Grits

quote:

Originally posted by pogophiles

Here's the folks I referred to above. They put out a quality product, if you can handle 10 pounds at a time...

http://fallsmill.com/store.html

I find it hard to believe that grits are that hard to find. If that is the case, let me know via email. I will simply go down to my local grocery and get what U want (maybe). Let me know.

No indeed adjudicator, grits are not hard to find at all (thanks for your "generous" offer). Good freshly-ground grits are another matter entirely...

It took me years to learn to eat and enjoy grits. I grew up in Los Angeles and migrated to the East coast, for the express purpose of defending Norfolk Va. After offending many a nice southern waitress, by saying "leave them dam grits off my plate" With the help of some helpful southern belle's I have seen the light and enjoy grits very much.

3 sites I've found--I don't fouch for any, but they advertise well.

http://www.grits.com/fallmill.htm
http://www.bobsredmill.com/
http://www.hoppinjohns.com/cgi-bin/screenbld.asp?Request=HoppinJohnHome

I don't know of anyplace in the country where you can't get good stone-ground grits...it's just that in some parts of the country, they're sold under the name Polenta. Same damn thing.

quote:

Originally posted by Lucky Bishop

I don't know of anyplace in the country where you can't get good stone-ground grits...it's just that in some parts of the country, they're sold under the name Polenta. Same damn thing.

I'm confused. Grits=polenta? Isn't polenta made from plain, milled yellow corn while grits are made from kernels of white corn which are dried to about a 14% moisture content, air dried, then milled? Although they do make a white corn polenta in the Fruili region of Italy it's not easily found in the US.

I do not know about the rest of the USA but around Knoxville, Polenta is cormmeal mush. It is made with cornmeal. Grits are another thing.

Mamaw Smith who lives next door makes cornmeal mush on a frequent basis. She hops it up a bit every once in a while by adding ingredients such as onions, garlic, sausage, etc.

We even do the same thing with grits on occasion but it seems that we mostly like our grits with salt, pepper, butter and thats it.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

quote:

Originally posted by pogophiles

No indeed adjudicator, grits are not hard to find at all (thanks for your "generous" offer). Good freshly-ground grits are another matter entirely...

Quite true, my friend. I think I realized that just about the time I pushed my "enter" key. Regardless, though, my local purveyor DOES have somewhat of a "variety" of grits to choose from.

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

I do not know about the rest of the USA but around Knoxville, Polenta is cormmeal mush. It is made with cornmeal. Grits are another thing.

Mamaw Smith who lives next door makes cornmeal mush on a frequent basis. She hops it up a bit every once in a while by adding ingredients such as onions, garlic, sausage, etc.

We even do the same thing with grits on occasion but it seems that we mostly like our grits with salt, pepper, butter and thats it.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Salt, pepper, and butter. Yes. Nothing more.

A question for the grits experts: if the grits are alongside poached or fried eggs with runny yolks, may the yolk be added to the grits?

Any advice would be gratefully accepted.

quote:

Originally posted by Hiram Callahan

A question for the grits experts: if the grits are alongside poached or fried eggs with runny yolks, may the yolk be added to the grits?

Any advice would be gratefully accepted.

Of course! As long as you don't use a SPOON!!!!

Just in case y'all are interested............I grew up in the South (Columbus, Ga to be exact) and have always put butter in my grits along w/ a dollop of grape jelly!

quote:

Originally posted by Hiram Callahan

A question for the grits experts: if the grits are alongside poached or fried eggs with runny yolks, may the yolk be added to the grits?

Any advice would be gratefully accepted.

Hiram,
Fine with me. You might like to add a drop of Tabasco(R) to the resulting mixture - the original red, not the green. And maybe even a little garlic.
Epicuriouser, Ort. Carlton in the Gritland of Athens, Georgia.
P. S. Hash browns for breakfast? Okay, as long as they don't come out of one of those dadgum waxed cartons... those things are closer to pure cellulose than pure potato....

quote:

Originally posted by stridge

Have any of you dear Children of the South ever heard of what the Yankees do with Grits? Hold on to your britches, they put milk and sugar on them.Gads!

