‘When you see the words “delicious” and “polenta” in close proximity, you know the phrases “plenty of cheese” or “lashings of butter” can’t be far away.’ Niki Segnit, author of Lateral Cooking, nails the simultaneous appeal and bemused distaste for polenta in one neat phrase. At its best, polenta is indescribably comforting, rich and naturally sweet, soft and luscious. At its worst, it’s lumpy, bland, claggy and, quite frankly, hard work. As so often is the case (and I think we can agree, I am entirely unbiased in this whole pursuit), the difference is butter.
My Commonplace Blog
A digital form of the sadly lost fashion for copying out memorable passages from texts. I kept losing my actual book.
Wednesday, 11 February 2026
When you see the words “delicious” and “polenta” in close proximity, you know the phrases “plenty of cheese” or “lashings of butter” can’t be far away
It is less that I have buttered bread to accompany a bowl of soup, and more that my soup is the accompaniment to the buttered bread
Tuesday, 10 February 2026
This was very good advice but she still thought that living in a major city was key
P. Murray, The bee sting (2023), Loc. 800
Monday, 9 February 2026
This is not a time to speak, she says, but a time to keep silent
P. Lynch, Prophet song (2023), Loc. 589
Sunday, 8 February 2026
I have always found a good sherry sufficient for my needs, but I dare say these American beverages are not unpalatable
Saturday, 7 February 2026
What is the point of investing in a process of learning about the world if there is almost no time to put that information to use?
Once I knew this stage was coming, interacting with these animals, especially the friendly ones, became poignant. Their time was so short. This discovery also made the puzzle of their large brains even more acute. What is the point of building a large nervous system if your life is over in a year or two? The machinery of intelligence is expensive, both to build and to run. The usefulness of learning, which large brains make possible, seems dependent on lifespan. What is the point of investing in a process of learning about the world if there is almost no time to put that information to use?
Friday, 6 February 2026
Shells were the mollusks’ response to what looks like an abrupt change in the lives of animals: the invention of predation. There are various ways of dealing with the fact that you are suddenly surrounded by creatures who can see and would like to eat you, but one way, a molluscan specialty, is to grow a hard shell and live within or beneath it.