Cathy2 wrote: This feta and a spoon of sour cream turned my breakfast grits into a variation of the Romanian national dish: Mamaliga with cheese and sour cream (mămăligă cu brânză şi smântână))

I can hear Homer Simpsonescu now: "Mmmm mămăligă. . ."

Cathy, I'm wondering what the difference between grits and jonny cake meal is. It's hard to tell from what I have to compare: Quaker mass-produced white corn grits and local Connecticut stone-ground by water power white flint corn jonny cake meal. Any ideas?

Josephine wrote:

Cathy2 wrote: This feta and a spoon of sour cream turned my breakfast grits into a variation of the Romanian national dish: Mamaliga with cheese and sour cream (mămăligă cu brânză şi smântână))

I can hear Homer Simpsonescu now: "Mmmm mămăligă. . ."

Cathy, I'm wondering what the difference between grits and jonny cake meal is. It's hard to tell from what I have to compare: Quaker mass-produced white corn grits and local Connecticut stone-ground by water power white flint corn jonny cake meal. Any ideas?

My guestimate may be they cannot be too different, though I guess they will make an effort for a finer grind for flour. I have 2-3 different grits with some rough flakes and other fine grains. I will try to take a picture for a visual comparison to your Johnny cake flour. Unfortunately the crudest grind I just finished the other day, which would have looked very different.

Regards,

My family and I had the good fortune of dining, recently, again, at Proof on Main in Louisville. Twice. Dinner and breakfast. We had the further good fortune of eating Weisenberger grits at both meals. The icing on the cake of good fortune, we made the drive one day through horse country to the water driven, stone grist that is Weisenberger (although despite much begs and pleas, the Weisenbergers will not show you the actual mill, you can see the water thought).

While the rest of the world may be clamoring, wondering or cursing the prices of Anson Mill products, why don't you think instead about Weisenberger. Can't beat the prices. Or quality. The corn and wheat stone milled by Weisenberger all come from nearby KY farms; the other grains are not local to them but carried as a courtesy to their customers.

you're killing me VI! i just spent a small fortune (ie: $9/lb.including shipping, i think) for anson mills grits. i'm going to hurry up and eat them, so i can buy weisenberger's at $1.50/lb., without shipping. i've never even heard of them. thanks for the heads up. justjoan

Joan,

I will be interested on your take between the two different grits.

I recall Anson Mills process includes an extended cold storage of the corn before grinding. When you buy their grits at Treasure Island, it is not from the shelf but rather from the freezer section. They are taking extra steps that once were simply standard procedure or at least that is what they suggest. The demand for their grits is very high and people are willing to pay.

I once tried to order some about five years ago, they were as difficult to reach then as some people find getting a reservation at Schwa a challenge today. How was the ordering procedure for you?

Regards,

Here's a long, interesting article about Anson Mills, and why it is so expensive.

cathy- i've been trying to interest jewel and whole foods in stocking anson mills grits for years, with no success. bob's red mill has a package of yellow corn meal they label grits, but IMO, it tastes like polenta-absolutely not recommended for grits. i guess i never thought to check TI's freezer! do you remember how much they cost?
this is my first anson mills purchase. i've been ordering grits by mail for years from charleston favorites, a website that distributes southern products. there is no information about the producers of the grits. the grits are ok, maybe a little coarser and more speckled than i wanted ($5.59 for 2 lbs), so i'm trying anson mills. these are smoother, more uniformly white (i prefer white grits). they take a long time to cook, so i make a large batch using half water/ half milk/knob of butter, and then reheat individual servings in the microwave, which does an excellent job. ordering is very easy on their website, i had no problems. they are terribly expensive. shipping just about doubles the cost of the grits. it comes to $9/lb. i store them in the freezer immediately. unless i can wheedle some weisenberg grits out of rob and sheila, it'll be a while before i finish up the anson mills grits in my freezer and order weisenberg. maybe they'll trade some grits for grits. joan

Cathy2 wrote:
Set Crock Pot temperature indicator to high. Follow step one to seperate the chaff. In the crock pot, put in 5 cups unheated water, grits, water, butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover and cook grits until soft and creamy about 8 hours.

