Grits??? Someone please answer!

[fhmoore]

Good Southern girl here....

 

I think it's quite funny that polenta has become all the rage. That's basically a 'sister!

 

Those who say they don't like grits have never had a grits casserole. Add a couple (tempered) eggs, cheese and a little milk or cream to hot cooked grits.

(Add crumbled bacon or ham and it makes it a complete breakfast} Cook at 325 for an hour. Yummo!! Leftovers the next morning...cut into half inch slices and fry it lightly in your cast iron skillet!

 

My favorite dish in my youth was my mothers salmon cakes and grits...all smushed together!

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

Ok, so it sounds like they have grits on board.

 

How about collards?

 

Ok, I am dying to know - what are grits. We hear of them on movies and tv shows and such but havent a clue as to what they are. Is it the same as porridge?

 

AND what is collards?

 

We will be on the Coral Princess in Feb 2010 - should be interesting trying all this different type of food.

[Happy2Cruise4Fun]

He is a Yankee that will not touch grits or Okra!:D

 

Being a Yankee I agree with not touching the Okra, had Grits in the south, some good and some like wallpaper paste.

 

Up here in the midwest I prefer the Goetta!!! Which you cannot get in the south since the pin oats just cant take the heat and humidty.

[dawcruiser]

Grits are the best when you mix them with a cut up egg which still has a soft yoke. Grits, egg, salt, pepper, toast, jam and coffee and you have a great breakfast. Also a side of country ham.

 

Now that is good eating. I am a transplanted yankee and I was a cream of wheat person as a kid but now I like grits just as much.

 

Don

[pjs9876]

To everyone trying grits for the first time-try to have someone make sure they are a "good batch". It is not hard at all to cook, Just boiling water but the comment about wallpaper is dead-on if they are overcooked! The texture is a little different also. The corn has been ground into small little balls just bigger than a dot. They don't have much flavor till you add butter or eggs or shrimp or ham. A little like risotto! The flavor difference is sort of like the difference between a flour tortillas and a corn tortillas.

[jagsfan]

If anyone that hasn't or has tried grits is ever in Charleston SC, go to 82 Queen St

for lunch. Order the Shrimp and Grits. After you've eaten them,lick your plate (figuratively),

then order again. That just might satisfy you.

I recently went to the Fellsmere Florida Frog Festival......for the fried frogs legs. I hadn't

had them in probably 20 years and was looking forward to them. They were ok....not much

meat......kind of like a miniature miniature chicken drumstick.

The wonderful thing was a portion of perfectly cooked hot grits with a pat of real butter

and some salt and pepper. That was worth the trip by itself.

Grits is comfort food.....the kind that makes your stomach say aaahhhhhhh.

 

On the other hand, collard, mustard and turnip greens are not on my list. I'm a GRIT,

but can't do it.

[X_Drive]

Well, I'm from California and we very seldom see grits on the menu anywhere we go so I was really surprised to see them on the morning menu at McDonald's in Florida while we were on a cross-country road trip last spring.

Nice to see that Princess has them available too! :)

[pamwinn]

Ok' date=' I am dying to know - what are grits. We hear of them on movies and tv shows and such but havent a clue as to what they are. Is it the same as porridge?

 

AND what is collards?

 

We will be on the Coral Princess in Feb 2010 - should be interesting trying all this different type of food.[/quote']

 

Think of grits as liquid polenta. Collard greens are a leafy green (turnip greens, mustard greens, spinach, poke salad). They hold up better when cooked than the aformentioned and are not slimy.

 

I can't believe there are people on earth who would not enjoy fried okra! It is my favorite vegetable. I have never had fried okra in a restaurant that was very good at all. You need a southern friend who understands cast iron and can cook to understand how good it is.

[MMDown Under]

Grits were removed from the breakfast menu, on Rhapsody of the Seas, after a couple of days, on our repositioning cruise from Honolulu to Sydney.

 

Being an Aussie charter, the Aussies didn't take to grits, preferring porridge or other breakfast cereals.

[Ula]

I have seen grits every morning in the buffet on Princess. I tend to hit the Oatmeal. There is just so much you can eat on the ship. I tend to just window shop in the buffet or would be sick from all the food.

[Stuartm]

Having grown up in Australia on a menu of American television I was very excited to see grits on offer at the breakfast buffet on the Diamond last Christmas.

