Beer Cheese

Hello again, virtual audience. Without going into too much detail about my lack of motivation and plain blog avoidance, lets just say I am moving on to the next chapter, turning over a new leaf, if you will. I am going to revamp my focus a bit and steer towards "rustic and remote island-style cooking." Where previously I was able to pop to the gourmet market on a whim, I've since relocated to a small island in which supplies are limited, ingredients are not readily available and creativity is a necessity. I have learned to use food items that I may normally throw away and find a use for things like canned pumpkin or an over abundance of red peppers.

This may be a helpful style of cooking for those of you who stare blankly into the cupboard on more evenings than not, wondering what combination of ingredients will jump out and present themselves as a worthy suppertime meal. It has become kind of a "glass is half full" style of cooking. I could dwell on what I don't have, but that would not get me anywhere. Instead - what do I have and how can I create something delicious out of it?

This recipe came from the guilt I felt from an undrunken beer. Out here, beer and wine are prized commodities. They are expensive and, speaking personally, consumed well before rum. When I woke up one morning and realized with grave despair that I had only taken two sips out of my late night beer, I knew something must be made out of my flat lager.

A friend from Kentucky had visited the island several years ago and brought a Kentuckian recipe with her: Beer Cheese. When she made the appetizer for us, she hadn't the patience to wait for her beer to flatten, so it still had a sparkling effervescence when we devoured it. I had a tinge of satisfaction knowing that I had subconsciously flattened my beer without having to "plan ahead."

So if you find yourself in the sad predicament of a wounded soldier on your hands, cheer up and make yourself some beer cheese.

Beer Cheese

3/4 bottle or can of a light lager

16 ounces cheddar cheese, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 tsp hot sauce

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

pinch smoked paprika

Take two sips out of your beer and let it sit out on the counter overnight or for several hours until sufficiently flat.

Combine all ingredients except for the beer in the food processor and pulse until slightly blended. Then turn the food processor on and slowly pour the beer through the top. Mixture will be soft. Place in refrigerator and let firm up for several hours.

Serve with crackers or an assortment of vegetables.

Keep it Simple

We had Dave's mom over for appetizers and happy hour this weekend. I wanted to keep it simple, low maintenance and light, since we were going out to a nice restaurant for dinner. Dave's mom also has a gluten intolerance, so the appetizers I serve can't be accompanied with regular crackers. Instead of the rice crackers I would normally serve, I decided to go on the lighter side and present a very colorful plate of fresh veggies with a hummus dip. It was a perfect snack before our three course meal to follow.

Since I can't just do anything without a little bit of extra effort, I decided to roast half of the red bell pepper and top my hummus with the pepper, capers and olives. You can either make your own hummus or buy the pre-made hummus if you want to go easy on yourself.

Hummus Dip with Vegetables
Makes about 4 cups

2 15 oz cans chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Juice of 2 lemons, about 1/2 cup
6 tbsp tahini (sesame paste)
3 garlic cloves, minced
Salt

For the topping
1/2 red bell pepper
3 tbsp chopped kalamata olives
1 tbsp capers
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid. Put chickpeas into a blender or food processor, add 3/4 cup of the chickpea reserved liquid and 1/4 cup water. Cover and blend to a semismooth paste.

With motor still running, add lemon juice through hole in blender lid or the top of the food processor. Add tahini, garlic, and salt to taste and puree until very smooth, about 2 minutes.

For the Topping

Slice and de-seed the bell pepper and place skin side up on a baking sheet. Place oven broiler on high and broil the bell pepper until skin is black. Remove from the oven and put pepper in a paper bag. Close the bag tightly and let steam for 5-10 minutes. Remove pepper and the skin should peel off easily. Chop the pepper and place in a medium bowl. Add olives, capers, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.

Place hummus in a serving bowl and top with bell pepper mix. Serve with any of the following: carrots, sliced red and yellow bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, pita triangles, sliced baguette, whole grain crackers.

