Kiss My Quick Grits
Here’s a plug for one of the unsung heroes of the food world. Yes, I’m talking about grits. I must admit, they weren’t on my radar until we visited our pals, Zach + Kacey, in Winston-Salem, NC, a couple years ago.
I’d never been served grits in my life. And their name didn’t make them sound all that appealing, especially if you grew up watching Alice, where every episode Flo, the fiery red-headed waitress would exclaim, “Well [he/she] can KISS my grits!” Watch a clip of Flo >
I didn’t want to eat what Flo was telling everyone to kiss – probably not an unnatural reaction. Grits aren’t nearly as sexy as their Italian counterpart, polenta, although they’re essentially the same dish: ground corn porridge.
After one breakfast in W-S, served with a little Texas Pete, I became a fan. Grits are really versatile. ‘They’ can be plural or singular. They work for any meal, despite being known as breakfast food. You can eat them very simply, or with embellishments. I really like them with cheddar, black beans, salsa and guacamole. They’re delightful with sauteed vegetables and feta. And of course cheesy grits as a side with eggs and bacon are terrific.
And the cooking time is really speedy. Here’s my favorite preparation:
4 T quick grits
1 c broth (I usually heat up some water and add a tsp of veggie broth paste)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 sm. shallot, minced
dash of hot peppers
S+P
Bring broth to a boil and stir in remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to med-low and cook 5-7 min, covered, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and serve.
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