Sunday Brunch is one of my favorite ways to catch up with friends: a big, lazy meal in a sunny bistro, plenty of hot coffee, maybe a mimosa or two, whiling away the hours over good food and great conversation. But it's February. It's gray and wet and horribly cold. I want to stay in, but I still want the comfort and warmth of a big brunch-y meal. This polenta is the perfect brunch dish. In fact, it's the perfect breakfast-lunch-or-dinner dish.
There are a lot of ways to play with the recipe: use chicken broth, red wine, or, as my friend Cathy so ingeniously did, reach for a bottle of beer. I tried it her way, with an IPA. The peppy beer added an almost lemony kick to the mushrooms; it played nicely against the deep, savory, herby headiness of the mushrooms and the creamy polenta. I imagine a malty stout would work well in an entirely different way.

Here's a PDF of the recipe as I made it on the show. Enjoy!