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BS: Grits
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BS: Grits |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Lonesome EJ Date: 04 Sep 99 - 03:51 PM I think of grits as kind of a breakfast condiment, like a complimentary taste for your over-easy eggs and ham. They need a lot of butter and salt n' pepper. Now, I've got a question. Who decided Texas is really a part of the South? Ain't nobody thinks Texas is in the South except Texans. Everybody else knows the South ends at the Mississippi line and the West commences. Ain't nobody in Alabama or Georgia eats godforsaken stuff like huevos rancheros in the morning. Nope, the heart of the South is a little town called Julesburg in North Central Alabama and if you have to go more than 800 miles, it just ain't Dixie. And that goes for you Lone Star pretenders- now fold up your tortillas, admit it and go home. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: bob schwarer Date: 04 Sep 99 - 03:40 PM OK. The first time I hit Tennessee back in ought56, I stopped at a breakfast joint. One of the featured items was(were) brains. I had enough, I figured so I passed. Two days later met my future wife, who it tuned out liked them as much as grits(a lot). I never have tried either & promise to never try them. But, whenever we made a trip back to TN she loaded up. She still loves the grits, but have'nt heard much about brains(the eating kind) lately. And I am not going to bring the subject up. Bob S. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Áine Date: 04 Sep 99 - 03:34 PM Well, well, feathers up your butt, uh catspaw49? I can't think of a finer thing for a Yankee to ... no, I won't be tempted to go there . . . I was always taught that if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all. Being the friendly, red-headed, native Texan that I am, catspaw49, I will just invite you down here for a tour of the best eating places in the world -- and not a White Castle to be seen!! Dear Chet W -- have you been breathing Dallas air?? What's all this high-falootin' stuff about fresh ground, frozen, just from the mill grits? Darlin', please. This is the SOUTH of the U.S. where it gets over 100 degrees Fahrenheit (at least in Texas) several days of the year -- we've been eating grits down here for a few hundred years now -- how long has there been refrigeration??? Essential oils . . . this ain't rocket science, sweetie, this is grits! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Bill D Date: 04 Sep 99 - 03:24 PM was in the boot-heel of Missouri many years ago doing an environmental survey; sent several days there, near New Madrid...ate breakfast each morning a little further south....on the first morning, at a little diner, no grits on the menu...on the 2nd morning, a bit further, they HAD grits and enquired as to whether you'd like some...on morning #3, no matter WHAT you ordered, grits were included without you saying anything!.I think we found the Mason-Dixon line!....got so I could eat 'em ok...with some butter..maybe some sugar,(brown, if possible)...but I'll never go out of my way for 'em.. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Sandy Paton Date: 04 Sep 99 - 03:11 PM In a Florida hospital, circa 1933: grits for breakfast served as a hot cereal with milk and sugar (on Sundays, add raisins); grits for lunch, served as recommended above with a pat of butter, salt and pepper to taste; for dinner (evening meal), grits served in place of potatoes or rice (they'd never heard of polenta) doused with a dollop of whatever gravy was appropriate with the meat dish (ham, beef, or questionable-source-animal). Six months of that and it took me about fifty years to recover my taste for ground-up corn. But if you think grits are bad, try hominy! Even Texans may draw the line at that. Loved the "california-style, non-processed, etc." story contributed by Aine, who knows how to get those neat accent marks out of her keyboard. I'm saving that one for Caroline, who also grew up on and was delighted to find in the local grocery store WHITE CASTLE burgers! Don't knock 'em, sPaw, that's northern soul food. Sandy |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Roger in Baltimore Date: 04 Sep 99 - 03:04 PM Grits don't taste bad. It is closer to say they hardly taste at all. Grits call for some additive to "enhance" their own lack of flavor. But, like tofu, they are a healthful extender for any meal. Low