Believe it or not, “Kiss my grits!” isn’t a Southern phrase, although I’m sure there were plenty of Southerners eager to claim it the first time it was heard. Nope, it came straight from Hollywood, bellowed out of TV screens by a loud-mouthed Southern waitress named Flo, in the 70s sitcom, “Alice.”
Now, grits themselves are a true Southern tradition.
Grits are made from ground, alkali-treated corn called hominy. Cooked low and slow with chicken broth, butter and heavy cream, seasoned with salt and cracked black pepper, they are somewhat like polenta, but more closely akin to heaven.
If you like, mix them up at breakfast time with your scrambled or over-easy eggs (I do); or for supper, stir in a white wine beurre blanc, and top with sauteed shrimp low-country style. Add on some chunks of ham, roasted garlic, fresh scallion, lardons of bacon…
::sigh::That’s puttin’ some South in your mouth.
What you don’t put on grits?
Milk and sugar.
Silly Yankees. Milk and sugar’s for oatmeal. Or Cream of Wheat.
If you don’t like them done right, then just you never mind.
It leaves more for us.
― Janis Owens, The Cracker Kitchen: A Cookbook in Celebration of Cornbread-Fed, Down Home Family Stories and Cuisine
Drunk on Life 
I’m a transplanted Yankee (technically) whose lived most of his life in the South. Personally I like cheese grits, but I think I’m going to need to try them all fancy like you talked about here.
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Cheese grits are pretty awesome too. Try them with some gouda. 🙂
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its on my list of ‘must try’ things in the South, we get a lot of American type foods over here in Australia but I’m yet to see Grit anywhere!
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You could order some on-line, but be sure to get some good stone ground ones. Try http://ansonmills.com/products or look for stone ground organic on Amazon. Use chicken stock, a little heavy cream and butter, salt and pepper when you make them!
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I don’t know that I could import it into Australia, it’s pretty hard these days
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My aunt Catherine made the best grits casserole!! Oh, and how I love shrimp and grits!! Never have had them for breakfast.
My Blog: Life & Faith in Caneyhead
I’m Ensign B with Tremp’s Troops
of the A to Z Challenge
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Trust me, they are good for breakfast too! What I miss from Texas are migas. Can’t get them to taste the same here. Probably the lack of ocean air. 🙂
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When we first moved back to B’ham, from Atlanta, Son Corky finished fourth grade, went to VBS with neighbors. All kids did placemats with precious Bible verses. I still have Corky’s phot place setting that said….’Kiss My Grits!’
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But that is so very Corky!
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