Grits - The breakfast of champions.

Grits - The breakfast of champions.

A reprint of Living and loving in the age of asparagus from Oct 2 2007

Living and loving in the age of asparagus

or

Mary Katherine Ham to Alicia Silverstone: Go Hunting

October 3^rd, 2007

Although I have spent a large portion of my life as a vegetarian; as I grew older and life got particularly hectic, I gave it up – for now anyway. Who knows, tomorrow, I may go back. Whatever.

A number of years ago, as I was attempting to reason with an unreasonable person and losing miserably, a colleague said to me:

“You know what your problem is?”

“Ugh.” I really did not need advice at that particular moment; however, I prized his friendship and sheepishly asked: “What?”

“It's a dog eat dog world out there, and you're a vegetarian!"

We solved that by going out to a sub shop where I gave up the anorexic bliss of salads and voraciously scarfed down a cheese-steak sandwich.

It was a road to Damascus experience

I still lose miserably with folks who accept narcissistic fiction as fact, however, I am bigger now and I figure that if I am to be eaten alive, I might as well give folks a flavorful super-sized meal.

Then again, to be candid, I was never good at being a vegetarian. I never stopped eating animal crackers and every once and awhile at Moms, I’d dive into a steak – and I can rarely remember missing turkey at Thanksgiving.

I have a number of colleagues and some family members who are, at the moment, practicing vegetarians - and I respect that choice. Besides, I really like vegetables. Then there are folks who don’t like vegetables or are otherwise broccoli intolerant. To them I say, ya really ought to “give peas a chance.”

A member of my family, who is an avid vegetarian, recently gave some seafood a try.

Bold.

Writing for the Washington Post, Joel Achenbach says:

“Certain kinds of seafood, such as lobster, clams and crabs, are honorary forms of meat, but a small filet of a low-fat white fish should be viewed as essentially a vegetable. Raw oysters are manfood, as is any fish served with the head on and the mouth gaping in horror.

Me, I could live off of Dr. Pepper, coffee and grits. Hey, don’t knock the cooking with Dr. Pepper book. There are some great recipes in there.

I never tried the “vegan” approach. I often wondered how the term came about. When I was quite young I had a great deal of confusion over the term “vegetarian.” If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?

Mr. Achenbach calls to our attention a savior for vegans, who every once in awhile, go Jonesing for a milkshake – “soy cows.”

In the column he was initially singing the praises of his new “Fabulator 5000.”

What is a “Fabulator 5000?” I am so glad you asked. I was fascinated about this development since I am still using the Fabulator model No. 1953.

I’ll let Mr. Achenbach ‘splain:

“I love my new food printer, the Fabulator 5000, which makes the previous food printers look not just clunky but positively medieval. There's no more click-and-point nonsense on the screen, no more waiting five or six interminable minutes for the food to print. You just tell the Fab 5 what you want. The food comes out in about three or four seconds, complete with garnish and a complementary wine.”

Oh, the “soy cows?” Apparently Mr. Achenbach recently “took the kids … to Homewood Farm to see a good old-fashioned agricultural enterprise…”

“I got a look at the new soy cows, grazing in the large field just north of the orchard. The USDA apparently felt that soy milk could be produced much more efficiently if it came from cows made of soy. These cows are so green they nearly blend into the landscape. They say the soy milk is a lot better tasting (not as beany, somehow) than the stuff derived from plants, and the soy burgers are more tender. But you've probably read about how the soy cows dry up badly in drought conditions -- they literally wilt -- and even catch fire. Bored teenagers have been blamed for setting some of the cow fires.”

There is much to be appreciated by the vegetarian lifestyle; nevertheless my goal was to not be evangelical about it all.

But – and ya know there was going to be a “but” in here soon – I’ve never been fond of PETA’s Strindbergian gloom and bleakness approach to advocacy.

When I was a practicing vegetarian, invariably, some folks would suggest some linkage to me, a vegetarian, with PETA’s in-your-face humorless lactose intolerant militancy. An approach which often seems more oriented to being obnoxious and annoying instead of being compelling and persuasive to what is otherwise, a perfectly fine lifestyle, vegetarianism, for which PETA routinely does an injustice....

