The Original Recipe By: Julie Della Croce, Italy Vegetarian Table, has been changed to reduce the fat.

Servings:6

1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms

1 cup hot water

porcini mushroom broth (made from water and dried porcini mushrooms above)

1/2 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced

vegetable spray

1 small onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/2 cup fat free or 1% soy milk (evaporated milk or skim evaporated milk can also be used)

1 cup Fontina cheese, shredded

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 1/2 cups polenta (cornmeal)

1 1/2 quarts water

To begin to prepare the sauce, in a small bowl combine the dried porcini mushrooms and hot water and let stand for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Pour the soaking mushrooms and liquid through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheese cloth or paper towel. Reserve the mushroom soaking liquid. Squeeze out excess water from the porcini mushrooms and cut them into thumbnail size pieces.

Lightly spray a 9x13 inch baking pan and set it aside. Lightly spray two large pastry boards or a very large scratch proof counter surface. Make the polenta (follow directions on package) and when it is cooked, turn it directly out onto the boards, or counter. Use a large knife or rubber spatula, first dipped in water, to spread out the polenta to a thickness of about 1/2 an inch . Allow it to cool and harden, about 20 minutes. Cut it into approximately 3-inch squares.

Meanwhile, preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Continue to make the sauce. Remove any dirt from the button mushrooms. Separate the stems from the caps, discard the stems if they are tough. Slice the mushroom caps and tender stems thinly. In a skillet over medium-low heat, spray with vegetable spray. Add the onion and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the porcini mushrooms and sauté for another 5 to 6 minutes to marry the flavors. Add some of the reserved mushroom liquid to prevent sticking if necessary. Add the button mushrooms and continue to sauté until tender about 5 minutes. Add 3/4 cup of mushroom soaking broth, salt, and pepper. Allow to simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then stir in milk, and allow the mixture barely to reach a simmer. Immediately remove the skillet from the heat.

Place half of the polenta squares in a layer on the bottom of the prepared dish. Spread half of the sauce in a layer over them, then sprinkle with half of the cheeses. Place another layer of polenta squares over the cheeses. Spoon the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with the remaining cheeses. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the cheese is melted and golden and the sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let settle for 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

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