Last week a brick of bright yellow cornmeal sitting on a supermarket shelfl sent me into gastronomic ecstasy. This wasn’t just any cornmeal It was KiTov, a food manufacturer specializing in insect free products. Insects, warehouse beetles, ants, moths and other things that creep are the scourge of the food industry. Nobody wants to eat them. According to Jewish law bugs are even more treyf than eating pork and Orthodox Jews invest long, and tedious hours in carefully checking grains, pulses and also certain fresh produce to make sure it’s bug free.

Now that KiTov has started to manufacture bug free cornmeal, I can just pour it from the package with a clear conscience. Of course cornmeal means Mamaliga. Mamaliga? Foodies might write it off as Jewish or Rumanian polenta but it’s a food that has found it’s way into many hearts.

In Rumania, mamaliga was commonly eaten for breakfast, lunch and supper In the early 20th century immigrants brought it to the US and it was even sung about in the Yiddish theatre.( Does anyone remember the old standard “Rumania Rumania.” “Ay Rumania Rumania Rumania, ” the crooner sings holding the high note and then goes on to the refrain “Ah Mamligaleh, a pastramaleh, a karnatzele (Rumanian meatball) and a glezzele vine (a glass of wine) but over the years mamaliga which requires a good quarter hour or more spent over the stove stirring a pot, has lost favor. Hardly anyone eats it anymore or even remembers what it is except for immigrants and their offspring.

I can still remember that childhood Sunday when my father and his younger brother comandeered my mother’s kitchen kitchen to cook up a batch. They weren’t just cooking; they were performing a culinary seance, channeling l the flavors of their Rumanian childhood home in their New York home . Ironically that comfort food has American roots. Corn or maize was a new world crop brought to Europe by the Conquistadors and then introduced to the Balkans by the Ottoman Turks introduced it to the Balkans so that the peasants could eat leaving the preferred wheat for the Turks.

This recipe comes from my mother who still remembers her own mother standing over the stove and carefully stirring it for 20 minutes or more to make sure it was velvety smooth and completely free of lumps. I’ve found that I can make it in less time and still achieve yummy results. If you want you can make a more solid mamaliga cook longer and then spread it out on a board and cut it into slices.

Mamaliga

1 cup best quality cornmeal

3 cups of water

1/2 cup milk

1 tablespoon butter

Salt

Bring the water, butter and milk almost to a boil, . Gradually dribble in the cornmeal stirring with a wooden spoon to avoid any lumps. Continue stirring for 10 to 15 minutes until you have a thick pudding with a cooked taste. You can add more water if it feels to thick. Serve immediately with a dollop of sour cream.

To reheat stir in a big more water or microwave. Enjoy