Don’t be cutting down grits!

Grits.

 

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So what went through your mind – yuck? Or, yum, home-made comfort food?

Since moving to southwest Indiana, which is 1” from Kentucky (thus, The South), I have come to really like grits. Growing up in Iowa, we didn’t eat grits. I think I was an adult before I ever heard about grits. Now, I must admit to turning my nose down at them–sort of a food snob kind of thing. Until, I fell in love with Paula Deen. She showed me how to make grits and make them taste really good. The trick is to put stuff in them. Grits plain are disgusting, but add cheese, cream, bacon, butter….you name it, and grits become yummy.

It is funny how some foodies will look down on grits. But say, “Polenta” and then it is, “ahhh, love polenta!” OK, now polenta is just yellow corn grits. Whatever you can do with grits, you can do with polenta and vice versa. But it must just be that grits are southern American food and polenta is Italian. Italian means upscale dining and southern means plain, boring American food. But to me, grits mean true American, use-what-you-have food. Nothing is better. Who can pass up a plate of scrumptious, steaming shrimp and grits? How about grits and sausage with scrambled eggs for a weekend, stick-to –your-ribs breakfast?

There used to a restaurant in our town that served grits cakes. Think polenta slices fried. I can’t remember what was served with the grits cakes, but they were to-die-for. Sure wish the owners hadn’t closed that restaurant. They also had the best shrimp and grits anywhere (except maybe Paula Deen’s at the Lady in Sons in Savannah, Georgia).

So, go ahead, eat some grits (and maybe polenta, too). I’ve added two grits recipes to my recipe tab. One is a lower calorie version of shrimp and grits, without losing flavor. The other is a favorite brunch recipe that I serve scrambled eggs with. Enjoy!

Those are my thoughts for today