Embracing grits
Many of us who grew up in the South know how difficult it is to convince people from “off” (as they say in Charleston) to embrace grits. To say that grits have an image problem would be a vast understatement. We like to think that if everyone had an opportunity to try perfectly cooked stone-ground grits, it would be easy to change the perception of grits as bland and tasteless. If you aren't already a fan of slowly cooked stone-ground grits, but would like to give them a try, a couple of good sources on-line are http://www.ansonmills.com, and http://www.hoppinjohns.com. We usually order several bags at a time, and store them in the freezer, where they will keep indefinitely. Both sites also offer recipes.
Cooking stone-ground grits does require time, and frequent stirring to avoid scorching. In addition to cooking grits in water, or chicken broth, another option for the liquid is milk. Personally, we prefer to cook grits in broth, and finish them at the end with a bit of heavy cream for perfect consistency. Today's recipes use grits as the base for a couple of well-seasoned entrees.
