Bring water to a boil. Add salt, then whisk in polenta in a fine stream. Turn down the heat and cook polenta, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, for about 20 minutes or until polenta is very soft.

Special notes:

For grilled polenta, the recipe can be made 1 day ahead. Place in a loaf pan that has been rinsed with cold water, making it easy to remove from the pan. Cover with plastic wrap and cool. Place in the refrigerator.

For grilled polenta, spread with offset spatula on a marble or granite surface to cool. Cut into pieces, brush each piece with olive oil and grill until golden on both sides.

Top with toppings of your choice (i.e., sautéed mushrooms). For a gorgonzola cheese topping, brown one side of the polenta, then turn and top with some gorgonzola and let heat through.