Sicilian Baked Mahi Mahi

Home again. The weather is mild and breezy. I have Italian on the mind again. Will it ever stop? I simply love the uncomplicated, flavorful ingredients and diversity of regional cuisines.

I keep mahi mahi in the freezer. Costco sells wild caught, Pacific mahi in individually packaged frozen filets. Although I would choose fresh fish over frozen any day, depending on your seafood market your fish may have been previously frozen for transport anyways. They just deliver you the convenience of defrosting it. If that is the case, I would much rather buy my fish frozen and defrost it on my own time.

This dish is packed with salty flavors and the firmness of the fish holds its own against all of the textures involved in the topping. Served with a simple mushroom risotto and sauteed spinach, this recipe can be quickly made and will impress the most distinguished palates. For our wine I poured a wonderfully light and crisp Gavi. Cristina Ascheri 2009; it is 100% Cortese grape from the Piedmont region of Italy. After last night's meal, it's up there on my list as one of my new favorite whites.

Sicilian Baked Mahi Mahi

Serves 2-4

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

2 1/2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil

2 to 4 mahi mahi filets

1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives, chopped

1 tbsp capers

1/2 tsp finely chopped anchovies in olive oil (optional)

2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped

2 tbsp bread crumbs

Mix half the olive oil with the lemon juice and 1 tbsp of the basil in a shallow baking dish. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Arrange the mahi mahi in the dish and leave to marinate for 15 minutes, turning once. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the olives, capers, anchovies and tomatoes with the

remaining oil and basil and season well. Spread over the mahi mahi and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs. Bake for 20 minutes or until the fish is just opaque. Finish off by placing briefly under the hot broiler until the breadcrumbs are crisp.

Mushroom Risotto

Serves 4

2 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

4 oz mushrooms, chopped

1 cup aborio rice

3 cups chicken broth

Parmesan cheese, grated, for garnish

Heat olive oil in a medium sauce pan. Add onion and saute on medium heat until soft, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and mushrooms and sautee for another 5 minutes until garlic is fragrant and mushrooms are soft. Add the rice, stir and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, one cup at a time, letting the broth absorb completely after each addition.

Simple Sauteed Spinach

Serves 2

2 tbsp olive oil

9 oz baby leaf spinach

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/4 cup plain yogurt

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then add the spinach, working in batches so you don't crowd the pan. Add the yogurt and stir well. Serve immediately.

At Home in the Northwest

A light drizzle dances in the sky. Not even enough to consider rain as it dusts your eyebrows with the faintest amount of damp. Seattle - the land of the freshest seafood, organic markets, a thousand coffee shops, local microbrews, artisanal wineries; so much vibrancy within the depths of the wintery gray.

I booked my flight two weeks prior, to surprise my sister for her bridal shower hosted by our aunt Leanne. I was never really invited so I suppose I am somewhat of a party crasher, although most everyone seemed pleased to see me. As the plane descended into SeaTac airport I wished my farewells to the sunshine and we ducked under three sturdy layers of cloud cover.

Surprisingly the air was mild as I exited the terminal. At 48 degrees the Pineapple Express was cruising through, much to the dismay of skiers, where rain in the mountains was on the forecast for the weekend. Leanne picked me up and we made our way to her home in West Seattle. If I were to give myself a second chance in Washington, West Seattle is where I would plant my roots. Everything you could possibly want is within walking distance of this city community. From Leanne's house she walks to the Metropolitan Market, the local movie theater, and a wonderful selection of restaurants that range from an Italian tattoria, a tiny Thai restaurant, incredibly authentic sushi, Northwest cuisine, cafes, bakeries, coffee shops and of course, numerous craft beer bars and alehouses.

