Georgia Ice Cream  The derisive native Floridian term for grits, perhaps popularized as a general term for grits during World War II.  In the good ol' days, Georgians would eat grits 3 meals a day.  Of course, in the modern world of fast food and chain restaurants, even Georgians eat potatoes instead of grits for breakfast anymore.  And given the flavorless nature of the large regional and national brand "quick grits" and "instant grits," who can blame them? Real Southern grits, according to Mark Dixon (aka Captain Zen) are the coarse grind from the old stone grinding mills.  The fine grind is cornmeal.  There are hominy grits around, but these aren't quite the same.  Polenta is pretty much the same thing though.  If people object to grits, tell them you're serving polenta. Besides the difference in flavor between "regular" and "instant" grits, the old style grits are invariably better.  This is probably due to commercial corporate brands being much like white flour.  The germ and outer hull are stripped out and what is left is not so nutritious, even after being "fortified." My research on grits, as documented below, has convinced me that if I cannot get real old-fashioned grits, there's not much point in bothering with them.  Grits should be served with salt, pepper, butter and redeye gravy.  A few drops of Tabasco are permissable, and perhaps even required in Georgia. No milk and sugar!!! They aren't oatmeal or cream of wheat. OK, some people cook them in milk instead of water,and it gives them a creamier texture.  But don't pour milk on them. Redeye gravy is made by pouring coffee into the hot skillet after you fry the country ham slices.  You don't need a thickener. Just stir and pour over your grits. Then go work it off by hiking into the woods for mushrooms.  I think you could make a vegetarian substitute by adding about a spoon full of vegemite or marmite to maybe a half cup of coffee and cooking it down a bit. My Tasting Notes The 1890's style grits sold by the Agrirama are great. No, they don't taste like chicken.  Chicken doesn't even taste like chicken anymore.  These grits taste sorta like popcorn actually:  http://www.agrirama.com/.   Buy some today and tell Captain Zen I sent you. Blackwell Mills, Inc. uses the blasphemousword "microwave" on its packages of speckle yellow grits. They are the real thing, however, and taste pretty good cooked in a pot on a stove, the old fashioned way.  This is another product that could probably be improved by grinding a tastier variety of corn Carolina Plantation grits are very good also. They seem to be a bit creamier than Agrirama grits, but not quite as tasty.  I think it's the variety of corn Agrirama uses is somewhat better.  But I won't complain about Carolina Plantation.  I will also mention that they sell some of the best brown rice I've ever tried:  http://www.carolinaplantationrice.com/detail.aspx?ID=4. These grits are made the right way, but they aren't as good as Georgia grits: http://www.byrdmill.com/. I had Cracker Barrel's grits in their Altoona, PA restaurant.  They were real grits, somwhat bland, but obviously not instant grits. There was just one problem.  Those Northern cooks don't seem to understand that grits need to be cooked beyond the "gritty" stage. Busboys and Poets, a small chain of restaurants in Washington, DC, understands grits.  The best I've ever eaten in a restaurant.  Real stone ground grits cooked just right. I don't know who their supplier is. I tried Lakeside Mills yellow corn grits.  They're not bad, but I find them better for making cheese grits than breakfast (revision: I recently served them to 30 or so people.  I added a blend of "Mexican" cheese as well as a little coconut milk.  No complaints.) The mill has a long history in NC.  I'm sure some of my ancestors ate grits from this mill: http://www.ncagr.com/ncproducts/ShowSite.asp?ID=1681. Coates Produce in Asheville, NC is a small mill.  I found their grits at the large farmer's market in Asheville. The stand that sold them recommended the yellow, so that is what I tried.  They are mighty fine grits, just a notch below Agrirama.  Definitely not instant... they take a long time to cook, as real grits should.  I made some with cheese and NC country ham on a recent camping trip. The Yankees were surprised that grits could taste so good. Daniel Boone grits from Boonville, NC are made from "selected corn."  Another fine product from a small mill on a par with Coates and Plantation. I was disappointed in Hoover Mill grits.  The problem, as I see it, is that they only sell quick grits.  I don't know how they make grits "quick." I don't know because I don't want to know.  My position on such matters is the same as Mr. Tipton's in the movie, My Cousin Vinny (see below).   I wonder if their corn meal is better: http://www.williamsfamilyfarm.com/cornmeal&grits.htm. Organic yellow corn grits sold by Whole Foods.  