We are big polenta eaters at my house, especially in cool weather. I tend to make it on the lean side, without gobs of butter and cheese, but there’s no denying how tasty it gets when you stir in some calories. Years ago, my husband and I often ate dinner at a late-night café near our house where all the food was prepared on a hot plate. Even with this limitation, the cook made fabulous polenta with roasted tomatoes on top and Gorgonzola melting in the crevices. I recreate it at home on occasion (minus the hot plate) but my new obsession is polenta taragna—part buckwheat flour, part cornmeal. It’s not for dainty people, but with fresh butter and a fragrant Italian melting cheese like Primo Pascolo (pictured above), this rustic dish achieves Michelin star status—at least in my eyes.