After preparing what we could for the next day's bridal shower, we decided to celebrate girls night out and dine at Circa, one of Leanne's favorite restaurants. It was a short walk from her house and the night was comfortable. We found two seats at the bar and gazed over the menu as we chatted. I couldnt believe the menu items, everything looked fantastic...and certainly not overpriced. I forget how good food can be without breaking the bank. Quite the opposite in Florida, where it seems we spend a small fortune for a mediocre meal. I finally settled on portabello mushroom ravioli with braised local kale topped with shaved Parmesan. Good choice, I might add. Leanne ordered the special, halibut with a butter caper sauce and garlic mashed new potatoes. After dinner drinks at The Cask. A hole in the wall that you would walk right by during the daytime without a second glance. At night, however, the cozy dark atmosphere is inviting. As we entered, a few tables looked up at us, it was quiet, but not uncomfortably so. We settled in at a small booth and marveled at the draft beer selection. Leanne decided on a Kona Longboard Lager and I went for the Lost Coast Barley Wine. A delightful welcome home evening in one of my favorite cities in the world.

The next day we busied ourselves tidying and prepping the last minute menu items. Leanne had been marinating chicken, olives and raisins for an orzo salad for three days now. I worked on a potato dish with capers, tomatoes and rosemary. Leanne turned her focus to her cake; a complex multi-step process with lots of "meanwhiles" included in the recipe. Martha Stewart does not let you take the easy street. The frosting turned out beautiful. White, white egg whites with a shimmering gleam that gave it the appearance of a snowy ice tundra. The best part about it however, was the bride/groom topper.

If you know anything about the McCausland girls, you will know that we had a capacious affinity for Playmobil toys. We had a Playmobil person for every occasion; skiers, pirates, race car drivers, knights with swords, cowboys and Indians mounted on horses, as well as all kinds of accessories ranging from a deserted island to a pirate ship to a Victorian house that was as tall as my sister. Needless to say, Leanne wanted to incorporate the Playmobli bride and groom as the cake topper. She searched high and low to track down the discontinued bride and groom set.

Later in the afternoon after our chores were complete, we took a walk down to the Met Market, a Seattle area based grocery market. On my connecting flight through Minneapolis, I had thumbed through Cheese Connoisseur magazine, stumbling across an article on the Metropolitan Market's cheese selection. The Market specializes in both local and world cheeses with knowledgeable staff to assist you in picking the perfect cheese for the perfect occasion.

I wandered around in awe, as I was reminded of the pleasures of a good market. I had Super Bowl snacks on the mind for the following day, so I had the deli clerk thin slice Angus roast beef and Prosciutto di Parma. I also picked out a chevre goat cheese and a hard Asiago with rosemary.

I made my way over to the wines and was delighted to see their selection of Northwest wines was more than three bottles. Quite the contrary. They had an entire section dedicated to the heavier Washington reds; Merlots, Cabernet Sauvignons and Cabernet Francs as well as the Oregon Pinot Noirs and Pinot Gris. I must have spent a half an hour just in the wine section before I picked out Fidelitas 2008, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Red Mountain, a small family owned vineyard concentrating on Bordeaux style red wines and Barrister Cabernet Franc 2008, 88% Cab Franc and 12% Cabernet Sauv from the Columbia Valley, 93 points. Perfect accompaniment to my Super Bowl appetizer lineup.

The shower was beautiful. 14 of my favorite ladies all in one room, enjoying each other's company, good wine and fabulous food.

My Super Bowl snacks turned out wonderfully. Leanne had some cherry preserves that we spooned over the goat cheese and I put together these incredibly simple and light "meat logs" for lack of a better term. I suppose "roast beef rolls" sounds a bit more appetizing, so that is what we shall call them.

Roast Beef Rolls

Serves 6

1/2 lb thin sliced roast beef

1 ripe avocado

1 Gala apple or other semi sweet variety, peeled and sliced thin

finely chopped fresh spinach

dried oregano

dried rosemary

Scoop avocado into a bowl and mash with a fork, at salt to taste. Lay out a slice of roast beef on a cutting board and put a spoonful of avocado on the roast beef. Place one slice of apple on the avocado and sprinkle with spinach, oregano and rosemary. Roll the beef into a tight log. Continue until you have used all the roast beef. Serve on a platter.