At a local government - social event, a local elected official’s wife was horrified that I was a vegetarian. “How can a big strapping former Marine be a vegetarian,” she gasped.

I solved that in quick order. She was a dog lover and the owner of a huge dog. I mean huge – about the size of a water buffalo.

I asked her if she had ever eaten dog. When I was in the Marines, a South Vietnamese ranger once cooked-up a mess of dog.

It tasted like chicken.

I suggested to my scowling friend that her St. Bernard could feed an entire village… And one wonders why I lost my last election?

Recently Alicia Silverstone did an ad for PETA that has garnered a great deal of attention. I can’t believe that it is winning over any converts to vegetarianism, but it has attracted attention to PETA.

Whether it is really the sort of attention that an advocacy organization wants is a bigger issue for which there is not right or wrong, it just isn’t my cup of tea.

Nevertheless, in age of so much strife and discord, I yearn for a time when peas will rule the planets, and love won’t be such a fuss. I long for the dawn of the age of asparagus.

Enter stage right, Mary Katherine Ham. Ms. Ham has done a spoof on the Ms. Silverstone ad that is a real crack-up.

Please enjoy it:

####

No animals were hurt in the writing of this column.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

http://www.kevindayhoff.net/

E-mail him at: kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - http://www.thetentacle.com/; Westminster Eagle Opinion; http://www.thewestminstereagle.com/ and Winchester Report.

"Five Easy Pieces", Dayhoff "Five Easy Pieces", Dayhoff Dr. Pepper Award, Dayhoff literature of the absurd, Dayhoff writing essays, Food, Food Coffee, Food Grits, Food Recipes, Journalists Ham-Mary Katherine Ham, Westminster YouTube

A reprint of Living and loving in the age of asparagus from Oct 2 2007 or find it here: 20071003 Living and loving in the age of asparagus

November 30, 2009

sdosm 20091130

*****

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/

I wonder what’s in the box? Part 3

I wonder what’s in the box? Part 3

August 23, 2009

For a larger image click here: http://twitpic.com/f3b3h

This is nirvana for a breakfast hound like me who likes anything that has to do with "Georgia Ice Cream", "Dixie Ice Cream" - grits, corn meal, pancake & waffle mixes, flours, biscuit & bread mixes, pioneer's porridge and …

It’s a package from our good friends who own Nora Mills Granary Grist Mill and County Store – find them here: http://www.noramill.com/

For a larger image click here: http://twitpic.com/f3bdc

Many thanks!

For a larger image click here: http://twitpic.com/f3bdc and here: http://twitpic.com/f3bdc

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-wonder-whats-in-box-part-3.html http://tinyurl.com/kladyz

http://twitpic.com/f3b3h I wonder what’s in the box? http://www.noramill.com/ Part 3 http://tinyurl.com/kladyz

It’s from our good friends Nora Mills Granary Grist Mill & County Store find here: http://www.noramill.com/

http://twitpic.com/f3bdc http://tinyurl.com/kladyz Nora Mills Granary Grist Mill & County Store here: http://www.noramill.com/

20090823 I wonder what’s in the box? Part 3

*****

I wonder what’s in the box? Part 2

August 15, 2009

For a larger image click here: http://twitpic.com/eozyq

http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-wonder-whats-in-box-part-2.html http://tinyurl.com/nhmrga

http://twitpic.com/eozyq I wonder what’s in the box? P1 http://tinyurl.com/kpu4yj Part 2 http://tinyurl.com/nhmrga

sdosm fb twitp I wonder what’s in the box? Part 2

------

I wonder what’s in the box? Part 1

August 15, 2009

For a larger image click here: http://twitpic.com/e7z7y

20090815 Whatsinthebox (2)
http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-wonder-whats-in-box.html http://tinyurl.com/kpu4yj

http://twitpic.com/e7z7y I wonder what’s in the box? http://tinyurl.com/kpu4yj

20090815 fb sdosm twitp What is in the box

*****

Kevin Dayhoff Soundtrack: http://www.kevindayhoff.net/ Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoffart.com/ Kevin Dayhoff Westminster: http://www.westgov.net/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kevindayhoff Twitpic: http://twitpic.com/photos/kevindayhoff Kevin Dayhoff's The New Bedford Herald: http://kbetrue.livejournal.com/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/kevindayhoff Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1040426835 Kevin Dayhoff Banana Stems: http://kevindayhoff.tumblr.com/ Blip.fm: http://blip.fm/kevindayhoff_soundtrack

