WHAT'S GRITS ANYWAY?

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"ER, IS IT SINGULAR OR PLURAL?"
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Of all the things for which we are indebted to the Old South, one of the greatest...is GRITS. ("Grits," the word can be considered singular or plural. Traditionally in the South, it's used as a singular word.)

"What's grits?" "What's grits?" Ho-Hum. I've heard that question over and over---all my life. Have we left some important training out of the lives of our kids?

The word comes from an Old English word---"gryt,"'which means coarse meal. (Grits are sometimes called "softkee," or "softkey," from an old Muskogee Indian word.

Let me tell you some stories!

Once upon a time, and it doesn't seem 50 years ago, but it was---I was in a church music position of teaching and training for the whole state of New Mexico. I decided that we needed a coed music camp for teen-agers, up in the mountains at a good facility and thus I planned the camp from scratch---the classes, the schedule, the choral music, the expert choral director, the faculty, the recreation, and probably most important of all---the menus.

I hired the cooks and bought the groceries. My hope was: "IF YOU PLAN IT, THEY WILL COME." And they did, 250 of the best musically-trained church teen-agers came (and lo, have come every year for the past fifty!) And their beautiful music in four-part harmony wafted across the mountains, praising God! All that to tell you this...

For breakfast, I planned each morning to have a big tray of scrambled eggs and a big tray of GRITS, along with toast and fruit and stuff.

First morning the kids said: "What's this cream-of-wheat stuff? Where's the sugar and cream?" Now to a true Southern grit-lover, that is just a travesty, a no-no! I said, "It's GRITS, put butter,salt, and pepper on them (I can use plural too), and kinda mix the grits in with your scrambled eggs. It's one of the best things you will ever eat!"

(Buttery grits go even better with fried eggs, but I didn't tell the kids that; we couldn't fry 500 eggs every morning!)

Did you ever see that really funny movie, "MY COUSIN VINNY," where Joe Pesci was in a little greasy spoon cafe down in Georgia, eating breakfast. Getting his egg plate, he eyed it suspiciously and said, "What is this stuff?" "Grits," replied the cafe owner. Joe looked very skeptical; he was from New York!

There are a lot of other stories I could tell you about grits. Like my five year old grandson's beautiful mother was seen putting cream and sugar on his grits---in my house---right in front of me! So much for raising a tough grandkid! (Well, I shouldn't talk---he did become a Texas All-State Honorable Mention Quarterback in 2009!)

There are a lot of uses for grits which give menus some variety. In addition to breakfast, you can have steak and grits; try a Mexican Grit Casserole with grits, cheese, and green chillies baked in long casserole dish(add an egg or two for body), and serve it with enchiladas. It is superb!

Read Mil's Place: "Mil's Gift to the World- A GRITTATA!"

I haven't Googled grit recipes, but here is one for a holiday breakfast, made up out of my head. Adjust it for best results. Mix into a long big casserole dish, a couple of cups of cooked grits, eight or ten eggs beaten, plenty of green chillies, lots of cheese, and a half pound or more of Jimmy Dean sausage, already cooked and diced. Cook this at 350 for estimated 25-35 minutes, and insert the proverbial toothpick, etc. I believe this will fly.

Reckon, this is about it for now. Let me say, I hope you'll be eating a "right smart" of grits. If they're new to you, you're gonna like 'em...and lest you consign them to ignominy, remember it's important that you have your hominy.

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BY MIL
2/02/13
Sent from my iPad