Sunday Morning Goulash

Cheers to Dave, the breakfast guy. I have long since given up on breakfast. Something always goes awry, the eggs are overcooked, the bacon is burned, the hash browns are soggy. It's simply not my department. Dave on the other hand cooks breakfast like a champion. I inherited a skillet last night. Dinner at Bill and April's, it came to pass that they had two of the exact same skillet. April had been borrowing my 9x12 in casserole pan for quite sometime now. In what I consider a fair exchange, I offered her my 9x12 for her extra skillet. This morning was the first test and it was one of the best breakfasts I have had in quite some time.

Dave's Goulash

Serves 2

2 tbsp butter

2 small russet potatoes, cubed

1/2 onion, chopped

2 eggs

4 tbsp buttermilk or cream

1/2 lb cooked ground turkey

1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese

Sour cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat skillet over medium heat until warm. Melt butter in skillet and add potatoes. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions and cook until soft, 10 minutes longer. Meanwhile, whisk eggs with buttermilk in a bowl. Straighten onions and potatoes so they form a slight bowl in the pan. Pour egg mixture into the middle of the onions and potatoes. Top with ground turkey.

Turn on oven broiler and put the skillet in the oven. Bake for 5-7 minutes until eggs are almost cooked through. Sprinkle cheese on top and broil for an additional 3 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and top with sour cream. Serve immediately.

Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms and Baked Fennel in Cream

So I'm learning Italian. Don't ask me why. It's like learning Turkish. The language is only really valid in one country in the world. Why not French? I could get along in Montreal, Marseilles or Martinique with that handy language. Or Spanish? Nearly our second language...is it official yet? I haven't checked. I wouldn't be surprised. Not to mention the great country of Spain with its delightful Rioja's and all of that heavenly cured jamon serrano. Or what about Argentina and its beautiful Malbec's and seductive tango? Honestly I'm not sure why I am drawn to learn Italian. I suppose there is just something about the way the speak, the rhythm and sing-songy tone that allows the speaker to sound like a musical symphony each time they open their mouth. But more than just the language, the pure essence of la dolce vita, the sweet life, that everything in this moment is important, nothing else matters.

I suppose it's just a small cry to get myself back there one of these days. If I learn the language, I must go. Simple as that.

In the meantime I will take advantage of sampling my way through the Italian wine section at Decanted, the wine shop in which I call "my office" and exploring the cuisine of traditional Italian fare.

Friday nights have become kind of a ritual stay-at-home-and-cook-a-good-meal night. I have come to rely on a few select cookbooks and online resources. I now know how to read a recipe and can tell if it will turn out ordinary or extraordinary. I feel drawn to Italian cooking and most of my recipe selections are based around Italian ingredients.

Lesson 1 in Italian cooking: It's not all meatballs and marinara

The following recipes are traditional Italian (except for the Bechamel, which is of course French, but we will discuss that later). The pork part of this recipe I have made before. My aunt Leanne and I attended a cooking class in Seattle one rainy autumn night. Sabrina Tinsley, owner of La Spiga Italian restaurant in Seattle hosted a delightful class with traditional fall recipes of her husband's native Italy. There was so much I didn't know at the time about cooking pork. Rule #1, dry your pork throughly. Rule #2, lightly dust the pork with flour and pat off any excess, do not overcoat. Rule #3, cook the pork fast, sear on both sides and then only a few more minutes is needed until you have perfectly tender pork medallions. That's all that is needed, otherwise you will end up with shoe leather. I avoided pork for too many years because of just that, over cooked meat, dried out and tough as cardboard. Using a quality cut of meat such as tenderloin also helps. As always with cooking, I must have something to sip on, so I opened a bottle of Spanish white wine, Castello do Papa Godello. Godello is the grape and it's somewhere between Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. There is a slight butteryness with fairly high acidity. We ordered it a few weeks ago at I.M. Tapas, a Spanish restaurant in Naples, and it paired wonderfully with the olives and cured ham we ordered. It is best drank with food.

This recipe calls for wild mushrooms, however I just used baby bella and white buttons. It also called for 2 tbsp fresh parsley and I substituted dried oregano. For so few ingredients, this recipe is bursting with flavor.

