Oh Mario

When I saw the beautiful macro shot of glistening polenta cubes in rich sauce I should have known better. And yet I allowed myself to dream and imagine that my dish would be just as impossibly beautiful -- just as appetizing. I actually followed Batali's directions -- a rarity for me. I let my polenta chill well more than the 2 hours chef Mario required and still when I added the sunny cubes to the simmering sauce I got beef cheeks topped with celery root, carrots, onions, and little yellow bits of grains floating by. Sad. Tasty enough (but not spectacular) after long braising in red wine but not awe inspiring, not impossibly beautiful, not photo worthy.