The passion and the glory of grits

The passion and the glory of grits

April 17, 2009 - August 10, 2007 Kevin Dayhoff

Every locale and region in the United States has its iconic food. And so it is that I’d like to bring up the subject of grits, a much maligned and misunderstood delicacy. Grits are a path to the American dream. A food for “everyman,” of which there is a dearth of availability in Carroll County.

In a contemporary world in which we face so many complexities and challenges, perhaps the world would be better if Americans ate more grits.

We will never be able to ponder the depths of the value of this truly invaluable food.

Beyond a shadow of doubt grits are one of the food adaptations that have changed the world.

Food Grits
http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/search/label/Food%20Grits
20070922 dft Grits an American passion
SDOSM 20090417

20061005-BFastwcap.gif 20060727-Flying-Corn-b.gif 20070810b_Grits.gif
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

World Grits Festival, St. George, South Carolina

World Grits Festival, St. George, South Carolina

http://www.worldgritsfestival.com/

The World Grits Festival Steering Committee is pleased to announce the date of the 2009 Festival: April 17, 18 & 19, 2009

Sunday events schedule - April 19, 2009

Attend the church of your choice
Sunday Morning Arts & Crafts 12:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sample Grits at Quaker Booth 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Grits Grinding 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Dunking Booth 12:00PM - 3:00PM
Food Booths 12:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Grits Diners at Festival Building 12:00PM - 4:30PM
Magic Midway Carnival 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Rolling in the Grits Contest (Adults 15 and over) 1:00 PM
Festival Store, Civic and Commercial Booths 12:00PM - 5:00PM
Basketball Toss for older kids 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Corn Toss Contest 2:30 PM
Wheel Barrow Race 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
First Aid Station 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Saturday events schedule April 18, 2009

Breakfast in Festival Building 7:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Festival Store/Information Booth 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
5th Annual 5K Run 9:00 AM
Arts & Crafts 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
Kids Fun Run 9:00 AM
Business and Civic Booths 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Magic Midway 9:00AM - 10:30PM
First Aid Station 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Grits Grinding 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
Clothsline Art 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Grits Dinner in Festival Building 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Sample Grits at Quaker Booth 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Parade 11:00 AM
Dunking Booth 12:00 Noon - 5:00 PM
Rolling in the Grits Contest for Children - Main Stage 1:00 PM Children ages 6 to 14
Taps Dance 12:15 PM - 1:00 PM
Carolina Dancers 2:00PM
Corn Shelling Contest - South Stage 2:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Religious Music - North Stage 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Basketball Toss for Younger Kids 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Hula Hoop Contest 3:00 PM
Grits Eating Contest - South Stage 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Orangeburg Line Dancers 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Gene Brownlee Sings 5:00 PM
Wrangler Rockin Country 5:30AM - 6:00 PM

Events for Friday April 17, 2009:

The Carnival at the Magic Midway 3:00 PM - 10:30 PM
Clothesline Art in Grits Building 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Grits Dinner in Festival Building 11:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Business and Civic 1:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Food Booths 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Arts & Crafts 12:00 Noon - 7:00PM
Festival Store - Information 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Grits Grinding 1:00 PM - 6:00PM
Gene Brownlee Sings 5:00 PM
First Aid Station 3:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Main Stage
SEA-CRUZ
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
6:00pm till 10:00pm
South Stage
Karaoke with Hank McCollum
South Carolina
6:00pm till 10:00pm

20090417 World Grits Festival St George So Carolina

Kevin Dayhoff Art: http://www.kevindayhoff.com/ (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

20071104 Columns and essays on Grits – The story so far.

Columns and essays on Grits – The story so far.

