Although I've sampled a wide variety of cuisine in the past months, from heart-shaped falafel to kebab any which way to amazing homemade chicken curry, I had a true culinary experience today. While at lunch with my stepmother, I sampled my very first plate of that good, ol' North Carolinian concoction: shrimp and grits.If you've ever traveled in the South, you know about grits. They are made from hominy (a close relative of corn) and come in yellow and white. Though they have a low-brow reputation (elevated in recent years thanks to retro nostalgia), they are actually in the same food catagory as some mushrooms and all escargot, in that a plate of grits is a mostly tasteless delivery system for things that really do taste good. (I'm now typing under the desk to avoid being rotten-tomatoed by offended grit connaisseurs and Southophiles, but this Californian stands by her statement.)
The plate of shrimp and grits I had today proves my point, but it doesn't mean it wasn't delicious. On top of a pile of mildly-flavored yellow mush the consistency of Cream of Wheat (that'd be the grits) was layered bubbling cheddar cheese, generous bits of bacon, a pile of plump shrimp and a generous scattering of artichoke hearts. The grits provided the (extremely) subtle base for this load of flavorful goodness. Anything stronger would have ruined the effect.
Which is why I recommend shrimp and grits to anyone traveling in the Carolinas. And encourage all and sundry to let me know just how wrong (or right) I am about grits. (I promise to respond to all comments...)
8 comments:
One of my Southern CTY friends made cheese grits this summer! They were fabulous! I loved them! I'll have to try shrimp and grits next time I am in NC!
I can take or leave grits. But Carolina barbecue--pulled pork and vinegary coleslaw---mmmmmmmmm.
I love shrimp and grits! I have a bag of grits from South Carolina that my friend gave me. Maybe we'll have grits in NY!
If that dish were rice or couscous or orzo or even oatmeal instead of grits, would it really matter?
You know you're a blogger when you're taking pictures of your food to share with the world.
This is actually a photo from Google of shrimp and grits that most closely matched this meal (not that I'm above 1) taking pictures of my food and 2) blogging about it.
The mom's from B'ham, AL - so of course grits was a regular alternative to rice or potatoes in my childhood. Cheese baked grits are a once a year favorite in my family.
LOVE GRITS!!!!!
Those who don't like grits, never had grits.
BrianB must never have had Creamy, Dreamy grits from Flying Biscuit. Yummmm.
Your Dad had Shrimp and Grits there last week. Not a vehicle for cheese, but for plump shrimp and a tasty sauce.
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