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Creamy Meyer Lemon & Chive Grits

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Deliciously creamy & lightly lemoned, these grits make an elegant side dish to grilled fish, roasted chicken or fried green tomatoes.

Creamy Meyer Lemon & Chive Grits

Based on The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook

Makes 3 cups

1 cup stone ground grits

3-1/2 cups water, plus more to float the chaff

1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

Pinch freshly ground white pepper, to taste

1 Tablespoon buttermilk, or more to taste

Zest of 1 Meyer lemon

1/4 cup snipped chives

Broiled Grits with Smoky Bacon & Sharp Cheddar

Broiled grits is an excellent dinner party dish.  Made and topped in advance, this method lets you focus on your guests, not your grits.  When it’s time to serve, place them under the broiler for a few minutes to heat the grits and melt the cheese.  It’s also a great way to use up leftovers.

For an authentic touch, stir the grease from the bacon right into the grits at the end to dirty them up -- just don't tell your cardiologist.  If you don’t want the extra step of cooking bacon, a little chopped Kentucky ham is a delicious substitution.  

Creamy, Simple Grits

Great grits require love.  Sure, a basic understanding of the cooking method is important; but with simple dishes, it helps to mentally jump into the pot, especially near the end when consistency & flavor are key.  That extra bit of love and attention can turn good grits into great grits.

A tip or two:

• A drizzle of buttermilk stirred into the finished dish gives it a delightful boost without being too acidic -- lemon juice can obliterate its inherent corniness.

Grits is Good

Grits -- a simple peasant dish of warm, creamy cornmeal; occasionally dirtied, mostly buttered, always textured, never instant (that’s heresy).  They say, “A man full of grits is a man at peace.”  True... true.  I’ve found this dish, more so than any other, will induce a Southerner’s wistful thoughts of youth, breakfasts past, and usually their mother.  Grits are well-loved by many -- it’s a dish of the people, by the people, and for the people.

Slow Weekend: Antinori, Fries & Coltrane

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Not much beats a slow weekend in the kitchen.  Pots simmering, chocolate things baking, crispy things frying, corks popping, spices wafting.  By yourself or with someone you love, slow weekend cooking is pleasurable.  Don’t forget to turn on a little Coltrane -- anything is gratifying with Coltrane.  Even sweeping is hot with John Coltrane.

The Fries:

This weekend, might I suggest French fries.  Deep-fried potatoes are delicious and good for your soul -- don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  Deep-frying is actually quite easy to master.  Once you do, you’ll be deep-frying everything, trust me.  All you need is a heavy-bottomed pot, peanut or canola oil, a deep fat frying thermometer, a few potatoes and salt.  I defer to Anthony Bourdain for the perfect French fry instructions (recipe below).

Chateau Ste. Michelle 2006 Ethos Chardonnay & Risotto alla Milanese

I confess, until recently, I’d always dismissed Risotto Milanese as just a side dish -- something buttery other than mashed potatoes; something to hold up a lamb shank.

Risotto alla Milanese

I love risotto. All kinds - goose, duck, game hen, quail; creamy lobster, tangy lemon, wild mushroom, roasted fennel; three-cheese, four-tomato, five-onion; colored with black squid ink, red wine, and green pesto; flavored with spring strawberries, summer corn, harvest squash, or winter greens; chestnut, walnut, butternut, chicken butt ...

Seared Lamb Loin with Roasted Asparagus & Sunchokes

The sunshine-deprived masses have perked up all over the city, the trees are suddenly bursting with blossoms, the air smells warm & grassy, and I continue to find crumpled up pastel foil wrappers at the bottom of my purse, in the car cup holders, under the nightstand...

Roasted Poussin and Wild Rice with Almonds, Strawberries & Spinach

You were forewarned. My last post revealed the Kid joking about having all the baby animals associated with Easter for our holiday meal.

Steak Frites with Aioli

K with Frites @Cremant

I knew it. I knew steak frites would make a comeback. Don’t ask me why - I get fairly good hunches with many food & fashion trends.