Posted on 04/17/2009 9:51:18 PM PDT by JoeProBono
Collard greens seasoned with smoky side meat. Corn bread and black-eyed peas. Grits studded with shrimp and tender baby greens. Those are just some of the menu possibilities for a delicious Southern Sunday supper.
South Florida may not seem very Southern these days, but there was a time when natives pronounced Miami ''myah-muh.'' So, just pass the sweet ice tea, y'all.
Southern cooking's charm lies in its use of regional ingredients -- country ham, pecans, local shrimp, corn, root vegetables -- in uncomplicated ways. The fresh produce found at local markets in the spring makes it the perfect time to try your hand at this homespun cuisine.
Besides, it's suddenly chic to eat grits, coarsely ground dried, hulled corn kernels. Southerners eat them for breakfast with eggs and bacon, for dinner with fried pork chops and for Sunday dinner with shrimp.
Grits can be ground from either yellow or white corn, with negligible differences between them. Stone-ground grits are much more flavorful because the germ in the kernel is not removed during milling. Two good sources of such artisan grits are Anson Mills (www.ansonmills.com) and Byrd Mill (www.byrdmill.com).
Although grits are delicious on their own -- sprinkled with salt and pepper and topped with a pat of butter -- they absorb flavors like a sponge. Cheese (Cheddar, Parmigiano-Reggiano, goat), country ham or greens enliven the flavor.
Add another Southerner to the list of those who don’t like grits.
Now THAT looks good!
Hole in the wall’s usally are the best or the worst food you can eat.
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