Gorgonzola Polenta Bites —mdash; Warm Little Things You Bring Through the Door

Mia is five months old. She has graduated from hand-discovery to food-curiosity — watching every spoon that passes near her, reaching for plates, the five-month-old's conviction that everything adults eat should also be eaten by babies. Angela started her on rice cereal this week, which Mia received with the enthusiasm of a Santos woman encountering her first carbohydrate. The cereal went everywhere — on Mia, on Angela, on James, on the high chair, on the floor, on the general vicinity. The everywhere-ness was the eating. The eating was the beginning.

Lourdes supervised the first feeding with the authority of a woman who has fed four children and seven grandchildren (counting Elias, who doesn't exist yet in this timeline — five grandchildren) and knows that the first solid food sets the trajectory for all future eating, which is why Lourdes insisted that the rice cereal be mixed with a drop — one drop — of Datu Puti. Angela said, "Mama, she's five months old." Lourdes said, "She's Santos. She can handle vinegar." Angela did not add the vinegar. Lourdes is still lobbying.

I made arroz caldo — the ginger rice porridge — and brought it to Angela's house, not for Mia (too young, too gingery) but for Angela, who is still running on the one-handed-eating, sleep-deprived fuel of early motherhood and needs food that arrives pre-made and requires no effort beyond reheating. The arroz caldo was warm. Angela ate it with one hand while Mia practiced smearing rice cereal on everything within reach. The future of Santos eating. The beginning of the chain.

The arroz caldo was Angela’s, but the next time I showed up at her door I brought these — gorgonzola polenta bites, warm from the oven, small enough to eat in one hand while a five-month-old practices smearing things on every available surface. There’s something about a grain-based bite, soft in the middle and golden at the edge, that feels like the same impulse as the porridge: you take something simple, you add warmth and a little richness, and you hand it to someone who needs feeding. Lourdes would not have added gorgonzola. She would have added vinegar. But the principle is the same.

Gorgonzola Polenta Bites

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min (plus 1 hour chilling) | Servings: 24 bites

Ingredients

• 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 cup coarse-ground polenta (not instant)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 oz gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup), plus more for topping
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil, for brushing
• Fresh thyme leaves or thinly sliced chives, for garnish

Instructions

1. Cook the polenta. Bring the broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Slowly whisk in the polenta in a thin, steady stream to prevent lumps. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for 20 to 25 minutes until the polenta is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the pan.
2. Add the cheese. Remove from heat and stir in the butter, gorgonzola, and Parmesan until fully melted and incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. The mixture should be thick and creamy.
3. Set the polenta. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray or butter. Spread the polenta evenly into the pan to a depth of about 3/4 inch. Smooth the top with a spatula. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered for at least 1 hour, until firm.
4. Cut into bites. Preheat oven to 400°F. Remove the chilled polenta from the refrigerator. Using a sharp knife or a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut the polenta into 24 squares or rounds. Arrange on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
5. Bake. Brush the tops lightly with olive oil. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, until the edges are golden and the tops are just set with a slight crust. In the last 2 minutes of baking, add a small crumble of fresh gorgonzola to the top of each bite if desired.
6. Garnish and serve. Transfer to a serving platter and scatter with fresh thyme leaves or sliced chives. Serve warm. These can be made a day ahead through the cutting step and baked just before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 68 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 3g | Carbs: 8g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 175mg