Grits and polenta?

JAS_OH1

JAS_OH1

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So I often make my husband creamy, cheesy grits using white ground corn (hominy) grits. He loves them, even though he never ate grits until he met me. I moved up to Ohio from the south and I honestly didn't love grits until I started cooking them myself, because I use cream and cheese in mine and cook them a lot longer than most people do so they are smooth and less gritty.

Anyway, a few weeks ago I bought some ground yellow corn grits and haven't cooked them yet. I have eaten polenta a few times but it was a long time ago. Is polenta generally made from yellow ground corn or white? What's the difference in flavor between yellow and white (hominy) grits? Can I use the yellow grits the same way I do the white ones, as a breakfast food that is the vehicle for fried runny eggs? Anyone have input on this?
 
I’ve always used them interchangeably and have never really noticed much difference in flavor or texture.
 
I should add, I don’t make any of them very often, as I don’t like them, but MrsT does, so I’ll make them for her sometimes…and here I am, the first generation born outside Kentucky/Tennessee/Virginia, and she’s from super Yankeeland upstate NY! :laugh:
 
grits is a regular item here - we don't do any special emphasis on long cooking, etc - and there is no grit that I've ever noticed....

polenta is usually made from yellow grits - I've 'tried' making it - very long time/slow cooking required to get it thickened and to a consistency that will 'make a roll" - so I usually just buy it.

slice it, pan fry to crispy, cool, then freeze - nuke (slowly) as a breakfast side . . .
1710534178905.jpeg
 
TastyReuben said:
I should add, I don’t make any of them very often, as I don’t like them, but MrsT does, so I’ll make them for her sometimes…and here I am, the first generation born outside Kentucky/Tennessee/Virginia, and she’s from super Yankeeland upstate NY! :laugh:
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I grew up in the south so everyone up here expected me to love grits and fried okra. I have learned to like grits quite a bit because I figured out how to make them taste good, but okra? No effin' way is that happening. YUCK.

I think I will try blending the white and yellow together for my next batch and see what hubby thinks.
 
CookieMonster said:
grits is a regular item here - we don't do any special emphasis on long cooking, etc - and there is no grit that I've ever noticed....

polenta is usually made from yellow grits - I've 'tried' making it - very long time/slow cooking required to get it thickened and to a consistency that will 'make a roll" - so I usually just buy it.

slice it, pan fry to crispy, cool, then freeze - nuke (slowly) as a breakfast side . . .
View attachment 111069
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Ugh, every time I ate grits when living in Florida they were extremely "gritty" and I didn't like them at all.
 
oh dear . . . okra is another fav here....

there's multiple tricks / technique to okra.
#1 - fresh is best and bigger is NOT better. any pods over 3" , , , toss 'em
#2 - cut into chunks, use an egg wash, dredge in seasoned flour, hot pan fry - quick - no more than 4 minutes of tossing . . .

have the pan hot and ready before the egg wash&dredge - don't let them sit.

not all that common in stores here, so I have to grow our own - and pick them small
1710534637388.jpeg
 
CookieMonster said:
oh dear . . . okra is another fav here....

there's multiple tricks / technique to okra.
#1 - fresh is best and bigger is NOT better. any pods over 3" , , , toss 'em
#2 - cut into chunks, use an egg wash, dredge in seasoned flour, hot pan fry - quick - no more than 4 minutes of tossing . . .

have the pan hot and ready before the egg wash&dredge - don't let them sit.

not all that common in stores here, so I have to grow our own - and pick them small
View attachment 111070
Click to expand...
Did I say that I grew up in the south? I lived in Florida up until I was 37 but my family is scattered all over the south, particularly in Texas and Florida though. My SE Texas grandmother grew it in her garden. Anyway, I was forced to try okra at least 100 times growing up, prepared by people (my grandmother, aunts, friends of the family, etc.) who others swore made the very best fried okra. Nope. I hate it.

I also spent a lot of time over in Louisiana (my father and one of my uncles were both born there--my uncle was a Cajun who married my mom's younger sister) and spent a lot of time in the city of New Orleans, I have eaten gumbo multiple times. I always picked that crap out. Thankfully not everyone uses okra in the gumbo but most do, including my uncle. And my uncle made fantastic gumbo, everyone raved about it. It was good, except for the okra.
 
I don't like okra either, regardless of who makes it or how.

I prefer polenta made with a fairly fine grind of yellow corn, while I prefer stone ground grits using white corn, but I will eat yellow grits as well.

Speaking of white corn, we have a free bag of dried hominy. I've been looking at recipes. There's a Mexican street corn salad version that uses hominy and a breakfast casserole that look interesting.
 
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