As a guest in the cafeteria, I was free
to march to the head of the line. Several of the boys told me
this. Problem was, I just couldn’t do that. Guest or no guest, I
could not cut in front of anyone. So, as I stood at the end of the
line with the other residents of Paint Creek, I told the boys instead of
cutting in front of them, they were going to have to be polite and talk
to me. And, I’ve learned long ago, when you don’t know what to
talk about with strangers, it’s good to talk about food.
Conversation starters included: What food did they like most at Paint Creek? What food did they miss the most from home? And, most informative of all, what food did they serve that they just didn’t like at all.
The last question I asked stirred up the most conversation. One person said fish. (I would have to agree.) Other dishes were mentioned, but the one that caught my attention was shrimp and grits. I’ve seen grits once in my life, in Brazil, and I didn’t even know what it was when I saw it. It’s a word that I’ve always known, but it has never been part of my life in Ohio. That’s what they eat in the South.
Or so I thought.
I asked two more young men about grits. Did they like it with shrimp? Were there other ways to eat it? They were completely shocked that I’d never made grits before. I didn’t really know what it was. This information was simply inconceivable! There were so many ways to make grits, which included sausage as well as bacon.
I got the low down on how to make grits, and it isn’t any harder than making up some oatmeal. Just like oatmeal, you can buy grits that come in individual serving packets or in boxes like you might purchase rice. If you want to cook for six people, select four individual packets or about a cup of grits from the box.
Boil up your grits. You may choose to do so in a cup of water or milk. If you use milk, you’re going to have creamier, fluffier grits. That is my recommendation. Salt and pepper to taste and toss in about a half a stick of butter. Cooking time is ten to fifteen minutes depending on the texture you want your grits. Since I have no idea what is desirable, I can give no further help on that.
There are lots of things you may want to eat with your grits. I was told, it was best to have these fixings ready in advance because it doesn’t take long at all to cook the grits. Some of the favorites to go along with the grits were sausage, bacon, eggs, fruit, and pancakes. I’m fairly certain that almost anything tastes better with enough bacon.
Now remember, it was shrimp and grits that started this whole conversation. So, I can’t really close the discussion without the recipe. I learned rather quickly that research and conversation are nothing like the real thing. I knew some people liked grits and others didn’t. I had no real opinion on the matter until I went right to the source in the cafeteria to get Mike’s Cajun take on the dish.
It was love at first bite.
Conversation starters included: What food did they like most at Paint Creek? What food did they miss the most from home? And, most informative of all, what food did they serve that they just didn’t like at all.
The last question I asked stirred up the most conversation. One person said fish. (I would have to agree.) Other dishes were mentioned, but the one that caught my attention was shrimp and grits. I’ve seen grits once in my life, in Brazil, and I didn’t even know what it was when I saw it. It’s a word that I’ve always known, but it has never been part of my life in Ohio. That’s what they eat in the South.
Or so I thought.
I asked two more young men about grits. Did they like it with shrimp? Were there other ways to eat it? They were completely shocked that I’d never made grits before. I didn’t really know what it was. This information was simply inconceivable! There were so many ways to make grits, which included sausage as well as bacon.
I got the low down on how to make grits, and it isn’t any harder than making up some oatmeal. Just like oatmeal, you can buy grits that come in individual serving packets or in boxes like you might purchase rice. If you want to cook for six people, select four individual packets or about a cup of grits from the box.
Boil up your grits. You may choose to do so in a cup of water or milk. If you use milk, you’re going to have creamier, fluffier grits. That is my recommendation. Salt and pepper to taste and toss in about a half a stick of butter. Cooking time is ten to fifteen minutes depending on the texture you want your grits. Since I have no idea what is desirable, I can give no further help on that.
There are lots of things you may want to eat with your grits. I was told, it was best to have these fixings ready in advance because it doesn’t take long at all to cook the grits. Some of the favorites to go along with the grits were sausage, bacon, eggs, fruit, and pancakes. I’m fairly certain that almost anything tastes better with enough bacon.
Now remember, it was shrimp and grits that started this whole conversation. So, I can’t really close the discussion without the recipe. I learned rather quickly that research and conversation are nothing like the real thing. I knew some people liked grits and others didn’t. I had no real opinion on the matter until I went right to the source in the cafeteria to get Mike’s Cajun take on the dish.