Pork Tenderloin with Wild Mushrooms

Recipe adapted from La Spiga chef, Sabrina Tinsley

Serves 6-8

1 2.5 lb Pork Tenderloin

Flour

Salt and Pepper

1/4 cup Olive Oil

Sauce

1 1/2 lbs Mixed Wild Mushrooms

1 cup Chicken Sock

2 cloves Garlic, sliced

2 tbsp dried Oregano

For the Sauce

Slowly heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil with the garlic slices in a saute pan. When the garlic begins to sizzle add the oregano and saute on medium high for 30 seconds longer. Add the mushrooms and do not stir for several minutes. Add salt and pepper.

Saute the mushrooms until they are almost cooked through, about 10 minutes, then add the chicken stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes longer or until the mushrooms are completely tender. This may be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated.

For the Pork

Cut the pork tenderloin into equal sized medallions. Salt and pepper the medallions and dredge in flour, removing any excess by patting the pieces with your hand. Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil in a large saute pan until very hot. Brown the medallions on each side, then, without turning down the heat, add the mushroom sauce and cook until the pork is desired temperature and the sauce has thickened a bit.

To serve, transfer medallions to a serving platter and pour the mushroom sauce over the top.

For the second course I prepared a baked fennel dish. For those of you unfamiliar with fennel, it is in the anise family, that black licorice flavor that is found in ouzo. But if you cook it long enough, the flavors subside and you don't even notice any licorice. I think it's fantastic. There are two ways to cook this dish, one on the stove top and the other baked in the oven. I find the oven version to be easier, set it and forget it.

Fennel Baked in Cream

Serves 6-8

1 1/2 lbs fennel (4 medium sized bulbs), stalks removed, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2" wedges

2 cups heavy cream or 1/2 & 1/2

1 1/2 cups finely grated Parmesan

Salt and Pepper

Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, toss together fennel, cream and 1 cup Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a 3 qt baking dish. Cover dish with foil and bake for 60 minutes.

Uncover baking dish, sprinkle with remaining Parmesan. Bake until fennel is tender and Parmesan has browned, about 30 minutes.

The third part of this dish was two beautiful artichokes I picked up on a whim at Fresh Market. I grew up eating artichokes, Dave had not had one until we met. I think they are one of the best foods in the world. We also grew up dipping them in mayonnaise.

I decided it was time to grow up, to branch out of dipping our artichokes in a prepared condiment with a snap lid. I'm all about making everything from scratch. I decided to make a butter based cream sauce, and what better sauce than Bechamel? I know it's not Italian, and I'm sure there is an Italian version of this sauce out there somewhere, but this was convenient. I will list this simple recipe, however, Dave has this thing about French cooking. I should have never told him it was a French sauce. Instantly he regarded it as bland and one dimensional. You can try it if you like, I thought it turned out great. But really, if you are going for an Italian meal, don't invite the French.

Steamed Artichokes

Trim the stems and cut about 1/4 inch off the top with a serrated bread knife. With scissors trim the remaining leaves to remove the spikes. Place artichokes in a large pot filled about 1/3 with water. Boil artichokes for 45 minutes or until the leaves pull away from the base easily and the ends are tender. Check pot occasionally to make sure the water has not boiled out.

Bechamel

Makes about 1 cup

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 cup milk, plus more if sauce is too thick

pinch of nutmeg

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook until medium golden brown (the more you brown it, the more the nutty flavor will intensify). Pour in half the milk, stirring vigorously until smooth. Stir in remaining milk, season with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and continue to cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Served with dinner was a Sangiovese blend from Chianti Classico, Castello D'Albola. Fairly high acidity, medium oak and low tannin made this wine pair wonderfully with the pork. Rated in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2010 with 90 Points.