Cathy,
Did you stir at all during the eight hours? I just started some in the crockpot...

justjoan wrote:cathy- i've been trying to interest jewel and whole foods in stocking anson mills grits for years, with no success. bob's red mill has a package of yellow corn meal they label grits, but IMO, it tastes like polenta-absolutely not recommended for grits. i guess i never thought to check TI's freezer! do you remember how much they cost?
this is my first anson mills purchase. i've been ordering grits by mail for years from charleston favorites, a website that distributes southern products. there is no information about the producers of the grits. the grits are ok, maybe a little coarser and more speckled than i wanted ($5.59 for 2 lbs), so i'm trying anson mills. these are smoother, more uniformly white (i prefer white grits). they take a long time to cook, so i make a large batch using half water/ half milk/knob of butter, and then reheat individual servings in the microwave, which does an excellent job. ordering is very easy on their website, i had no problems. they are terribly expensive. shipping just about doubles the cost of the grits. it comes to $9/lb. i store them in the freezer immediately. unless i can wheedle some weisenberg grits out of rob and sheila, it'll be a while before i finish up the anson mills grits in my freezer and order weisenberg. maybe they'll trade some grits for grits. joan

Joan, fyi, for a number of years of my tenure in Chicago, Fox and Obel carried Anson Mill grits in their freezer.

Food Nut wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:
Set Crock Pot temperature indicator to high. Follow step one to seperate the chaff. In the crock pot, put in 5 cups unheated water, grits, water, butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt, then stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low, cover and cook grits until soft and creamy about 8 hours.

Cathy,
Did you stir at all during the eight hours? I just started some in the crockpot...

If I walked by, sure. I was mostly asleep while it did its work.

Regards,

I have just learned that Trader Joe's has discontinued their Stone Ground Grits. I am looking for a suitable substitute. I have tried Red Bob Mill's Southern White Grits and they just dont agree with me.

I am open to ordering online if necessary.

Thank you.

Cornwall wrote:I have just learned that Trader Joe's has discontinued their Stone Ground Grits. I am looking for a suitable substitute. I have tried Red Bob Mill's Southern White Grits and they just dont agree with me.

I am open to ordering online if necessary.

Thank you.

I've never ordered from here, but people swear by 'em:

http://ansonmills.com/products

Thank you so much!

Now, can anyone tell me how much of a difference there is (flavor/texture) between the Anson Mills (AM) coarse grits and the quick grits? I am so torn.

Like the AM quick grits, the Trader Joe grits only took 20-30 minutes.

since returning from a trip in the south, i might consider getting into grits. any advice on cooking?

i've seen my cousin vinny.

I've made grits using Alton Brown's recipe and it's always turned out great. The Alton Brown recipe takes about 25 minutes to cook.

i've found the anson mill grits need a really long time to cook. over an hour, minimum. check their website . it'll give you cooking instructions. i've stopped buying them. i'm not trying to discourage you from trying them, but i find them disappointing unless cooked for several hours. (!) google other mail order companies, too, while you're at it.

dudefella, here is a good recipe for plain grits:

http://www.chow.com/recipes/29504-grits

sarcon, thank you for the AB cheese grits recipe link.

justjoan, thanks for the heads up on the AM preparation time. I will keep looking for a comparable brand.

Cathy2, thanks for merging the threads! This thread will be very helpful.

justjoan wrote:i've found the anson mill grits need a really long time to cook. over an hour, minimum. check their website

I used Anson Mills grits for a Pitmaster dinner at Barn & Company and, before ordering, spoke to Carolyn at Anson Mills. I took a few notes.

Info from Carolyn at Anson Mills
- Regular grits take 2-3 hours, quick grits about an hour, neither is processed in any way, both still have germ.
- Soaking overnight in water, 3-parts water to 1-part grits, cuts the cooking time in half
- Never add cold liquid, always warm/hot
- Never boil
- Do not add dairy until the very last

I bought some stone ground grits when I was in Charleston recently. Made this wonderful recipe last night with grits and Gruyere topped by shrimp, bacon, mixed mushrooms and shallots:
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2015 ... ecipe.html

publican quality meats on fulton usually has geechy boy grits in their freezer. they are stone ground, milled on site in edisto, SC. the website is missing the opportunity to share recipes, which is a shame.... they're very good, and need a long time cooking, as do all authentic grits.

[Hungry for History] Sweet vs. Savory Grits? A Food Historian Settles Debate
When it comes to the Great Grits Debate, a lot of it depends on how--and where--you were raised.

Written by Donna Pierce, former Chicago Tribune test kitchen editor and a member of Culinary Historians of Chicago

It’s not a new discussion, but the recent social media war over sweet vs. savory grits has taken on a highly-charged emotional tone that doesn’t surprise any of us who love the creamy porridge, which is made from dried hulled corn kernels that have been ground to a fine, medium or thick consistency.

Unlike the recent sugar/no sugar cornbread discussion inspired by the article, “Why does sugar in cornbread divide races in the South,” by Kathleen Purvis, food editor of the Charlotte Observer, the battle over sweetened grits seems to be fought along regional lines and age demographics. So far, it seems like the addition of sugar is often attributed to descendants of those who moved away from the south during migrations following the Civil War, while savory grits lovers have immediate ties to the South.