November 4^th, 2007

My Sunday Carroll Eagle column for November 4^th, 2007 column is on grits. I’ve already received some fun feedback. I’ll post it on Soundtrack, when I find a spare moment.

Meanwhile, please enjoy the story so far…

August 1, 2007 Westminster Eagle column: Song of the South: No grits, no glory

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?show=archivedetails&pnpid=978&om=1&ArchiveID=1295063&requesttimeout=100

Westminster Eagle column:

http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?NPV2Datasource=mywebpal&pnpid=978&show=newscast&CategoryID=18317

Winchester Report: Song of the South: No grits, no glory: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpID=978&NewsID=837916&CategoryID=18298&show=localnews&om=1

The Winchester Report: http://news.mywebpal.com/news_tool_v2.cfm?pnpid=978&show=newscast&CategoryID=18298&om=1

Food Grits – on Soundtrack:

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/search/label/Food%20Grits

20070905 Song of the South: No grits, no glory:

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/09/20070905-song-of-south-no-grits-no.html

20071003 Living and loving in the age of asparagus

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/10/20071003-living-and-loving-in-age-of.html

20070802 Welcome to the Outer Banks Grits Grill

http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/2007/08/20070802-welcome-to-outer-banks-grits.html

20071003 Living and loving in the age of asparagus

Living and loving in the age of asparagus

or

Mary Katherine Ham to Alicia Silverstone: Go Hunting

October 3^rd, 2007

Although I have spent a large portion of my life as a vegetarian; as I grew older and life got particularly hectic, I gave it up – for now anyway. Who knows, tomorrow, I may go back. Whatever.

A number of years ago, as I was attempting to reason with an unreasonable person and losing miserably, a colleague said to me:

“You know what your problem is?”

“Ugh.” I really did not need advice at that particular moment; however, I prized his friendship and sheepishly asked: “What?”

“It's a dog eat dog world out there, and you're a vegetarian!"

We solved that by going out to a sub shop where I gave up the anorexic bliss of salads and voraciously scarfed down a cheese-steak sandwich.

It was a road to Damascus experience

I still lose miserably with folks who accept narcissistic fiction as fact, however, I am bigger now and I figure that if I am to be eaten alive, I might as well give folks a flavorful super-sized meal.

Then again, to be candid, I was never good at being a vegetarian. I never stopped eating animal crackers and every once and awhile at Moms, I’d dive into a steak – and I can rarely remember missing turkey at Thanksgiving.

I have a number of colleagues and some family members who are, at the moment, practicing vegetarians - and I respect that choice. Besides, I really like vegetables. Then there are folks who don’t like vegetables or are otherwise broccoli intolerant. To them I say, ya really ought to “give peas a chance.”

A member of my family, who is an avid vegetarian, recently gave some seafood a try.

Bold.

Writing for the Washington Post, Joel Achenbach says:

“Certain kinds of seafood, such as lobster, clams and crabs, are honorary forms of meat, but a small filet of a low-fat white fish should be viewed as essentially a vegetable. Raw oysters are manfood, as is any fish served with the head on and the mouth gaping in horror.

Me, I could live off of Dr. Pepper, coffee and grits. Hey, don’t knock the cooking with Dr. Pepper book. There are some great recipes in there.

I never tried the “vegan” approach. I often wondered how the term came about. When I was quite young I had a great deal of confusion over the term “vegetarian.” If vegetarians eat vegetables, what do humanitarians eat?

Mr. Achenbach calls to our attention a savior for vegans, who every once in awhile, go Jonesing for a milkshake – “soy cows.”

In the column he was initially singing the praises of his new “Fabulator 5000.”

What is a “Fabulator 5000?” I am so glad you asked. I was fascinated about this development since I am still using the Fabulator model No. 1953.

