Mississippi. Hadn't been there before, and was on my way when I took these pictures. We just went about another one hundred fifty odd miles to our destination.
Sometimes I get to thinking I speak with a Southern accent, and I actually do. However, it's pretty mild compared to what I heard spoken there. Pretty laid back bunch, too. All of us who went really enjoyed ourselves, even if we never did get grits for breakfast.
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12 comments:
I thought there was a law that requres any diner south of the Mason Dixon line to serve grits at breakfast? Maybe not, but the thought of two eggs, over easy, on hot buttered grits is a breakfast idea.
a travesty...
But, I am curious Jeffro. Had you been served grits, would you have seasoned them with sugar or salt?
That depends, Terry - if they were served like Jess mentioned - they'd get pepper, but no sugar or salt. I can't do much salt. If I was just to have a bowl of grits all by themselves, I'd probably throw in some artificial sweetener and maybe a little milk. Can't do sugar, either. That's the way my Mama served grits for breakfast so many years ago - just like oatmeal.
I've lived in the South now for going on 13 years and have yet to even try grits. I'll hold out until they stop emptying the mayonnaise jars onto my hamburgers.
Heh. Good luck with that plan!
A few years ago, I did a meandering across the country road trip. Part of it was going down one side of the Mississippi River (the Blues Highway) to New Orleans, then back up the other side. There were parts that looked as if they hadn't changed since the Civil War. And the crossroads where Robert Johnson allegedly sold his soul to the devil (for his incredible guitar playing powers) was really spooky when approached at dusk.
I'm not much into ghosts or the supernatural, but I'd think that place could give me the heebie jeebies.
what's grits? [and no, it doesn't sound very appetizing...if something is consumed EITHER with salt or sugar, sounds too bland on itself to me]
on the other hand, when I went out of Greyhound bus for 5am breakfast somewhere in Ohio and the catering girl offered me a choice of "Aytal'enn" sausages and something called Polish Boys(!) I didn't hesitate. Maybe the hour was too young for thinking straight.
Grits are boiled coarsely ground corn, so they are kinda bland, but then, so is rice and potatoes are pretty dull without something as well. So there ya have it. Grits are also really good when cooked, then cooled to form a block, then cut and fried, and covered with butter and syrup. Or molasses.
Italian sausage for breakfast? I guess if pizza is supposedly ok, then it's alright. Just never thought of it as breakfast food. Polish sausage - hell yes! Along with hash browns (those damn dull taters), eggs and toast - sounds pretty good right now!
Ah, so you too call them Polish Boys? I couldn't resist, naturally - being able to tell later this Jewish girl ate Polish boys for breakfast! Once in a lifetime opportunity.
And how disappointing I was...still, it was about 3hr earlier than my usual breakfast time. Any kind of sausage, Italian or POlish is not exactly breakfast material - on the other hand, I am pretty flexible where food is concerned and will try anything. Once.
So, with the grits: it's coarsely ground corn that was boiled, then made a block of than cut and fried? What possible nutritional value is left there after all this processing?
Rice is not bland, it has distinct flavor - and so are potatoes and as a matter of fact, corn itself. A fresh milky-young boiled corn on the cob, with coarse salt! And maybe s bit of butter -what could be more flavorful and pleasant.
We don't call it Polish boys, just Polish sausage - that merely being a regional variety of sausages. In the Midwest, fresh ground bulk pork sausage is a breakfast staple. Most butcher shops that handle pork have their own proprietary blend - so much lean meat, so much fat, certain spices and so on. Often it's formed into small links as well, but the most common form is a patty like a hamburger. Different areas with different ethnic backgrounds have varying varieties of sausage and sausage related dishes - certainly not limited to breakfast.
As for grits, that was just one way to prepare them, and the more accurate name for that particular way is cornmeal mush. It's cooked like regular grits and allowed to "set," then cut into slices and fried. Regular grits are prepared just like oatmeal(or porridge) - milled or steel cut grains boiled with sugar, salt or milk added. I can assure you grits have a very pleasant and distinct flavor, or I wouldn't eat 'em. Good grits can be eaten with salt only, and do not require additional flavoring to be palatable. They do, however, provide variety when milk, sugar, molasses or whatever is added. I do not think toast is bland, and I enjoy eating it with butter and various jams and jellies, but that does not mean it requires those things to be palatable. Potatoes can also be fried,boiled or baked, cheese, chile, gravy, butter, sour cream and other things can be added, but are not necessary.
When most people talk about "grits" - it is the cereal variety they're referring to.
Another breakfast "meat" I grew up with was corned beef hash. My parents would buy a can, open both ends, push out the cylinder, cut some slices and fry them. Today's corned beef hash, alas, falls apart in the skillet and tastes nowhere nearly as good as the stuff from years ago. I still use it in another manner, as my parents did, by putting it in a baking dish, hollowing out some depressions with a spoon, breaking an egg in each one, and baking. I also like to mix in jalapenos, chopped bell peppers, chopped onion, and some garlic.
...and I am reading it all at 8:35, right in time for breakfast!
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