 

As a kid I was fascinated by these "hominy grits" and "turnip greens" etc etc that these American families were eating....and I had no idea what they were. I obviously thought we were missing out in Australia.

 

So I had my first grits experience on the Diamond last Xmas.......and at the risk of offending all those Grits eaters....they were disgusting!

 

I think a bowl of soggy cardboard would have more flavour!!!!

 

BUT!!!! I had them straight.....no syrup, no butter so maybe I didn't get the whole deal right.

 

I'm back on the Diamond this January...but think I'll give the grits a miss!

[Texas Tillie]

Having grown up in Australia on a menu of American television I was very excited to see grits on offer at the breakfast buffet on the Diamond last Christmas.

 

As a kid I was fascinated by these "hominy grits" and "turnip greens" etc etc that these American families were eating....and I had no idea what they were. I obviously thought we were missing out in Australia.

 

So I had my first grits experience on the Diamond last Xmas.......and at the risk of offending all those Grits eaters....they were disgusting!

 

I think a bowl of soggy cardboard would have more flavour!!!!

 

BUT!!!! I had them straight.....no syrup, no butter so maybe I didn't get the whole deal right.

 

I'm back on the Diamond this January...but think I'll give the grits a miss!

 

This from a man whose "national" dish is vegamite!!:D

 

Grits require lots of butter, salt and pepper or gravy made from fried ham drippings.:p

[MandE-UK]

As a philistine Brit, I can see I am going to enjoy a whole new culinary experience on our forthcoming cruise. That and the Southern Gals - whatever could a guy wish for!

[Billy and Charlie's Mum]

This from a man whose "national" dish is vegamite!!:D

 

Grits require lots of butter, salt and pepper or gravy made from fried ham drippings.:p

 

Hey! If you are going to bag our "national" dish at least get the name right! It's Vegemite. And it's yummy! (At least it has flavour and you don't have to add everything to it to give it taste.) LOL

[bbq]

I just got off a 28 day around Australia on the Sun Princess and much to my disappointment they did have grits & baked beans every morning but seldom potatoes. Maybe it depends on the sailing location because I never saw grits on my other 26 cruises on Princess. Good Luck!:rolleyes:

[Genessa]

we got off the Island on FRiday and I did not notice grits in the buffet at all (if I had I would have tried them) . There was oatmeal and cream of wheat.

 

I'm from the northeast, but my father is from the South and I guess I got enough of his blood to make me a true grit lover - although HE didn't like them.

 

I'll eat grits either with a pat of butter and a bit of salt OR a teaspoon of sugar and a drop of half and half.

Don't have them at home, as I'm the only one who will eat them and it is too much of a clean up for just me. Instant grits are about as tasty as instant oatmeal - NOT.

 

BTW, we ate breakfast in the buffet every day and found the Island's buffet food was delicious compared to our previous Princess cruises (9 in all). The guys who cooked the omelettes were FAST! bacon was perfect ;) sausages were good, but found a few hot ones mixed in with mild.

[warnerchilcott]

Grits are corn soaked in lye, then dried and ground. They are then boiled in water/milk until they form a paste like consistency. They are usually served at breakfast with the addition of butter and salt and pepper. Some add cream, garlic and cheese and bake them as a casserole. Some will let them cool, then take slices and fry them. They are versatile and just part of out diet in the Southern US.

[MichCook]

Not just a breakfast food.

 

Here in Charelston, SC they are served for dinner in many high-end resturants as Shrimp and Grits, or with fresh fish.

 

 

Absolutely! Had wonderful Shrimp & Grits dish at S.N.O.B. :D

[MichCook]

As a philistine Brit, I can see I am going to enjoy a whole new culinary experience on our forthcoming cruise. That and the Southern Gals - whatever could a guy wish for!

 

Well, aren't you the charmer! ;)

[MMDown Under]

Hey! If you are going to bag our "national" dish at least get the name right! It's Vegemite. And it's yummy! (At least it has flavour and you don't have to add everything to it to give it taste.) LOL

 

Vegemite is so yummy, we feed it to our babies, spread thinly on toast. :)

 

I woudn't say it was our national dish, however I do take a small bottle overseas with me, so I'm very popular with expat Australians.

 

I did realise the grits on a buffet on a ship wouldn't be like grits grandma would make. :)