I’ll let Mr. Achenbach ‘splain:

“I love my new food printer, the Fabulator 5000, which makes the previous food printers look not just clunky but positively medieval. There's no more click-and-point nonsense on the screen, no more waiting five or six interminable minutes for the food to print. You just tell the Fab 5 what you want. The food comes out in about three or four seconds, complete with garnish and a complementary wine.”

Oh, the “soy cows?” Apparently Mr. Achenbach recently “took the kids … to Homewood Farm to see a good old-fashioned agricultural enterprise…”

“I got a look at the new soy cows, grazing in the large field just north of the orchard. The USDA apparently felt that soy milk could be produced much more efficiently if it came from cows made of soy. These cows are so green they nearly blend into the landscape. They say the soy milk is a lot better tasting (not as beany, somehow) than the stuff derived from plants, and the soy burgers are more tender. But you've probably read about how the soy cows dry up badly in drought conditions -- they literally wilt -- and even catch fire. Bored teenagers have been blamed for setting some of the cow fires.”

There is much to be appreciated by the vegetarian lifestyle; nevertheless my goal was to not be evangelical about it all.

But – and ya know there was going to be a “but” in here soon – I’ve never been fond of PETA’s Strindbergian gloom and bleakness approach to advocacy.

When I was a practicing vegetarian, invariably, some folks would suggest some linkage to me, a vegetarian, with PETA’s in-your-face humorless lactose intolerant militancy. An approach which often seems more oriented to being obnoxious and annoying instead of being compelling and persuasive to what is otherwise, a perfectly fine lifestyle, vegetarianism, for which PETA routinely does an injustice....

At a local government - social event, a local elected official’s wife was horrified that I was a vegetarian. “How can a big strapping former Marine be a vegetarian,” she gasped.

I solved that in quick order. She was a dog lover and the owner of a huge dog. I mean huge – about the size of a water buffalo.

I asked her if she had ever eaten dog. When I was in the Marines, a South Vietnamese ranger once cooked-up a mess of dog.

It tasted like chicken.

I suggested to my scowling friend that her St. Bernard could feed an entire village… And one wonders why I lost my last election?

Recently Alicia Silverstone did an ad for PETA that has garnered a great deal of attention. I can’t believe that it is winning over any converts to vegetarianism, but it has attracted attention to PETA.

Whether it is really the sort of attention that an advocacy organization wants is a bigger issue for which there is not right or wrong, it just isn’t my cup of tea.

Nevertheless, in age of so much strife and discord, I yearn for a time when peas will rule the planets, and love won’t be such a fuss. I long for the dawn of the age of asparagus.

Enter stage right, Mary Katherine Ham. Ms. Ham has done a spoof on the Ms. Silverstone ad that is a real crack-up.

Please enjoy it:

####

No animals were hurt in the writing of this column.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com and Winchester Report.

20070912 Breakfast casseroles great way to start the day by C A Knauer

Breakfast casseroles great way to start the day

By Carrie Ann Knauer, Times Staff Writer

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Yet another excellent article by Carroll County’s own Rachael Ray, but as I am sure that Ms. Knauer is aware, the best way to start one’s day is with a breakfast that includes grits. Perhaps we may look forward to an article in the future with some grits recipes? No Grits No Glory. See: Food Grits, Knauer watch,

Breakfast casseroles are quite plentiful on the Internet, and why not - it's great to be able to throw all your ingredients in one pan, bake, and have all your foods and flavors meddled together when you eat.

Our first casserole recipe today comes from Rosemarie Felton of Taneytown, with a recipe with sausage and crescent rolls that she said her children love. The second is for a kielbasa and potato dish that I found at www.razzle dazzlerecipes.com, which had a ton of breakfast casserole recipes available.

There are still two more weeks, send your breakfast recipes in now.

Brunch casserole

[…]

Calling all Cooks

Select your favorite recipes now to share with our readers.

To submit a recipe, please e-mail it to Carrie Ann Knauer at carrie.knauer AT carrollcountytimes.com; or mail it to Carroll Kitchens, c/o Carrie Ann Knauer, 201 Railroad Ave., Westminster, MD 21157. Please include your name, phone number, address, e-mail address and best time to be reached with your recipe so we can contact you.

