Grits!

Grits rock. Plain and simple. I can never seem to get enough of them. Yet I always run into people who have never had them. The only thing I can really do is tell them to just take a chance and try them.

Often times I'll ask someone who hasn't had grits if they have had polenta. And the usual response is: "Yes! I love polenta!" Then my usual response is "Then why the hell haven't you tried grits??? What the fuck is wrong with you???" OK, that's not my usual response, but that's what I'm usually thinking. The fact is, polenta and grits are very similar.

Like polenta, grits can be handled in lots of ways. You can serve them once they are done cooking. You can pour them into a tray to cool, then slice and saute'. Plus, you can season the hell out of grits. They are very good at absorbing flavor.

My favorite way to have them is probably the most traditional. Butter, salt and pepper. Throw in some scrambled eggs, a hot link and a biscuit or toast, and that equals up to one happy negro. :-)

One of the coolest ways I've cooked grits was to bread and deep fry them like a mozzarella stick. I got the recipe from the Thomas Keller book "Ad Hoc at Home". I lost the exact recipe, but with google, I'm sure it won't be that hard to find. I suggest picking that book up and taking a long look at it. Thomas Keller is the man. And to see a book from him that is pretty much all comfort foods is awesome. His technique alone is worth checking out the book.

I don't have any fancy pictures this time. But the picture I do have is of a very practical application: My lunch for work. Grits and a hot link. Gets the job done every time.

That's it for this post. Now I'm gonna leave you with a song based around grits. Ya see that? How many foods have songs based around them? That's why grits rule!

I'm out!!!

J. Miller