Disappointing.  If you charge extra for "organic" they should be tasty also. Jim Dandy -  I remember them as being somewhat bland, but I recently bought their best old-fashioned product.  Now that I've tried them again, I am sad to say that my memory is correct. They're bland. Probably had the flavor removed. Big national chain with a picture of an 18th century Pennsylvania religious character on the box.  Bland gummy stuff, proving that Yankees don't know grits from Shinola.  I won't even mention the name.  I'm sure you can find them. Nora Mills "Georgia Ice Cream"  - Real grits.  Good texture. But not as tasty as Agri-rama and Carolina Plantation.  Of course, not everyone wants their grits to have anything other than a neutral taste. http://www.noramill.com/store/index.php?cPath=22 Old Mill of Guilford - I cooked up a bowl of white grits.  They have the right mouthfeel and texture, but not much flavor.  They make good cheese grits.  I also bought a bag of yellow grits and they taste a little better, but still don't have as much flavor as some of the others. The mill looks like it might be worth a visit and the prices are attractive. http://www.oldmillofguilford.com/ White Lily - I think quick grits are the only type they make.  My expectations were low when I tried them, but I found them to be surprisingly good under the circumstances. They weren't up to Agrirama standards, but they retained their "crunch" rather than collapsing into a bowl of generic glop.  If you gotta use quick grits, go with these: http://www.whitelily.com/Products/Category.aspx?groupid=95. Millers, would you like to have your grits listed here?  Send me a sample package.  Use the contact page on this site and email me for a shipping address. Grits and mushrooms I haven't tried this recipe yet because I just thought it up.  Cook grits and mushrooms (I'd use portobellos or a wild member of the Agaricus genus if you have them) separately.  Then use a recipe for a cheese grits loaf, adding the mushrooms with the cheese, butter and eggs.  I'll share the details after I experiment a bit. Experimentation notes:  I made a batch using wild Agaricus and Plantation grits.  Not bad, but not much mushroom flavor came through.   I'm thinking morels would work well.  My Cousin Vinny - grits cooking cross-examination scene This cross-examination scene from the movie My Cousin Vinny reflects my position on instant grits.  And quick grits. Vinny Gambini: Is it possible the 2 defendants... [looks at judge] Vinny Gambini: went into the Sac-O-Suds, picked 22 specific items off of the shelf, had the clerk take the money, make change, then leave. Then 2 different men, drive up... [Seeing Mr. Tipton shake his head no] Vinny Gambini: Don't shake your head I'm not finished yet. Wait until you hear the whole thing you can understand what it is that I'm askin'. Then, two different men drive up in a similar looking car, do into the store, shoot the clerk, rob him, then leave? Mr. Tipton: No. They didn't have enough time. Vinny Gambini: Why not? How long was they in the store for? Mr. Tipton: 5 minutes. Vinny Gambini: 5 minutes? How do you know? Did you look at your watch? Mr. Tipton: No. Vinny Gambini: Oh, oh, oh, you tesitfied earlier that you saw the boys go into the store, and you had just begun to cook your breakfast and you were just getting ready to eat when you heard the shot. Mr. Tipton: That's right. Vinny Gambini: So obviously it takes you 5 minutes to cook your breakfast. Mr. Tipton: That's right. Vinny Gambini: That's right, so you knew that. You remember what you had? Mr. Tipton: Eggs and grits. Vinny Gambini: Eggs and grits. I like grits, too. How do you cook your grits? Do you like them regular, creamy or al dente? Mr. Tipton: Just regular I guess. Vinny Gambini: Regular. Instant grits? Mr. Tipton: No self respectin' Southerner uses instant grits. I take pride in my grits. Vinny Gambini: So, Mr. Tipton, how could it take you 5 minutes to cook your grits when it takes the entire grit eating world 20 minutes? Mr. Tipton: I don't know, I'm a fast cook I guess. Vinny Gambini: I'm sorry I was all the way over here I couldn't hear you did you say you were a fast cook, that's it? Mr. Tipton: Yeah. Vinny Gambini: Are we to believe that boiling water soaks into a grit faster in your kitchen than anywhere else on the face of the earth? Mr. Tipton: I don't know. Vinny Gambini: Well, I guess the laws of physics cease to exist on top of your stove. Were these magic grits? Did you buy them from the same guy who sold Jack his beanstalk beans? (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104952/quotes) OK, this page really has little to do with mushrooms or interesting plants.  So sue me.
If you need some Tabasco for your eggs, you can get it right from the source:
It is good to have the right tools for the job, especially in the kitchen.