Now accepting recipes for:

September: Breakfast

####

20070905 Song of the South: No grits, no glory

Song of the South: No grits, no glory

Note: This column first appeared in the Westminster Eagle on August 1^st, 2007. Since it ran I have had several requests for copies… This is a longer version of that column. It is cross posted on my Westminster Eagle blog. "The Winchester Report":

Winchester Report: Song of the South: No grits, no glory

(Also see: “20070802 Welcome to the Outer Banks Grits Grill”)

Please enjoy.

08/01/07 – September 5^th, 2007 By Kevin E. Dayhoff

Recently, my family ventured on our annual sojourn south. It's a combination family reunion and vacation, as folks rendezvous from literally all over the world to a house with its very own ZIP code in Nags Head, N.C.

Many are aware of North Carolina's Outer Banks as a family values-oriented destination of sun, beach and unhurried afternoons reading a book -- not to mention the leisurely romantic walks on the beach at sunset.

But of course, the real reason I like to go is to watch the Tour de France and the readily-available access to the most northern reaches of the "Georgia Ice Cream" belt ... which runs from Louisiana to North Carolina.

What's that, you ask? What is "Georgia Ice Cream?" Honey child, I am so glad you asked. It's perhaps the most misunderstood of Southern delicacies: grits.

Many folks from Carroll County are not familiar with grits -- and that's a crying shame. The South is known for its gentile politeness and friendliness, and there's little doubt that there's direct cause and affect between being accommodating and friendly and the consumption of grits.

Indeed, the state of South Carolina decreed grits its "state food" in 1973. The reverential state declaration proclaimed, in part, that, "grits could very well play a vital role in the future of not only this state, but also the world."

You may very well consider standing, placing your hand on your heart, and re-reading the previous sentence.

In the past, northerners have come up with many well-documented ways of annoying southerners. Lengthy historic and economic dissertations will give the uninformed a certain insight that disagreements over the manufacture and distribution of grits could be considered one of the causes of the “War of Northern Aggression.”

But one of the best sure-fire ways of having “Fort Sumter moment” is to suggest, gasp, that grits is somewhat akin to cream of wheat. Not.

In 1952, the Charleston News and Courier proclaimed that grits, "an inexpensive, simple and thoroughly digestible food, should be made popular throughout the world. Given enough of it, the inhabitants of planet Earth would have nothing to fight about. A man full of (grits) is a man of peace."

The singular noun, "grits" has its roots from the Old English word, "grytta" meaning a coarse meal of any kind.

Native Americans introduced ground maize -- grits -- to the early English settlers many hundreds of years ago when the colonists were illegal aliens and did not speak the language of the land.

Outside the South, folks attempt to make the word "grits" plural. Not so. Consider the word, spaghetti, which is considered to be plural in form but takes a singular verb. (One does not, for example, write "spaghetti are.") Anytime you hear "grits are good," that is a sure-fire sign you're dealing with a Yankee who is not properly schooled in the fine art of grits.

According to one of my holiest Outer Banks destinations, the Grits Grill: "There are two basic types: corn grits and hominy grits. Corn grits (is) made from dried, milled corn kernels. Hominy grits (is) made by soaking corn in lye water for several days and then dried."

Of course, it's worth mentioning that the Grits Grill also serves another Southern delicacy, Krispy Kreme Donuts.

Many folks consider grits to be solely a breakfast food. Wrong. Grits is good for breakfast, lunch or dinner. In the traditional South, grits automatically comes with breakfast. Once while traveling in the South, I specifically asked for an order of grits. The waitress glanced at me sideways and chewed her gum at a faster pace as she decreed, "Honey, grits just comes."

Many folks simply eat grits with a touch of salt and butter. Of course the real grits aficionado eats 'em smothered with bacon grease with their pinkie finger extended. I like grits mixed lightly ... with steak and eggs over-light. Please consult your cardiologist for additional consumption instructions.

As you can now easily understand, in a world pre-occupied with conflict and environmental perils, if more grits were served at mealtime, this food of love and peace could very well save the planet.

