Good Ol' Grits

Unlike most people I have ever met (me being a northern girl my whole life) I love grits.

I always liked grits well enough, but I first learned to really love grits when I moved to New York and discovered all of the "southern style" brunch joints. My two favorites which are Bubbies, and Kitchenette. Both of which serve the most desirable large side of grits, smooth and creamy topped with a pile of sharp cheddar cheese.--Yum.

After discovering this love of grits I did not previously know I possessed, I started splashing out a bit and seeing what else I could do with grits. Baked grits, grits with fried veggies, sweet grits, savory grits, hot grits, cold grits...the list goes on.

When I went home for this last Christmas, in order to make sure I had time to see all my friends, I planned a large brunch at one of my favorite brunch joint 5spot. 5spot is a great, slightly kitchy, quasi-themed restaurant. Every couple months or so they change their theme and, this is where the food gets amazing, each theme is based on a different locailty or geographical region. Over Christmas it was New Orleans. *nods approvingly* And it was here, at Christmas, that I discovered Grit Cakes. Crispy and Crunch on the outside, soft gooey and cheesy on the inside. Put syrup, jam, applesauce or fresh fruit on top and you have pure bliss.

I went home after that Christmas and decided I was going to make me some grit cakes. I looked at Emeril's recipe. Tried it--not bad--but not great, and now I have improved upon. Here it is.

The Best Breakfast Side--Ever.

Grit Cakes

Ingredients needed:

4 cups water
2 teaspoons butter
Salt and pepper
1 cup grits
1 cup grated Sharp White Cheddar cheese
Flour, for dredging
vegetable oil

Oil a large rectangular cake pan.
In a saucepan bring water and butter, seasoned with salt and pepper, to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium and whisk in grits. Cook, stirring constantly, 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in cheese. Pour grits into cake pan, spreading them evenly, keeping them about an inch thick all the way round.
Cool and cut into cakes with a 2 1/2- to 3-inch biscuit cutter.

Now you can cook these cakes 2 different ways:

1. In a large preferably iron skillet, heat enough oil to coat bottom of pan over medium-high heat. Dredge both sides of cakes in flour and pan-fry about 2 minutes on each side, until golden. Drain on paper towels and keep warm before serving.
2. Deep fry 'em. Keep them in the fryer for about 1 minute or until golden. Drain on paper towels and keep warm before serving.

Enoy with eggs, fruit, fake sausage...just enjoy!

Glorious Mushrooms

So last night, for the first time in ages, I came home before 11pm, as a matter of fact, I came home at 6:30pm. And my first thought was--I can make dinner! My second thought was--I haven't gone grocery shopping in weeks, and I really really don't want to leave the house. So I scoured the fridge and what I had where a few small button mushrooms that were still good, skim milk, parmesan cheese and rice. So I pulled out all these ingredients and went to work.


First I put the rice on to cook, with a tablespoon of butter, and left it to it's own devices. Then I turned to the rest.


I started with 2 Tbsps butter and 2 Tbsp minced garlic in a pan, letting is sit on the burner (on low) for about 5-7 minutes, poking and prodding at it every once in a while to make sure that all sides of the garlic were getting browned. Then I sprinkled 1 Tbsp of flour in the with the garlic and butter and added 1 1/2 cups skim milk. Then I sliced up the 5 mushrooms and put them in the still liquid sauce. Keep over medium-low heat stirring occasionally as the sauce thickens. Then as the sauce starts to thicken I added 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese 2 pinches of whole rosemary, salt and pepper to taste, and just as the sauce was getting thick enough to serve I tossed in a spoonful of capers (that I stole from my lovely roommate) to top it all off.

Pour it over the steaming rice--and voila--you have a pretty tasty meal from practically nothing!

The Reason to Record Genius

I spend the holidays in the kitchen, cooking. As a matter of fact, when I am not curled up with another amazing book, either on my couch or in a comfy nook at The Strand, all my spare time is spent in the kitchen. Perhaps it is my affinity for warmth, or how my whole apartment becomes saturated with the smell of ginger, or squash or mushrooms frying in butter, or just knowing I have the ability to make a little feast all for myself, or for myself and my best friend, and have a little gourmet picnic on the the floor, that makes me love cooking; but whatever the reason, I do.

But.

I have a real tendency not to use recipes, and I forget how on earth I concocted something that I ended up really loving. This tendency gets both on my nerves and on those of the people I cook for, because I find it very difficult to recreate and/or perfect my recipe if I can't remember what went into it in the first place! And so my resolution is to record my genius...or, lack there of, and so appeareth the blog.

So pardon the absence of a recipe this turn...but from now on out I will only post with recipes, how to make it better (or worse, as the case may be) along with the best way and place to eat. And I hope you all learn along with me, and enjoy being another mad scientist in the kitchen with me.

Yippie-ki-ay...