crave.

Maybe chocolate pudding will be next so I can make a chocolate cream pie.

[ricklev]

Villa often has Jiffy but not always. Forty baht per package or so. I remember it at twenty cents in the USA.

I had the cornbread at Bourbon Street yesterday. Perfect!

[griser]

Villa often has Jiffy but not always. Forty baht per package or so. I remember it at twenty cents in the USA.

I had the cornbread at Bourbon Street yesterday. Perfect!

Anyone seen pinto beans for sale here?

Greg

[ricklev]

Villa always has expensive pintos. About a hundred baht per kilo.

I notice they know carry instant grits in the baby food section as well.

[rice555]

Hello griser, I have found pinto, black, kidney and other along with several different peas by this co. (see pix( here in Korat(The Mall), and have seen this brand somewhere's in BKK, I think it was Villa. I think they were Bt.63 for 500gr

rice555

[JR Texas]

Hello griser, I have found pinto, black, kidney and other along with several different peas by this co. (see pix( here in Korat(The Mall), and have seen this brand somewhere's in BKK, I think it was Villa. I think they were Bt.63 for 500gr

rice555

Since many of us are always starving for Tex-Mex food, I thought I would make a suggestion: Make tamale pie at home using polenta.

From the way it looks, I think it would work. You just need that McCormick Chile Mix (or something similar), garlic powder, chopped onion, tomatoes in can, and excellent ground beef (hard to find).........top it with cheddar cheese at the last moment.

My mom used to make it........really good and you don't need an oven, just a good caste iron skillet.

There are probably lots of recipes for this on the internet.

[SlackJawChef]

Hello griser, I have found pinto, black, kidney and other along with several different peas by this co. (see pix( here in Korat(The Mall), and have seen this brand somewhere's in BKK, I think it was Villa. I think they were Bt.63 for 500gr

rice555

Since many of us are always starving for Tex-Mex food, I thought I would make a suggestion: Make tamale pie at home using polenta.

From the way it looks, I think it would work. You just need that McCormick Chile Mix (or something similar), garlic powder, chopped onion, tomatoes in can, and excellent ground beef (hard to find).........top it with cheddar cheese at the last moment.

My mom used to make it........really good and you don't need an oven, just a good caste iron skillet.

There are probably lots of recipes for this on the internet.

Hi JR

If you don't have an oven you can use a stemer.... just reduce the liquid portion of your favorite recipe by 10%.. put it in your pan... place that in your steamer and steam it for 30-40 min's or untill a tooth pick comes out clean when you poke it in the center... I like caramelized onions and crispy bacon in mine ... I also like jalapeños and cheese...

Moist every time....

S.J.C...

[JR Texas]

Hello griser, I have found pinto, black, kidney and other along with several different peas by this co. (see pix( here in Korat(The Mall), and have seen this brand somewhere's in BKK, I think it was Villa. I think they were Bt.63 for 500gr

rice555

Since many of us are always starving for Tex-Mex food, I thought I would make a suggestion: Make tamale pie at home using polenta.

From the way it looks, I think it would work. You just need that McCormick Chile Mix (or something similar), garlic powder, chopped onion, tomatoes in can, and excellent ground beef (hard to find).........top it with cheddar cheese at the last moment.

My mom used to make it........really good and you don't need an oven, just a good caste iron skillet.

There are probably lots of recipes for this on the internet.

Hi JR

If you don't have an oven you can use a stemer.... just reduce the liquid portion of your favorite recipe by 10%.. put it in your pan... place that in your steamer and steam it for 30-40 min's or untill a tooth pick comes out clean when you poke it in the center... I like caramelized onions and crispy bacon in mine ... I also like jalapeños and cheese...

Moist every time....

S.J.C...

Sounds good....thanks. crispy bacon and onions........sounds good. I also used to put chopped green olives on top........sounds odd, but it is good. Getting hungry. I think you might even be able to put it all in a metal pan and then cook it in a smoker-BBQ until done. Nothing quite like tamale pie.

[rice555]

Hello JR & SJC, it don't matter how you cook it, it still will only be corn bread pie, not tamale pie, no masa, no taste! even with Thai grown Tex Yellows bullets.

rice555

[JR Texas]

Hello JR & SJC, it don't matter how you cook it, it still will only be corn bread pie, not tamale pie, no masa, no taste! even with Thai grown Tex Yellows bullets.

rice555

Call it whatever you want to. But if made right, it is 1000 times better than any tamale I have eaten in Thailand.

[SlackJawChef]

Hello JR & SJC, it don't matter how you cook it, it still will only be corn bread pie, not tamale pie, no masa, no taste! even with Thai grown Tex Yellows bullets.

rice555

Nice looking chili's (Rice555)..... Mine just wither and die every time I try and grow them... and now they wont even sprout ... Maybe the seed's are to old. I'll have to track down some new ones ..... I did get some banana peppers to fruit... but never more than one chili per plant........ I now have a raised bed with good soil to try again ...

look's like I have to start Nixtamalizing again.... till then Im happy with Bacon and cheesy flavored corn bread........ soon to be smoked corn bread ... Thanks JR

S.J.C

[kikoman]

Hello JR & SJC, it don't matter how you cook it, it still will only be corn bread pie, not tamale pie, no mas, no taste! even with Thai grown Tex Yellows bullets.

rice555

Nice looking chili's (Rice555)..... Mine just wither and die every time I try and grow them... and now they wont even sprout ... Maybe the seed's are to old. I'll have to track down some new ones ..... I did get some banana peppers to fruit... but never more than one chili per plant........ I now have a raised bed with good soil to try again ...

looks like I have to start Nixtamalized again.... till then Im happy with Bacon and cheesy flavored corn bread........ soon to be smoked corn bread ... Thanks J

I have the same problem, pinto beans, summer squash and chiles sprout and do very good, grow to about 8' high and then dry up and die, I had some of the farmers with green thumbs to try the same seeds, they had the exact same outcome as mine, said there was something in the soil that kills them, they suggested raised beds with bagged soil.

I am in luck my sister in Mexico send me some dry Nixtal , Red chile powder and blue cornmeal among other things.in a CARE package yesterday.

So I will be eating high on the Hog, today.

Cheers:

S.J.C

[kikoman]

Hello JR & SJC, it don't matter how you cook it, it still will only be corn bread pie, not tamale pie, no mas, no taste! even with Thai grown Tex Yellows bullets.

rice555

Those are some great looking Chiles, are they Spicy?

They do look good!

You are Right Corn Bread pie!

Cheers:

[rice555]

Hello kikoman, the yellow jals are as hot as the average jal,

hot jal-cornbread with just butter with a bowl of red!

rice555

[ricklev]

Villa on Lang Suan had lots of Jiffy Cornbread mix today.