It was love at first bite.
Mike's
Shrimp and Grits
Bainbridge, Ohio
Grits:
Bainbridge, Ohio
| 2 cups hot water 1 tsp salt
1 Tbs butter |
½ cup quick grits
6 slices American cheese
¼ cup shredded Cheddar .....cheese
|
Heat up your water, salt, and butter to
a rolling boil. Reduce it all to medium/low heat. Toss in
your quick grits, stirring them continuously until they are thoroughly
incorporated. Add in the cheese. Stir it up as well into the
mix. Cook on low heat for 40 minutes. This should make about
two cups of grits.
You may add more cheese if you desire. You can also add small amounts of milk to get the grits to the consistency you like. If like me, you have no idea of the proper consistency, I can tell you that my grits were like cheesy mashed potatoes when served.
You may add more cheese if you desire. You can also add small amounts of milk to get the grits to the consistency you like. If like me, you have no idea of the proper consistency, I can tell you that my grits were like cheesy mashed potatoes when served.
Shrimp:
for
Breaded Shrimp The shrimp served at
Paint Creek were pre-cooked, breaded shrimp. I don’t think I’ve
ever seen that before. They were cooked in a deep fryer.
You cook them to the desired "doneness" and place them in a
bowl. Sprinkle the shrimp up with Cajun or blackened seasoning,
depending on your tastes, which should run spicy. Toss the
shrimp to season it all.
for Raw, Unbreaded Shrimp Thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator with about 8 ounces per person. Then, sprinkle it up with your Cajun or blackened seasoning and toss it up to make sure all the shrimp are seasoned.
In a skillet, melt one or two tablespoons of button over medium heat. Ad ½ teaspoon of minced garlic and sauté it for one minute. Then, add your shrimp and cook until it’s all nice and pink. If you want to add some more butter and seasoning, you can make up a little sauce as well.
Serve up your grits on individual bowls or plates and top with the shrimp and sauce. If you want to garnish it, consider sliced scallions or bacon bits. We all know everything tastes better with bacon.
After the discussion about grits, the boys at Paint Creek asked me about chitlins. Again, it’s a word that I’ve heard all my life. I just didn’t know what it was. And again, the boys were shocked. Well, it was explained. And, it’s pork intestines! No further explanation was needed. I didn’t want any more information. I certainly didn’t want any chitlins, but I learned about them anyway. (More on that in the Adventure section.)
I seriously wondered how I could ever down a chitlin. So, I asked the boys if they were raised to eat what was set before them when they were a guest. I most certainly was. There was no room for complaining or embarrassing anyone as far as my parents were concerned. It’s the only way I could ever down a chitlin, and I’m still not sure I could. The two young men I talked to said they weren’t raised that way. I told them it was just as shocking to me that they were not raised that way as it was to them about my ignorance with grits and chitlins. Simply inconceivable!
for Raw, Unbreaded Shrimp Thaw the shrimp in the refrigerator with about 8 ounces per person. Then, sprinkle it up with your Cajun or blackened seasoning and toss it up to make sure all the shrimp are seasoned.
In a skillet, melt one or two tablespoons of button over medium heat. Ad ½ teaspoon of minced garlic and sauté it for one minute. Then, add your shrimp and cook until it’s all nice and pink. If you want to add some more butter and seasoning, you can make up a little sauce as well.
Serve up your grits on individual bowls or plates and top with the shrimp and sauce. If you want to garnish it, consider sliced scallions or bacon bits. We all know everything tastes better with bacon.
After the discussion about grits, the boys at Paint Creek asked me about chitlins. Again, it’s a word that I’ve heard all my life. I just didn’t know what it was. And again, the boys were shocked. Well, it was explained. And, it’s pork intestines! No further explanation was needed. I didn’t want any more information. I certainly didn’t want any chitlins, but I learned about them anyway. (More on that in the Adventure section.)
I seriously wondered how I could ever down a chitlin. So, I asked the boys if they were raised to eat what was set before them when they were a guest. I most certainly was. There was no room for complaining or embarrassing anyone as far as my parents were concerned. It’s the only way I could ever down a chitlin, and I’m still not sure I could. The two young men I talked to said they weren’t raised that way. I told them it was just as shocking to me that they were not raised that way as it was to them about my ignorance with grits and chitlins. Simply inconceivable!