Maize was imported into Spain by Christopher Columbus, in Italy it was first introduced into Veneto and later it spread to the Papal State that comprised the Marches. The cultivation and use of maize got so widespread that the regional coat of arms bears the legend "Marchigiani magna pulenda" (the people of the Marches are big Polenta eaters). Traditionally polenta was and still is eaten on the spianatoia, tha wooden table commony used to roll out homemade pasta and the flavouring - pork ribs, sausages or broad beans, was put right in the middle for the fastest eaters to get ! Polenta is usually eaten freshly ground, from October throughout the winter months with whatever suggested by the imagination of the housewives, ranging from fish stew, or anchovies, or pork meat or herbs. It used to be cooked in a cauldron on the hearth, but now the golden ground flour  is slowly cooked in a tall saucepan to obtain a soft, creamy delicacy. Unfortunately the local variety of maize - the quarantino nostrano, is not easy to get since it has become quite rare over the years.

Ingredients:
500 g of maize flour
2 litres of water
salt
500 g of sausage
150 g of bacon
500 g of pork ribs
freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Preparation:
Heat the water in a fairly tall saucepan. When the water is just about to come to a boil, start adding the flour gradually stirring fast with a whisk to prevent formation of lumps. Add salt as needed. Stir steadily with a wooden spoon and cook for about 45-50 minutes on low heat, it won't matter to cook it longer. When it is ready, pour the polenta onto plates or the traditional spianatoia. Meanwhile toss the bacon into a large skillet, and add the sausages and pork ribs. When all the meats are well browned, lay them on top of the polenta and sprinkle with a good handful of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.  C'mon, tuck into the joint meal!