...

I will admit, I never once thought of adding sugar to grits. Cheese and butter, yes!

Cathy2 wrote:I will admit, I never once thought of adding sugar to grits. Cheese and butter, yes!

That's a new one on me, too. I've eaten a lot of grits in the South, and I can't say I've ever come across sweet grits. I guess I've been eating in the wrong neighborhoods.

stevez wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:I will admit, I never once thought of adding sugar to grits. Cheese and butter, yes!

That's a new one on me, too. I've eaten a lot of grits in the South, and I can't say I've ever come across sweet grits. I guess I've been eating in the wrong neighborhoods.

That's how I ate them growing up. At camp in GA, I would sometimes put strawberry jelly in them. Don't knock it til you try it

boudreaulicious wrote:

stevez wrote:

Cathy2 wrote:I will admit, I never once thought of adding sugar to grits. Cheese and butter, yes!

That's a new one on me, too. I've eaten a lot of grits in the South, and I can't say I've ever come across sweet grits. I guess I've been eating in the wrong neighborhoods.

That's how I ate them growing up. At camp in GA, I would sometimes but strawberry jelly in them. Don't knock it til you try it

So, is it a kid thing, invented to make the little buggers eat their grits?

My hometown of Norfolk, Virginia (pronounced Naw-fuk) is 90 miles south of the Capitol of the Confederacy, so I guess that means I'm a southerner. My Mom never made grits for us, although she occasionally cooked with canned hominy.

Fast forward to today, I'll take grits over hash browns in a heartbeat. I must confess to occasionally enjoying grits as a hot cereal with butter and sugar, like you would with oatmeal or cream of wheat. Many years ago, a fellow Sous Chef at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, often ate rice for a breakfast hot cereal. Gary Slattery was South Boston Irish, and his morning rice was served with butter and sugar by his Mom.

Full time Yankee here, but a grit & southern food lover and I've experienced sweet grits desserts. It really shouldn't sound that odd either. That is, we've all had sweetened cornbread, custard cornbread, sweetened Italian or Mexican desserts made with polenta/masa/cornmeal, etc. And what about sweet corn creme brulee and the like. Right? If you haven't had all of the above, get going!

BR wrote:Full time Yankee here, but a grit & southern food lover and I've experienced sweet grits desserts. It really shouldn't sound that odd either. That is, we've all had sweetened cornbread, custard cornbread, sweetened Italian or Mexican desserts made with polenta/masa/cornmeal, etc. And what about sweet corn creme brulee and the like. Right? If you haven't had all of the above, get going!

I don't think you even have to go that far--oatmeal and farina are kissing cousins to grits if you think about it--and both are typically sweet preparations.

Evil Ronnie wrote:My hometown of Norfolk, Virginia (pronounced Naw-fuk) is 90 miles south of the Capitol of the Confederacy, so I guess that means I'm a southerner. My Mom never made grits for us, although she occasionally cooked with canned hominy.

Fast forward to today, I'll take grits over hash browns in a heartbeat. I must confess to occasionally enjoying grits as a hot cereal with butter and sugar, like you would with oatmeal or cream of wheat. Many years ago, a fellow Sous Chef at The Mansion on Turtle Creek in Dallas, often ate rice for a breakfast hot cereal. Gary Slattery was South Boston Irish, and his morning rice was served with butter and sugar by his Mom.

My grandma from Arkansas made us rice with butter and sugar as children.

Grew up in Southern Illinois, in the bosum of my mom's family. No grits, but rice for sure, rice with sugar and butter (and sometimes cream on the weekends). My dad came from Ontario, and made us hot cereal--classic oats, farina, Ralston, etc.--every weekday of our lives. When mom would partake with us, butter, sugar, and sometimes even cream went onto the hot cereal. My dad *never* came to accept that.

When I moved to Kansas City long ago, I was introduced to biscuits and sausage gravy (love at first taste, but that's another story) and cheese grits, which seem to be the only kind familiar even today to Kansas Citians. The big development in the last generation with cheese grits is to move from Velveeta to Velveeta-jalapeno, which was a big cultural bump. But a much appreciated one, I must admit.
Grits aren't available much commercially in, say, KC's diners and greasy spoons, but there are lots of families who partake.
Never seen nor heard of rice served for breakfast in Kansas City. Must end at the Mississippi.

Geo

HI,

I have read and never seen or knew anyone who had rice with sugar and butter.

Yet, I do like cream of wheat, cream of rice and Gerber baby cereals (I buy maybe once every few years to remind myself).

All my encounters with grits have been savory and not sweet. Usually I long cook them via Our Pal Will with milk, half-half, chicken or veal stock. One of these days I will try it sweet.

Regards,