Since when has polenta gained the "fashionable" tag? Polenta chips, maybe, and since cafes have started offering more sophisticated food than just sandwiches, polenta stacks have appeared here or there (not as common, though). Maybe the fixed shaped polenta has become fashionable (cf. the peasant's polenta which is basically a glop like porridge or oatmeal).
I love polenta. Although it is peasant food, there is a bit of technique required to actually prepare it properly, otherwise you end up with a grainy, chewy, curdled mess. I used to make it with part milk, part water, sometimes add in a bit of butter and parmesan cheese. Pan frying cooled polenta gives it a nice crisp which is addictive. Polenta served with creamy mushroom ragout is a Swiss staple. I don't cook much of it in Australia.
salty scones and a very bland white tasteless gravy with non-descript lumps, you only try it once ( unless y'all from the deep south )
