Title: Brandy Alexander Polenta
Categories: Vegetable Side dish
Yield: 4 Servings

2		To 3 cups polenta
		Some olive oil (medium-sized
		Dash)
		Some garlic, crushed then
		Chopped (about four regular
		Cloves)
		Some shallots, chopped
		Finely (4-5)
		Some ginger, chopped finely
		Few chopped scallions (4 or
		So)
		Handfull of raisins (golden
		To keep contrast down, black
		If you prefer)
		Some habaneros, chopped (i
		Used 3, sans placentas)
		About 1 Tbs pine nuts
		About 1/4 bunch cilantro
1		Or 2 Tbs ground cumin
		(actually, probably more
		Like 3 but who knows?)
		Juice from 1/2 lime
		One egg
		Salt
		Black pepper

heat the oil in a large pan, on high, until it starts to smoke. put in the garlic, shallots, scallions, and ginger, and stir around for a little bit, then and the cumin and stir around a little more, then add the habaneros and stir for a minute or so.

add the polenta and mix everything up until you have many small pieces of polenta-covered ingredients. cook for a while and let the polenta toast a bit.

add water, a little at a time. after each bit of water, stir the mixture around until the water blends in and disappears. i probably add somewhat under six cups in all. try to add just enough water so that the mixture never gets soupy, but stays stirrable. when bubbles start to come up and the mixture is thick enough so that a bubble moves everything around, turn the heat down.

in the middle of this process, add the raisins and the pine nuts.

after you've added all the water you're going to, add the lime juice, then crack an egg in and mix it in rapidly. i sometimes add cheese (swiss, e.g.) but then usually i don't add the egg. now's also a good time to add some salt and lots lots lots of freshly-ground black pepper.

when that has cooked for a while, stir in the cilantro. it's done when it's very thick and the polenta doesn't crunch when you taste it.

You can eat it now, or let it set and then eat it, or let it set, then grill it and then eat it. I usually eat some immediately and save the rest. Immediately after cooking, it can be mushy, but after a few minutes sitting unheated, it starts to solidify and can be sliced up.

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