Grits

[Forkliftt]

Flashwillie,Here is a proper plate of grits. Notice the January sliced tomato from my "Topsy Turvy" planter that is in the greenhouse. I had a bumper crop this year, probably 15 tomato's between 2 plants. Our favorite brand of grits is Aunt Jemima. I have attached a picture of that as well.

 

[Keith]

You cook them at least an hour, right? There ain't no such thing as "quick grits".

 

[Daddyo]

Nope they ain't grits if they ain't stone ground, yep that's what I say, yes sir!

A little unconventional but my God these are good:
<ul>[*]4 cups water[*]3/4 teaspoon salt[*]2 tablespoons unsalted butter[*]1 cup coarse stone-ground white grits*[*]1 cup whole milk[*]1/4 teaspoon black pepper[/list]

<h2>Preparation</h2>
Bring water, salt, and 1 tablespoon butter to a boil in a 3- to 4-quart heavy saucepan, then add grits gradually, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, covered, stirring frequently, until water is absorbed and grits are thickened, about 15 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup milk and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally to keep grits from sticking to bottom of pan, 10 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk and simmer, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is absorbed and grits are thick and tender, about 35 minutes more. (Grits will have a soft, mashed-potato-like consistency.)

Stir in pepper and remaining tablespoon butter.


-- Edited by Daddyo on Sunday 10th of January 2010 10:20:41 PM

 

[Keith]

Cheese!

 

[skipperdude]

Not for everyone.
**** *I tried them once. Reminded me of school glue I used to eat in kindergarten. Could a been made wrong. I could try them again sometime. I guess. *Nobody eats them north of the Mason Dixon.

SD

 

[Forkliftt]

What!!- no comment on my made from scratch "ms. Sofie recipe" biscuits. That was my morning specialty when I was a single man.

 

[Baker]

I agree with skipperdude!!! I am from the South....my mother was from South Louisiana.... we had grits all the time....and I never developed a taste for them!!! Grits are like iceberg lettuce....they take on the flavor of whatever you put on them.

 

[Marin]

My mom used to make grits all the time in Hawaii. I quite liked them but I agree with John-- they are a carrier for whatever flavor you put on them, in our case, butter. I have no idea where she got the taste or talent for making grits. She was from Schenectady, New York. But she spent a couple of years as a Hearst newspaper reporter in Texas during WWII --- Houston I think--- before moving to California so maybe that's where she picked it up.

 

[2bucks]

Mmmmmm....... grits and Spam. The Honolulu treat....

 

[skipperdude]

*Grits.* Do you cook'em onboard?

The reason I ask is I do a lot of spur of the moment trips.

Like hey lets go fishing. Did anyone stop at the store for food.* Seems we always have enough brown bottles.

For this I keep things on board that require no refrigeration like spam.* (Slice it thin and fry it crispy like bacon).* Spamacon.* Also those little boxes of milk that*are shelf stable. *That and a box of Bisquick make a great*Biscuit. Or cans of corned beef hash.*

My son in law is Military and on base they sell those M.R.E.'s** Every now and then I have gone with just a case of those on the boat.* By the way the're Great for the ditch bag.

Any good ideas for things just to keep on the boat?

SD

sorry I'm talking boat things OTDE

-- Edited by skipperdude on Tuesday 12th of January 2010 02:39:44 PM

 

[Keith]

There are lots of new shelf-stable meals in the canned meat section of your grocery store. I keep a few of those on board as well as some of the microwave single serving containers of chili, ravioli, etc. Of course Spam!

When I'm out traveling, I always pick up some of those little packages of instant grits or oatmeal at the hotels with free breakfasts. You can make hot water in the room with the coffee maker and have an emergency breakfast or snack with those. Same on the boat.

 

[Marin]

2bucks wrote:

Mmmmmm....... grits and Spam. The Honolulu treat....

I lived in Hawaii from 1955 to 1979.* Spam was certainly in existence over there and we even occasionally ate it.* But the "Hawaii is the number one Spam consumer" thing is relatively new.* All the time I lived there it was never served at parties, never featured in restaurants, and everyone I knew looked down on it as being cheap, crummy meat.* And avoided it like the plague.

Several of the people I worked in television with in Honolulu have moved within the last couple of years to Whidbey Island here in Washington.* I've asked them about this apparent Spam phenomenon, and while they all know about it, they, too, don't know anyone over there who actually eats it.

I'm starting to think this is all an advertising ploy by the Spam people to make us all think it's popular and good.* (It's okay as I recall, but there's so much better stuff available why bother with it?)

