Oh pshaw, on Wed 01 Nov 2006 11:14:01p, Phred Pnerk meant to say...

> G'day mates,
>
> Just wondering how polenta (a traditional north Italian corn meal)
> would do as a substitute for the traditional "corn meal" used in
> the USA as a coating for fried green tomatoes.
>
> We searched high and low for "corn meal" here in the deep north of
> the deep south, without luck -- until yesterday when we finally
> found "organic corn meal" in a local deli. They also had polenta
> and corn flour in stock (all "organic" of course .
>
> Their version of corn meal looked intermediate in texture between
> the corn flour (a typically fine "flour" texture) and the polenta
> (which was noticeably "grainy" and quite yellow in appearance).
>
> We settled on polenta, and the result was good -- but I'm left
> curious as to whether the US corn meal would result in a different,
> if not necessarily better or worse, taste and texture.
>
> Anyone with experience of both products care to comment, please?

IMO, the preferred cornmeal available in the US is stone ground that is on
the coarse side. I prefer white, although yellow is just as popular. The
coarse polenta you bought is probably closer to that. Commercial cornmeal
in the US is usually more finely ground. I don't care for it.

--
Wayne Boatwright
__________________________________________________

Madness takes its toll. Please have exact change.