The Carroll County commissioners should consider passing an ordinance requiring, at a minimum, grits be served in all county restaurants for six months prior to all elections. They should certainly be served at all public hearings.

The Maryland General Assembly might consider going one-step further than South Carolina and passing legislation requiring grits to be a mandatory menu item in all state restaurants.

No grits, no glory.

Have you ever heard of folks arguing while sharing a meal of grits? I rest my case. At the Westminster Eagle, all we are saying is:

Give grits a chance.

Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster, and welcomes recipe ideas for grits.

E-mail him at kdayhoff AT carr DOT org or kevindayhoff AT gmail DOT com

http://www.kevindayhoff.net/

His columns appear in The Tentacle, http://www.thetentacle.com/; Westminster Eagle Opinion http://www.thewestminstereagle.com/ and Winchester Report.

20070802 Welcome to the Outer Banks Grits Grill

Welcome to the Outer Banks Grits Grill

August 2^nd, 2007

This is the “Grits Grill” I mentioned in my column published on August 1^st, 2007 in the Westminster Eagle, “Song of the South: No grits, no glory.”

Mrs. Owl and I thoroughly enjoyed our grits-experience. The service was friendly and we enjoyed talking with our server. On one visit we talked with owner who beamed with pride about his food, the service, his restaurant and his grits – which I might add, were great.

Below is from the Grits Grill web site. The next time you are on the Outer Banks in North Carolina, we recommend that you and your family stop by – and have some grits, or sample some of the other great food they serve.

_____

Grits Grill

5000 South Croatan Highway, Milepost 14 The Outer Banks Mall

Nags Head, NC | Phone:252-449-2888 | Fax: 252-480-6302

gritsgrill365 AT msn.com

Welcome to the Outer Banks Grits Grill, a great place to meet & eat! Grits Grill has been a locals favorite for breakfast and lunch for many years. Located in the Outer Banks Mall in Nags Head, Grits Grill serves Krispy Kreme Doughnuts starting at 6:30 am, as well as hotcakes, steak & eggs, omelettes, various fresh egg dishes, classic southern favorites, great soups, salads, sandwiches and of course grits!

What are grits? Grits are tiny broken grains of corn, first produced by Native Americans centuries ago. There are two basic types, corn grits and hominy grits. Corn grits are made from dried, milled corn kernels. Hominy grits are made by soaking corn in lye water for several days and then dried. Come to Grits Grill and try them, we make the best!

Here are some of our specialties: Krispy Kreme Donuts fresh daily at 6:30 am, Newspapers from around the region, specialty coffees, breakfast served anytime, big orders not a problem, to go orders anytime, juice, milk, bottled drinks & water for easy take out, donuts & sandwiches available for business meetings.

We also have a wonderful gift shop featuring many wonderful Outer Banks souvenirs, click the map/gallery button above to see a sampling.
Take some Krispy Kreme doughnuts to go! Bring the family enjoy a great breakfast, or for lunch have a great fresh ground chuck Cheeseburger, a Philly Cheesesteak, a homemade Crabcake sandwich, a classic Reuben or one of our many other specialties and take home some souvenirs when you're done. Grits Grill, "Simply Southern".

On Saturdays from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon bring the family and come see "Steve The Dream" he will entertain you no matter your age. From Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Check out our additional listing in: Breakfast

Location & Views: Located In The Outer Banks Mall

Operation & Hours: Open All Year, Open 7 Days, Service Hours: (6:00 am Until 3:00 pm Every Day)

Payment Options & Additional Services: American Express, Discover, Visa, Mastercard, Travelers Checks Accepted, Gift Certificates, Gift Shipping

Dress Code: Coastal Casual

Family Considerations: High Chairs, Booster Seats, Children's Menu

Considerations for the Handicapped: Handicapped Accessible Facility (Yes), Handicap Accessible Restrooms (Yes), Wheelchair Accessible, Seeing Eye Dogs Allowed