*

 

[Baker]

Dunno man. If Burger King can charge a premium for upgrading to Spam on their breakfast dishes, the market is obviously driving it. I freaked out when I went over there and it was all the craze. My mother used to feed me that stuff and I only ate it if I was dying of malnourishment. I will have to admit, I came back to the mainland and bought a can to see what all the fuss was about. I fried it up and it was pretty damn tasty. The stuff really isn't all that cheap at the grocery store either if you compare it to real meat.

 

[Gulf Comanche]

What about the other odd meat, Vienna Sausages? That gel stuff on top was always gross to look at, but I dug into them many a time when on a quail hunt in the middle of nowhere.

 

[Jon]

Skipperdude,
one of the best storable food supplies we have had on this trip (and on previous long trips) has been home canned meats. My wife has done hamburger, chicken, pork and it has kept well (over a year)and is an incredible base for a quick meal.
Jon

 

[Marin]

Baker wrote:

If Burger King can charge a premium for upgrading to Spam on their breakfast dishes, the market is obviously driving it.

Which makes you wonder what Burger King is putting on their breakfast dishes without the upgrade......

*

 

[Daddyo]

Yes the instant grits are tasteless goo, but the stone ground have quite a bit of flavor. Grits are after all nothing but ground corn. In the stone ground they are not mushy and you can taste the corn.

If you ever pan fry your spam first it makes for a nice once a year treat craving. Try it on a sandwich, but you have to cut some of the greasiness with some lettuce.

 

[Codger2]

A long time ago someone told me that Spam was mostly pork shoulder. As a kid, I ate a lot of Spam sandwiches and enjoyed every damn one of them. I always have some on the boat but my wife won't go near it.

 

[BaltimoreLurker]

SPAM - coated in cornmeal and fried.* A staple of my youth.* Or, should I say "yut"?

Fried baloney, anyone?

 

[skipperdude]

Had to do it.

I tried the spam cup cakes. made them last night.

You know. I've got to say it was pretty darn good.

and I think I could make em on da boat.

SD

 

[Steve]

When I was in Hawaii about 8 years ago I often saw spam "plate lunch" at the country stores even saw spam sushi on a chalk board menu I didn't order it though.
I have always liked it pan fried, same for bologna.
One of my old fishing buddies never made a trip with out at least one can of Vienna sausages, he would pop the top, drink the juice (brine) with the bits of fat floating in it from the can, then eat the sausages, the poor man died from heart failure, but at 83.
Steve W

 

[Codger2]

I must say that I'm getting a real kick out of this Spam subject. (Gives you a pretty good idea as to how my life is going, huh?) I went to the Spam Home site and cannot believe the various recipes they've listed. I'll try some of them on the boat when my wife's not with me.

SPAM > Home

 

[KMA]

God, all these bring back some memories. Diced Spam and scrambled eggs, Spam and egg sandwiches on an english muffin, bean dip made from canned refried beans, canned beef and a jar of jalapenos... and my first taste of grits in USAF boot camp in TX.

Ooohhh.... and fried ring bologna sandwiches with red onion and mayo.* To die for.

I tried deep fried Spam at the OC fair last year... didn't much care for it

-- Edited by KMA on Tuesday 19th of January 2010 07:54:25 AM

 

[flashwillie]

thanks for the info,my brother recently brought a boat in great bridge and traveled down the icw to charleston then via the sea to florida.and he was eating grits.said they were ok good cold weather food.just like the poms (englishmen)and their porridge.i like the saying a man full of grits is a man full of peace.

 

[Forkliftt]

This is true. Growing up we ate grits about 8 days a week for breakfast. These days we wife prefers to stRt me with a bowl of oatmeal. But I still like the grits

 

[Peter B]

2bucks wrote:

Mmmmmm....... grits and Spam. The Honolulu treat....

Sorry about my Downunder ignorance, but please explaln someone, what's spam?* To me it's annoying emails advertising ways to enlarge my manhood or similar.* I hate it.* I want to know about this tasty 'other spam

PB

*

 

[RT Firefly]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(food)

 

[Peter B]

Thanks RTF. Now I know. Tinned, pulverised ham, in effect. I think we have it under another name.

PB

 

[Keith]

You know they make Spam in those single serving packets for that emergency fix...
I won a Spam cookoff a couple of years ago with some Spam egg rolls. Spam and brie inside, coated in coconut and served with a fresh mango-pineapple dipping sauce.

 

[Steve]

Keith you sound like a heck of a cook! I'll give you a shout next time I'm in your area!
Steve W.