Although I was born and bred in the briar patch, (SC from 1670 on my mother's side), my father, who was born in Milwaukee, ate grits with pieces of bread mixed in. Worse, my ex-wife (Berea, OH) ate hers with lettuce.

quote:

Originally posted by Adjudicator

Us here in South Southern Georgia actually have a Grits Festival. This place is still about 90 miles NORTH of where I live...

http://www.gritsfest.com/

We also partake in other (perhaps) strange celebrations.

http://www.caironet.com/RATTLE.HTM

http://www.swinetimefestival.com

http://www.caironet.com/MULE.HTM

http://www.floridaseafoodfestival.com

All of these hold one thing in common most important to us Southerners, food, and lots of it...

Here in SC we have a "Chitlin' Strut". No website, though - they couldn'rt figure out how to include a "scratch and sniff."

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

You might like to add a drop of Tabasco(R) to the resulting mixture - the original red, not the green.

Ort., you're the only person I know who'e tried the green Tabasco. How is it? (Flavor, heat, etc.)
and have you tried those potatoes that come in a plastic bag & claim never to have been frozen? I like them, but have seen them only in shreds, never cubed.

Rick: You did not ask me but I have been a user of green Tabasco for several years. It is the jalapeno version and quite frankly I prefer it over the traditional.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Rick didn't ask me either but we always have a bottle of red and a bottle of green. The Big Guy prefers the green because it's milder while I actually like having the inside of my mouth burned out (on certain foods) so I prefer the red. Although the green is fantastic on a sausage and vegetable fritatta for breakfast out on the boat or camping!!

quote:

Originally posted by Alexander

Here in SC we have a "Chitlin' Strut". No website, though - they couldn'rt figure out how to include a "scratch and sniff."

Good thing, too. I like the taste, but oh the smell...

Get this:

I have a friend, originally from here in Tennessee, who moved to Vermont several years back, and during her time in exile, she wanted a taste of home, so she went to the local grocery to buy a bag of grits. Guess where they were. In the foreign foods section.

Fred Sauceman
Johnson City, Tennessee

Just finished reading the review of the Seelbach Hotel's OAK ROOM, The top of the mountain of hotel dining facilities in Louisville.
Here's a short quote from the Louisville Magazine's review.

À la carte side dishes carry out the fusion of Kentucky and international culinary themes, from $6 for fried green tomatoes ... with roasted garlic aioli ... to $10 for, I am not kidding about this,lobster grits.

It just keeps getting better !!

Ya know, they (the "chefs") were putting EVERYTHING but the kitchen sink in mashed potatoes.......lobster, crab....blueberries for heaven's sake! Now they're doing the same with grits???? Sacreligious!

$6 for fried green tamaters? Really?

I was just in the Tidewater area of Virginia, and attended a Sunday brunch in a hotel. Naturally on the buffet was a big serving pan of grits. I'm sure they weren't anything special, but with lots of butter melted into them, I filled my plate 3 times. I wish they routinely served them here in Maryland.

quote:

Originally posted by Sundancer7

Rick: You did not ask me but I have been a user of green Tabasco for several years. It is the jalapeno version and quite frankly I prefer it over the traditional.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

I'm with you. I prefer the jalpeno Tabasco over the standard red. But, I really like the Tabasco habanero sauce.

quote:

Originally posted by Michael Hoffman
I prefer the jalpeno Tabasco over the standard red. But, I really like the Tabasco habanero sauce.

Thanks for the info, everbody--including those I didn't ask (). I didn't know McIlhenny made hab Tabasco too. Two new flavors to try. Wheee!

Rick, two MORE flavors to try in Tabasco.......chipotle and garlic! Both are quite good!

I'm working my way through a bottle of the garlic now -- I like it!!

If we ever have leftover grits, especially if its from a garlic and cheese grits casserole, we refrigerate it and then cut the somewhat hardened stuff into little squares and fry them in a skillet. Makes for an interesting, and delicious treat with butter, salt, and pepper. I put apple jelly on top. Quite good.
Frank

It's even better topped with an "over easy" fried egg...

Don't forget to sprinkle a few drops of Tabasco or Crystal hot sauce over that...
Frank