fat, etc. Roger in Baltimre (South of the Mason-Dixon line, but not by much) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Chet W. Date: 04 Sep 99 - 03:04 PM Couldn't find a webpage, but the phone # is (843)577-6404, and it's listed as Hoppin' John's Cooking School. Unless things have changed lately, it would be worth a call. Chet |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: catspaw49 Date: 04 Sep 99 - 03:04 PM Yes Chet you're right.......Karen of course has the grits, but ta' hell with grits, let's talk Country Ham!!! I've never been a big salt user and now I have to watch it a bit closer, but I'll blow it all for great Country Ham anytime and HJ's is OUTTATHISWORLD!!! Penny, if you REALLY want a great American South taste, skip the grits and getcha' some Country Ham!!! That's REAL eatin'!!! Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Chet W. Date: 04 Sep 99 - 02:52 PM All you grits lovers out there, do yourself a huge favor and get some freshly stoneground grits. Importantly, they must have been kept frozen since being ground unless you're getting them right from the mill. (The reason: essential oils and other ingredients in the corn, once crushed, will soon evaporate, and you'll be left with something diminished from its former glory.) There's a place in Charleston SC called Hopping John's, which is mostly a cookbook store, that sells them, they do mail order, and I think they have a webpage. I'll look it up and post it. He also sells the only real cured country ham that can be bought, regardless of the Smithfield authenticity labels at the market. Chet |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: catspaw49 Date: 04 Sep 99 - 01:45 PM Thank you Bob!!!! I "feel your pain" brother! And Penny......IGNORE BIG MICK!!!! First, he lives in "that state up north" as it's known around here. Second, he doesn't know enough to put the potato in the FRONT of his thong, and third, he's defending all these Texans. It's unfortunate that we can't "SEE and TALK" to each other on the net as the surest way to tell if a Texan is lying is to watch for lip movement. (:+) Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: bob schwarer Date: 04 Sep 99 - 01:17 PM Somewhere I have a recipe for grits & collards. I'll see if I can find it. I can't stand 'em but the Tennessee bride loves them--- even from Cracker Barrel. Bob S. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Big Mick Date: 04 Sep 99 - 01:16 PM Penny, listen to the Old Big Mick carefully......ignore 'Spaw.........grits remind him of used kitty litter.........and I implore you to try them with the pat of real butter, salt and pepper to taste. I am a northerner who was introduced to the wonder of grits IN TEXAS by a beautiful red headed woman to whom I am forever grateful. Next thing you know you will be throwin' "y'alls" around and wearing western clothes. Grits are some of God's best work. LOL Big Mick |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Penny S. Date: 04 Sep 99 - 01:01 PM Couldn't identify the accent specifically, but it was what I think of as "soft". I suspect you are right about the northern-ness, though. Penny |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Penny S. Date: 04 Sep 99 - 01:00 PM Barbara, thanks for the offer, but once you add postage to your grits, that won't save much. I'm going to keep looking over here. I'm beginning to think I hallucinated the packet of non-instant grits I did see (and filed under "this is where to get them when I want to try them"), but I'm sure that somewhere there's going to be a proper, not over-selling itself, emporium with grits in. I'm not desperate to try them, just curious, with my curiousity constantly being whetted by near misses. I also now have a good idea of the mark-up on other goodies(?) in the store here. Like Oreos as a breakfast cereal? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Dale Rose Date: 04 Sep 99 - 12:52 PM That passing American referred to in the original post was no doubt a Yankee, judging from the comment that grits were widely considered to taste awful. In the South or even in the near South, grits are certainly one of the staples of life. I certainly mean no disrespect to Northerners, but they couldn't be counted on to give an accurate assessment of the value of grits to Southern culture, (and the Southern breakfast!) any more than we could discuss Crown Pilot Crackers or Upper Peninsula pasties with any degree of objectivity or accuracy.
