Delpit "Average as Grits"

[Bushmaster]

Grits are fantastic, without question the best overall southern food, and should never be used in some sort of derogatory comparison. I don't care for this guy.

This. Shouldn't be too hard to figure out who said this. No self respecting southerner would ever utter such bull****.

 

[Bushmaster]

I'm from the south and I don't really care for grits. Hope I don't have to turn in my southerner card

I just gave you your THIRD ban rating. I would say you need to turn it in.

 

[Bushmaster]

So I have to relate this story. My dad coached Little League baseball for a long time. In 1951, he took the Florida team to the World Series in Williamsport. The team visited New York City. For breakfast one morning, one of the players ordered fried eggs and grits. The waitress brought the eggs and newspaper (some of you will remember "The Grit.") The player in question told the waitress he didn't want a paper, he wanted grits with his eggs. She replied that they only had hash brown potatoes as a side. The player proceeded to stand up and yell across the restaurant, "Coach, did you know they serve spuds for breakfast here." Wish I could have been there but I was only 11 months old at the time.
Later in my life I was stopped for speeding. The Escambia Sheriff's deputy that pulled me over looked at my license and asked if I were my Dad's son. Yes, I admitted. This deputy was the player that complained about the grits and remembered that I had bitten him several times as a baby. BTW: He didn't write me a ticket, just called my Dad.

Awesome story!!

 

[Bushmaster]

My last meal of choice would be fried catfish, cheese grits (with real bacon bits mixed in, or not), home made biscuits with sugar cane syrup cooked up by this dude between Florala and Andalusa, AL.

That's gourmet eating right there.

He would grind up sugar cane that we grew, corn, and also had a slaughter house behind his residence. He could do it all.

 

[crosscreekcooter]

My last meal of choice would be fried catfish, cheese grits (with real bacon bits mixed in, or not), home made biscuits with sugar cane syrup cooked up by this dude between Florala and Andalusa, AL.

That's gourmet eating right there.

He would grind up sugar cane that we grew, corn, and also had a slaughter house behind his residence. He could do it all.

This just made me remember I'm out of cane syrup and I gotta go lookin for some.

 

[B52G8rAC]

This just made me remember I'm out of cane syrup and I gotta go lookin for some.

Black strap molasses serves in a pinch.

 

[crosscreekcooter]

Black strap molasses serves in a pinch.

I have molasses but I like cane for my pancakes (float em) and molasses is a little too strong for that. I keep molasses for some sauces I make and it also goes in my chili. By the way I meant to mention earlier that was a cool story about your dad.

 

[Ancient Reptile]

Shellcrackers crush the shells of small crabs. Best bait = fiddler crabs, easy to hook fiddlers where they aren't damaged so they still move their legs. Exposed hook blends in as another leg.

Rog, you serious? Sheephead crush crustaceans in salt or brackish water. I believe that shellcrackers may crush snails (?) in fresh water.

 

[Fodderwing]

This just made me remember I'm out of cane syrup and I gotta go lookin for some.

My brother in law grows sugarcane and has several cane grindings / cookings between Thanksgiving and New Years. He has won the blue ribbon at Dade City a couple of times. If you find yourself around Wildwood that time of year, I can hook you up.

 

[rogdochar]

Rog, you serious? Sheephead crush crustaceans in salt or brackish water. I believe that shellcrackers may crush snails (?) in fresh water.

I've only caught my shellcrackers in salt/brackish water. Been long ago and you know my infamous memory.

 

[Ancient Reptile]

This thread got me motivated. Went out and caught a small mess of shellcrackers.

 

[Ancient Reptile]

I've only caught my shellcrackers in salt/brackish water. Been long ago and you know my infamous memory.

I heard fiddlers were a great bait for red fish. Never thought to try them for shellcrackers

 

[rogdochar]

I heard fiddlers were a great bait for red fish. Never thought to try them for shellcrackers

I was calling sheepshead shellcrackers. Your doubt jostled my memory. I was fishing from a dock on Black Hammock Island. In fact, there used to be a primitive oyster restaurant right where the dock is. The whole bottom was ultra-covered with oyster shells {they just threw shells out the back window into the cut.}

 

[crosscreekcooter]

My brother in law grows sugarcane and has several cane grindings / cookings between Thanksgiving and New Years. He has won the blue ribbon at Dade City a couple of times. If you find yourself around Wildwood that time of year, I can hook you up.

Thanks FW I'll keep that in mind.

 

[GR8 2B]

This thread got me motivated. Went out and caught a small mess of shellcrackers.

Pics?

 

[Ancient Reptile]

Pics?

I did take one pic. I have never uploaded one, let me see.

 

[cover2]

@Fodderwing and @crosscreekcooter

Cane syrup! If the Good Lord has a sweet tooth, this must be the result. Biscuits or pancakes (buttermilk please) and fresh pan or link sausage from Jones’ Meats in Climax Ga would be my last meal if I were a condemned man. Heck, keeping with the theme of the thread, a little syrup won’t hurt your grits, either.

When I was a boy, my granddaddy would ride us up to this old man’ place near the farm where he ground cane and made syrup. Granddad would always make a point to go when he first started grinding and buy a couple of mason jars full of cold cane juice. It was too sweet for me to enjoy, but he’d guzzle it. Told me that this was one of the few sweet treats he got during the year when he was growing up.

We went through some cane syrup. Had it every time we ate breakfast. Used to enjoy it with salt fish, too. Haven’t had that in years. Best tater pie I ever had was made by an old black lady who used cane syrup in it. It’s funny watching a tenderfoot that grew up on Aunt Jemima/maple syrup try it for the first time. If cane syrup is a good brown liquor, metaphorically speaking, maple has to be a Zima.

I miss seeing the old cane mills running during the late fall. Not many mules around these parts any more. Glad they use tractors or other mechanical means so we still have plenty. Sorry to go on, but it’s pretty soothing talking about the good life and things like syrup and biscuits that helped make it so.

 

[crosscreekcooter]

Got a buddy up in Kite Ga that has an old mill but I don't think he's run any cane in probably 20 years but there are a couple guys near him that still do; the last 2 bottles I had came from there. You mentioned Climax Ga, I skipped school with a buddy in junior high school and went with some man we didn't know to go spelunking there. We spent all day underground and got lost pretty deep in the cave, it was quite an adventure.
One thing I figured out is some folks add corn syrup to prevent it from crystallizing over time but it takes that good bite out of it so I'm always careful to ask the seller if it's pure. It never stays around long enough to be a problem.

 

[AlexDaGator]

Grits are fantastic, without question the best overall southern food, and should never be used in some sort of derogatory comparison. I don't care for this guy.

Best overall southern food???

I’m not sure it’s grits. Maybe. Maybe not.

The Contenders:

A. Grits
B. Biscuits
C. Fried chicken
D. Bourbon
E. Cornbread
F. BBQ

Yes, I know I left greens off my list and no, it wasn’t an oversight. Sweet potato pie and pecan pie just missed the cut. Greens were not considered.

Alex.

 

[SeabeeGator]

Best overall southern food???

I’m not sure it’s grits. Maybe. Maybe not.

The Contenders:

A. Grits
B. Biscuits
C. Fried chicken
D. Bourbon
E. Cornbread
F. BBQ

Yes, I know I left greens off my list and no, it wasn’t an oversight. Sweet potato pie and pecan pie just missed the cut. Greens were not considered.

Alex.

Look, greens are amazing. On the other hand... that’s a very fine list. I am now hungry.