Restroom Facilities: Restrooms Are For Patrons Only

Parking Information: Lighted (Yes), Parking Spaces (70+), Handicap Parking Available (Yes), Free Parking Available, Paved Parking Lot, Bus & Oversized Parking, Vehicle & Trailer Parking

Alcohol Policies & Information: No Alcohol

Smoking Policies: Non-Smoking Section, Smoking Section, Smoking At Bar Allowed

Security & Safety: Surveillance Camera(s), Parking Lot Patrol, Smoke Detection System, Fire Sprinkler System (Yes)

Restaurant & Food Information: Chef's Specials, Gift Shop (see sections below)

Breakfast: Entree: Average Price Range ($0-6) , Breakfast Hours Text : (6:00 am - 3:00 pm) , Take Out Available

Lunch: Entree: Average Price Range ($0-6), Take Out Available, Primary Cuisine (American)

Souvenirs & Logo-ed Merchandise: Beverage Coolers & Huggies, Hats, Sweatshirts, T-Shirts

Gift Shop Merchandise Types: Gifts & Souvenirs, Novelty & Toys

Entertainment: Occasional Live Entertainment

Biscuits Available: Plain Biscuits, Cheese Biscuits, Sausage Biscuits, Egg Biscuits, Ham Biscuits, Biscuits With Sausage Gravy

Breakfast Items: Bacon, Corned Beef Hash, Country Ham, Sausage Gravy, Sausage Patties, Scrambled Eggs, Steak, Pancakes, Cheese Grits, Hash Brown Potatoes

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Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA.

www.kevindayhoff.net

E-mail him at: kdayhoff AT carr.org or kevindayhoff AT gmail.com

His columns and articles appear in The Tentacle - www.thetentacle.com; Westminster Eagle Opinion; www.thewestminstereagle.com and Winchester Report.

20061005 Breakfast and a class at William and Mary

Now this is breakfast.

October 5, 2006

Breakfast and a class at William and Mary

Posted October 5, 2006 by Kevin Dayhoff

Breakfast at The Gazebo in Williamsburg. Next I get to observe a class at William and Mary. I will be attending a government class: “Govt. 303: Survey of Political Philosophy.”

I can’t find a current syllabus on-line. I received a current syllabus electronically from the student that has facilitated me attending the class. I found a similar syllabus for the class, from 2004, here:

This course will examine the works of several key political philosophers in the Western tradition, starting with the Greeks, through the Romans up to early Christian political thought. We will be concerned to read and analyze these thinkers’ central texts, seeking to discern what is being said, what this tells us about the politics of the societies in which they were written, and how this compares and contrasts with our own society and thought about politics. In addition to the study of specific thinkers and specific texts, we will also seek to consider more broadly what it means to think critically about politics, and the strategies available for doing so.

Course Requirements: Two short papers (6-8 pages) 30% each; Final Examination 30%; and class attendance and participation, 10%.

Required Texts: Available in the Bookstore.

Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War (trans: Rex Warner)

Plato The Republic (trans: Allan Bloom)

Aristotle The Politics (trans: Carnes Lord)

Cicero The Republic (trans: Niall Rudd)

Augustine The Political Writings

The professor is Simon Stow. Simon Stow HOME - Bio - Publications - C.V. - Courses - Daisy - Government Department

Simon Stow received a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Corpus Christi College, Oxford in 1993; an MA in Political Science from McGill University in Montreal in 1997; and a Ph.D. in Political Science from The University of California, Berkeley in 2002. He joined the Department of Government at the College of William and Mary in the fall of 2002 where he teaches classes in the history of political thought, and Senior Seminars on topics in political theory.

Professor Stow's research focuses on the use and abuse of literature in political thought and analysis. Arguing that -- influenced by a 'Political Turn' in literary criticism -- there has been a 'Literary Turn' in much contemporary political theory, he seeks to identify what is promising and what is problematic about the use of literature in contemporary political thought and analysis…

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Kevin Dayhoff writes from Westminster Maryland USA. E-mail him at: kdayhoff@carr.org www.thetentacle.com Westminster Eagle Opinion and Winchester Report www.thewestminstereagle.com www.kevindayhoff.com has moved to http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/