It all started innocently enough with a simple grits recipe.  Now, I am not from the South—I was actually born in Russia.  Once my family moved to the United States, I lived in Washington and Texas before making my way up to New York to attend The Culinary Institute of America.  In all my travels, I have not had a chance to eat a bowl of grits (not even in Texas), let alone make one. 

But growing up, I often had polenta—grits’ Italian cousin.  My mom would cook this porridge, made from ground corn, with a dab of butter and serve steaming polenta with crumbled feta cheese and a garnish of parsley.  Since that first taste, I’ve had polenta many times and at one point even taught “Power of Polenta” class at Whole Foods.  I was up for the challenge and ready to tackle grits next.

There is no argument that grits are one of the quintessential foods in the South.  And so I began my journey in testing one recipe for grits after another.  Recipes using traditionally ground, stone-ground, yellow, and white grits.  I whisked, stirred, and added cream, cheese, and butter.  And time after time, the grits turned out creamy, thick, and delicious—no lumps!  I wasn’t the only one who was surprised by my success.  The test kitchen staff approved as well, and I was granted the entry to the Foods section at Southern Living!

Here are a few secrets to making a perfect bowl of grits:
-Make sure your liquid comes to a full boil prior to adding grits
-Add in grits very slowly, whisking continuously
-Once grits come to a boil, lower the heat and simmer at a very low heat, stirring often to prevent lumps
-Serve grits immediately if you want a creamy, pourable consistency
-Make twice the amount and save extra for later

Try these recipes for grits and find many more at myrecipes.com:
Creamy Cheese Grits
Creole Shrimp and Grits
Sausage and Peppers with Parmesan Cheese Grits

What’s your favorite recipe for grits?