O.K. this is for the elf. Grits are a staple of Southern culture and cuisine. They are made from ground corn and have a consistency somewhat similar to cream of wheat or porridge. Most commonly, they are boiled. All by themselves they can be rather bland, but they can be the basis of some really good dishes. Mostly, they take a lot of flavor from the ingredients cooked with them. Often, they are eaten with just salt, pepper, and butter.
Then you can move up a notch. You have seen refernce to grits with cheese. Add some garic to your cheese grits, and you are beginning to get somewhere. Jalopena peppers fit in nicely as well.I have added salsa to them.
I like shrimp and grits, and if you locate a Southern style cook book, you can find numerous tasty ideas. You can add most anything to grits.
Grits became a staple in the South, because they are inexpensive and add bulk to a meal. This was particularly important when farm work was the standard and a worker needed a hearty breakfast to make it through a morning of heavy work.
Grits to a Southern boy are kind of like baked beans are to a Boston guy - gotta have 'em.
Don't make the mistake I once did, though. I was visiting Brooklynn, New York, and a restaurant had grits listed on the menu. For a minute or so, I thought civilization had moved to the big city. Now, I don't know what that stuff was, but it sure as hell wasn't grits. Come south to get familiar with grits, or at least try them prepared by somebody who been here before.
Some people like them, and some never will, but do try them out.
Topic: Whats HOT for breakfast (Read 557 times)
