For 6 servings:

1 kg maize flour, 400 grs Toma cheese (not too old), 200 grs butter, 2 garlic cloves, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper.

Put on the fire a huge pot with 3 litres water; add salt and, when boiling, add the flour sprinkling. Always stirring, cook for 40 minute with mild fire. After 30 minutes, add the diced Toma cheese and mix. In the last minutes of the cooking, melt the butter in a pan with the garlic cloves, to be immediately discarded. Pour the polenta in a bowl, add the molten butter and stir until disappearance; sprinkle with pepper, add the parmesan and serve.

The heavy greasy consistence of the dish needs a tannic powerful local red like a Spanna or a Sizzano or the Lessona

Frittata di Rane (Frogs omelette)

For 6 servings:

500 grs frogs legs cleaned and deboned, 6 eggs, 200 ml milk, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Fry the frogs legs in boiling oil and drain for few minutes; beat the eggs, add salt, pepper and milk. Add the frogs legs, turn few times and put again in the pan with hot oil.

The suggested wines are mild whites like a Riesling dell’Oltrepò or a Pinot Bianco or the Ortrugo della Val Tidone.

Crema dji pover (Poor people’ cream)

For 6 servings:

100 grs bitter chocolate powder, 80 grs flour, 1 litre milk, 100 grs sugar, 150 grs amaretti (macaroons) biscuits.

Boil the milk; in a high pan put the chocolate powder, flour and sugar, slowly mixing with the warm milk. Boil the mixture with mild fire, always stirring for at least 10 minutes with a wooden spoon. Pour the cream in a terrine, add the macaroons keeping them on the bottom in order to soak them. The cream can be served warm or after few hours in a fridge.

The sweetish taste will be better matched by a dessert wine like a Caluso passito or the Moscato d’Asti or an Asti Spumante.