Polenta is one of those things that many people enjoy when eating out at Italian restaurants but may not realize how simple it is to create at home.  In it's simplest form, polenta is basically fine cornmeal that is simmered in a liquid until smooth and creamy.  To that you can add different flavored cooking liquids, fresh herbs, mascarpone cheese, and so on then topped with slow roasted meats, vegetables, a poached egg, or whatever you can dream up.

But one of my favorite things about polenta is that leftovers can be turned into dense polenta cakes then grilled to bring in some subtle smokiness as is the case in this recipe from Grilled Polenta with Mushroom Ragout courtesy of Weber's Big Book of Grilling!