check out grits.com recipes and more |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: catspaw49 Date: 04 Sep 99 - 12:45 PM Yeah, I know........Karen loves grits with her eggs and I love to bash grits. I lived in the south for a long time and I love the Southern Mountains, but if you "grits gourmets" had a mountain of grits and I had a feather up my ass, we'd ALL be tickled to death. Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Áine Date: 04 Sep 99 - 11:57 AM Amen Liam! Testify! I told my husband about the grits discussion here, and he had a great observation about grits that he'd heard from his brother, who used to be a truck driver. . . Driving through the southern states, if you go into a truck stop east of Texas and order breakfast, the cook automatically gives you grits along with everything else. West of Fort Worth, Texas, you'll automatically get hash browned potatoes instead of grits with your breakfast order. In between Texarkana and Fort Worth, you get asked. [Of course, in Dallas, they wouldn't know what you were talking about if you mentioned 'grits' -- but, put your little finger up in the air and call it 'California style non-processed, naturally bleached, crushed corn' and they'll know what to give you!] |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: JedMarum Date: 04 Sep 99 - 11:21 AM Do save yer money an' come an' try grits with yer Texas breakfast! It's true, they ain't much on their own, but I love 'em mixed in a bit with my eggs, biscuits and gravy ... or with just a dash of butter with salt and plenty of black pepper ... but ya gotta have 'em in Texas! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Barbara Date: 04 Sep 99 - 11:12 AM Penny, I like polenta, and I like grits. A 1# box of grits here costs about (pretend this is a pounds sign)L1.85. If you want to try the real thing post me your addy in a personal message and I'll mail you a box. Blessings, Barbara |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Áine Date: 04 Sep 99 - 11:06 AM Dear Penny, Please don't listen to these 'grits-bashers'! Grits are still a cheap, excellent food that is still very popular here in the Southern U.S. Unfortunately, like most regional dishes, it needs to be consumed in its natural setting to be fully appreciated. Save your money instead of paying out for 'faux' grits there in the U.K., and put it toward a ticket to Texas. I promise that you will find the most wonderful places to experience 'true' grits here. Or, anywhere south of the Mason-Dixon line. And to catspaw49 -- any true grits lover knows that the only decent way to eat grits is with a pat of REAL butter, along with a little salt and ground black pepper! Save the gravy for the biscuits -- where it belongs!! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: catspaw49 Date: 04 Sep 99 - 09:37 AM Ya know it bites when you don't prufreed and a typo or omission fucks up your own joke. That last line should read --- "a half dozen frozen" ......I'm so gawd dumb damn, just ain't got no swave at all.
CATSPAW49 ** "Spaw" **** |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: catspaw49 Date: 04 Sep 99 - 09:18 AM I'd say that "Penny Saved and Penny Earned." A wise move as I personally wouldn't spend two cents on grits...especially "Instant Grits." Of course I ain't too hot on polenta either. I'm always amazed that some foods having a history of of being "cheap" are now given a status and a price that's totally contradictory to the original value. grits were cheap and could be served up to a large family along with home made sausage, biscuits, and eggs from your own chickens, smothered in gravy which only needed a little more flour and salt and pepper. This meal will now cost you seven bucks at "Cracker Barrel." Why hell, for that same price I could get a dozen frozen White Castle "sliders" at the supermarket! Spaw |
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Subject: RE: BS: Grits From: Jeri Date: 04 Sep 99 - 08:37 AM The plain instant grits aren't too horrible, but the flavored ones are pretty disgusting. They definitely aren't worth £5!!! According to the Universal Currency Converter, £4.95 is worth $7.92 in US Dollars/$11.82 Canadian. YOWCH! |
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Subject: Grits From: Penny S. Date: 04 Sep 99 - 08:04 AM I can't search far enough back to find the original grits references on my machine, but I had the chance to try some today, and turned it down. Our local mall has a shop specialising in supposed American food. (Made in America, but the sort of stuff which in its UK equivalent I don't eat.) Anyway, there was a display of packets of Instant Grits. (Grits equivalent of Whooph Biscuits?) So I was havering about trying them, wondering about their availability in Cheddar Cheese, Red Eye Gravy and Bacon versions, when I noticed the price (£4.95!) and commented, in case any staff were in ear-shot, that I would stick to polenta. A passing American suggested that as grits were widely considered to taste awful, and that Instant grits would no doubt taste worse, I would be wiser to save the £5 for a flight to the States for the real thing. So I'm sticking with polenta, and still wondering where I did see the ordinary sort of grits in a real shop. Penny |