The serious topic needs to be covered

A guy walks into a bar (I just LOVE stories that start with that!) in Tupelo (or insert your own Southern town) and orders a martini.

Bartender asks "Do you want the reqular or deluxe?

Guy asks: What's the difference?

Bartender: With the deluxe instead of an olive you get grits.
 
My wife and kids love grits. She's from southeastern Ohio where you had family members fighting each other during the war between the states.

My first, and last, experience with grits did not go well. I was in middle school and was getting my hot lunch from the cafeteria and thought I was getting mashed potatoes. They weren't! That was my last bite. This was in a suburb of Chicago. I think our cooks were from MS.

Along the same lines, I worked for a fella at the Univ of MN-Crookston, way up north, with a similar but different story. He was in graduate school and went to a holiday dinner at the department heads house. He took a bite of the "mashed potaotes", choked them down and then leaned over to his wife and whispered those are the worst mashed potatoes he's ever had. She leaned over and said "you dummy, that's lutefisk!"

Finally, Bob, it sounds like you had a good time at Murphin Ridge. My folks staid there when I lived in Pike county. I had heard they had a fire there and I didn't know if they were still in business. There were a lot of gobblers strutting around there then.

Tom
 
When I was a kid, maybe early high school age, my Dad figured it was time for our culinary education. He related that when 'he' was a kid they always had Lutefisk at special occasions (he grew up in northern Wisconsin) and he really missed it. He had never made it but figured that it couldn't be that hard and after all it was soooooo good.

He had found some Lutefisk in a local store that he soaked for a day or two in several changes of water (it comes salted and dried). I don't remember how he cooked it but after it came out of the pan he smothered it in a pound of butter and brought it to the table. Naturally all of us six kids just stared at this white blob that jiggled on the plate. We all got dished up and my Dad made sure we all had a serving on our plates. Still, we just stared at it, waiting until he took some first. He must have really been acting when he said how good it was and that we should all take a bite. All the rest of us had the same reaction - yuck. It was then that he admitted how horrid it was.

It did'nt take long to have a family vote to toss the Lutefisk and order Pizza. I have never had it since, though if someone told me that so & so was the best Lutefisk maker around, I'd probably try it one more time.
 
Here is an Ode to the White Trash Cooking*


Livermush and Pinto Beans
Black-eyed Peas and Collard Greens
Cornbread with the crust burnt black
Grits and Gravy and Sliced Fatback

Biscuit with an Onion slice
Add some Pepper, Man that's nice

Another thing you just can't beat
is Saltine Crackers and Potted Meat

I still recall the good old days
a tomato sandwich
with Duke's Mayonase

For Barbequed Pork
with slaw that's shredded
I'd slap my momma til
she's bald headed

Deviled Eggs, Chicken, and Sweet Corn
Raised on that since the day I was born

Wash it Down with Sweet Iced Tea
Now that's the kinda food for Me.



*There is actually a cookbook named "White Trash Cooking," and it has dozens of recipes including the proper way to cook grits.

I like my grits best with ham gravy, cooked in an iron dutch oven, Egg yolks spilling over from the eggs, country ham, gravy, & coffee.

man, that is living.
 
For those of you who like grits and Tex-Mex breakfasts, I find chorizo stirred into my grits superior to butter or syrup...I guess you still get the pepper as there is plenty in the chorizo.
 
As a Yankee who moved South, I never had grits. After the "discovery", I truly enjoyed them and found they are a great dish when cooking. My favorite is a mess of grits with shredded cheddar cheese, and a diced jalapeno pepper; mix with salt and pepper, and it will be gone in seconds flat!!!!!!!!!

Best,
Steve
 
Uh guys , As one of the few " purebreds " here I just thought you might like to know.........


GRITS

G irls
R aised
I n
T he
S outh

Taint Nuthin Better than GRITS !!
 
Just got back from the "The best Chorizo Maker in Wisconsin" with two pounds for my breakfast tomorrow!
Click to expand...


and Pete, who would that maker be? Local to you? I would love to pick up some the next time I am down that way.
 
Never had Grits, my wife always talked about them. She lived in the South for a while. Decided to try them in a Northen truck stop. Thought you really had to develop a taste for them. I'm being polite. On a trip to New Orleans tried them again, much much better.
 
dont-deny-it.jpg

 
As a yankee that moved to NC at 16 (I stayed - that makes me a damn yankee!), I make a mean plate of Shrimp & Grits! (This is a traditional dish from the Low Country of SC.)

The secret: First, use real grits - NOT instant grits. Second, substitute chicken broth and heavy cream for the water and add grated white cheddar when cooked. Season to taste with salt, black and white peppers. I then fry some good quality apple cured bacon and reserve a bit of the drippings. Break bacon into small pieces. In this bacon grease I saute chopped scallions. Incorporate the bacon and scallions into grits and plate. Then quickly saute the peeled shrimp in the bacon pan. Don't overcook the shrimp! Top the grits with the shrimp and VOILA!

I am preparing this dish for a casual dinner for some hunting buddies with spouses this Friday evening. We will start with salad greens from my garden arranged in sheafs and wrapped at the stem ends in proscuitto (sp??) with a simple French dressing (olive oil, lemon juice and dijon mustard.) The dessert with be homemade key lime pie. Of course, the entire meal will be complemented by lots of good red wine.

Now I'm hungry!

Preston
 
I keep reading these "I tried em in a truck stop up in New York once" stories. Guys you don't know what you are missing. Have any of you ever been served Polenta at an Italian restaurant? Polenta is/are GRITS.
At the end of each duck season each year a bunch of my high school buddies get together for the final weekend of the season. We always have a duck dinner and liquid libations. (Sometimes to much liquid). This year I was the featured chef and prepared duck for 20. I served grilled duck breast over a bed of wilted spinach on a larger bed of home-style garlic cheese grits. Not a dry eye in the house. I ran out of grits before I ran out of duck.
I have been invited back as the chef in residence for next year’s event.
You guys need to try real stone ground grits and slow cook them. Add cheese and garlic with some bacon drippings. By the way, you should cook grits with heavy whipping cream not water.
Don't tell your cardiologist I gave you this recipe.



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