Chilean Sea Bass with Roasted Mushrooms on Three-Cheese Polenta

Well, I know that it has been entirely too long since I have written a post and I probably have lost interest from most of you. But I am here to make amends and give it another go. Now that we are settled into our new house in SW Florida, I feel like I can make my comfy little office and accommodating kitchen into a somewhat professional working space worthy of le blog superiore. Or at least have further motivation to cook some great meals and write about them. I feel terrible that I have missed many opportunities to post some fantastic blogs about outstanding meals I've done in the past months. I will try to make up for a small percentage of my slacking in this blog by posting this incredible meal that came out of my kitchen during the first week of our residence.

My dad, good ole Paul, came to visit us over New Years. As a great big thank you for his generosity and thoughtfulness for bringing a bottle of 1994 Quilceda Creek Cabernet to share, I decided to cook us all a dynamite dinner. I wanted to cook fish, however, I was having a hard time coming up with a method of preparation that wasn't too light or salty. I have a great recipe for a Spanish style topping with capers and green olives, but I knew the salt would completely ruin the taste of the wine. As I wasn't absolutely sure how a 1994 Washington Cabernet was going to hold up, if it was past its prime or big and bold, I decided to stick with my intended white fish with heavier accompaniments. This recipe out of Nordstrom's Entertaining at Home cookbook (with some minor tweaks) was easy, if a bit time consuming, but had all the components of what I was looking for. A simple tomato based red sauce with roasted mushrooms and a creamy cheesy polenta.

I went for the gusto and splurged on some Chilean Sea Bass, one of my most favorite fish. Our neighborhood fish market, Paradise Shrimp Company, had huge fresh steaks that just looked too good to pass up.

The dish was a wild success and the wine paired famously. Probably in fact, one of the best bottles of wine that I have ever had. Thanks Dad!

Chilean Sea Bass with Wild Mushrooms on Three-Cheese Polenta

Recipe from Nordstrom's Entertaining at Home Cookbook
Serves 8

Tomato Sauce
1/4 Cup Olive Oil
4 Cloves garlic, minced
5 Plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
1 can (14 1/2 oz) diced tomatoes
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

Roasted Mushrooms
1/2 lb portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 lb shiitake mushrooms, quartered
1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup olive oil
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Roasted Sea Bass
olive oil for brushing
8 Chilean sea bass filets (7 oz each)
4 tsp chopped fresh thyme
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Three Cheese Polenta
6 cups water
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 cup diced Brie cheese (all rind removed)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup stinky cheese (stilton or bleu)
1 cup heavy whipping cream


Preheat oven to 500 degrees

To make Tomato Sauce, in a 2 quart saucepan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and swirl to coat bottom of pan. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until it turns light tan, about 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and canned tomatoes with juices and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes to blend flavors. Stir in the basil, remove from heat and set aside.

To make the Roasted Mushrooms, in a large bowl, combine all of the mushrooms, drizzle with olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly, and then arrange on a rimmed baking sheet in an even layer. Bake until well browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

To make the Roasted Sea Bass, brush a rimmed baking sheet with olive oil and arrange the fillets on the pan without crowding. Sprinke each with 1/2 tsp of the thyme and season with salt and pepper. Bake until slightly browned and just barely firm but not cooked through, about 10 minutes, depending on thickness of fillets. Remove from the oven and set aside. Reduce the oven to 400 F.

To make the Three-Cheese Polenta, in a heavy 4 qt saucepan over medium hight heat, bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the salt. Whisking constantly, add the cornmeal in a slow, steady stream. Adjust the heat so the polenta doesnt splatter, then cook, stirring frequently until all the water is absorbed and the cornmeal no longer tastes grainy, and the mixture is creamy, 18-20 minutes. Add the cheeses a little at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the mixture begins to firm up, stir in the heavy cream. The mixture should be pourable. Remove from heat.

In a baking dish large enough to accomodate the polenta, or in two smaller dishes, spread the polenta in an even layer. Scatter the mushrooms evenly over the polenta. Using a wide metal spatula, lift the fish fillets from their baking sheet and arrange them over the mushrooms. Evenly mask each of the filets with the tomato sauce.

Bake until heated through and bubbling slightly around the edges, about 20 minutes. Serve immediately.