Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Grits

Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Grits
Originally uploaded by weezienyc.

I had the pleasure of serving dinner for some of my favorite people on Saturday night. My friend, Dennis, has a fantastic apartment and a table that seats 12, which gave me a chance to host my first sit down dinner party since I moved to NYC. Here's what was on the menu:

- Mushroom Shallot Phyllo Baskets (I had no idea how hard it is to work with phyllo)
- Cannolinni and Fennel Salad
- Portabella Mushrooms with Roasted Vegetables
- Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Grits
- Double Chocolate Mint Cookies with Bailey's Ice Cream

As usual, the dessert was my favorite part of the meal, with the grits coming in at a very close second. The dish, originally from the Charleston Grille, is extremely easy to make and a treat for both sweet and savory palettes.

I'd made this recipe before, but made some changes for Saturday's meal that truly turned it from a tasty side item to a hearty main course. Here's the newly revised recipe:

Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Grits
Serves 12

6 cups veggie broth
6 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup quick-cooking hominy grits
1 pint heavy cream
1 cup diced drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese


Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter 13 1/2 x 8 1/2 3 2-inch glass baking dish. Bring broth, butter, salt, and garlic to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in grits and return mixture to boil, whisking occasionally.

Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until grits are thick and almost all broth is absorbed, whisking frequently, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup cream and simmer 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Whisk in remaining cream and simmer until very thick, stirring often, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in tomatoes and 1 cup goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining goat cheese over top and bake until cheese softens, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

American Roadhouse Breakfast

American Roadhouse Breakfast
Originally uploaded by weezienyc.

When I lived in Atlanta I ate here almost every weekend. However, I never ordered their grits because by the time we woke up, got dressed, walked up to the Roadhouse, and waited in the long line of folks ahead of us, I was usually ready for lunch.

When I was down in Atlanta for a visit in June, I ate there for breakfast and, of course, I ordered the grits. I am not even exaggerating when I say that the jalapeno cheese grits were the best I've ever tried (which is saying a lot since I have my own recipe).

While I was there, I talked to the manager about grits, my project, and using their recipe in my book. He was interested in my concept and said to loop back around with him when I was ready to write the restaurant portion of the book. He also told me about a great spot in NYC with fantastic grits called Sarge's. It's about 5 blocks from my house, so I'll have to check it out and let you know. And hopefully you'll be able to get your hands on the American Roadhouse Jalapeno Cheese Grits recipe when my book comes out.

Since that won't be until at least fall of 2008, I'll post my own recipe for you to try!

Jalapeno Cheese Grits

2 cups water
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 cup butter
1 cup quick cooking grits
8 ounces Velvetta cheese, cubed (gotta love it)
2 cups Cheddar Cheese, shredded
1 (10 - ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 jalapenos, seeded and finely diced

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium saucepan, bring the water, milk, and two tablespoons of butter to a boil. Add the salt and garlic. Slowly whisk grits into the pan and return to a boil, whisking constantly.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Add remaining butter and stir until completely absorbed. Add Velvetta and Cheddar cheese to grits, stirring until melted.

Remove from heat. Add tomatoes and jalapenos to grits and mix well. Pour grits into a greased casserole dish and bake for 40 minutes.

Serve immediately.

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American Roadhouse on Socialight!

HELP! Recipe Testers Needed

I tried to make this recipe last week, but wasn't sure whether it needed something added to it or not. It may just be a personal issue as I'm not a fan of Gorgonzola and think this fact tainted my experience. So give it a try and let me know what you think.

Grits with Bacon and Gorgonzola
Serves: 4

3 cups chicken broth
1 cup quick-cooking grits
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Black pepper, freshly ground
6 slices of bacon, fried crisp and crumbled


Bring broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add grits, stirring constantly. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until thick (for about 5 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Remove from heat; stir in the cheese, sour cream, and nutmeg. Divide grits into four servings on plates. Sprinkle with pepper and bacon.

Mediterranean Grits

Dinner
Originally uploaded by weezienyc.

I took a break from restaurant dining the other night and made this dish for my friends in Atlanta. This is an original recipe that I have been conceptualizing for a few weeks. I loved it and so did my guests, but I think it needed another subtle flavor. Test it out and let me know what to add.

Mediterranean Grits
Serves 8
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cup white stone-ground grits
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
8 oz. feta cheese
½ cup pine nuts
1 cup grape tomatoes, chopped

Bring broth, water, salt, and olive oil to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add grits, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer until thick (for about 45 minutes), stirring occasionally.

Stir in spinach – cook for 10 more minutes. Stir in cheese and serve topped with pine nuts and garnish with tomatoes.
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I served it with a balsamic pork loin and steamed summer veggies. It was a good combination. Oh and I almost forgot, we made Grits Brulee for dessert. More on that soon.

Cooking in a closet

I’ve mentioned before that writing this cookbook has been a much larger undertaking than I anticipated. I had no clue how much time was required for the on-going research, business plan development, and the actual planning of the book. I spend at least 15 hours a week dedicated to the “business” and at least 30 hours a week writing/testing/editing/ recipes.

Lately, I feel like I’ve been living in my tiny Manhattan kitchen. I am either standing over the tiny stove, constantly whisking grits to ensure they don’t burn (sometimes I get distracted and this happens) or doing dishes in the tiny sink. I am a southerner and we have a tendency to exaggerate, but I’m not even kidding you when I tell you that everything about my kitchen is tiny.

The first house I can remember as a child had a small kitchen. My mama basically started her catering business in that kitchen. To this day my dad still can’t eat chicken salad because there was always chicken cooking on the stove and a Tupperware of chicken salad in the fridge. And, for a year, I seriously forgot that white bread was actually sold with crust.

As I think back on it, I am amazed that Mama was able to produce the entire menu for a wedding reception in such a small space. And now, I find myself amazed that I cook “tasting” meals for 15+, in what is basically a coat closet containing a stove and a sink.

This is where the magic happens!


Tiny Kitchen
Originally uploaded by weezienyc.

Cookbook Progress

I'm slowly, but surely making some headway on the cookbook. I've been testing a lot of recipes, trying to get at least one chapter in order before I finalize my book proposal. Trying to figure out how to organize the book hasn't been a simple task. I've gone back and forth for weeks on how to categorize the recipes in order to put them into chapters. I've finally made a decision on the chapters and titles and here they are:

• Morning Grits: Warm and quick dishes served in the early hours

• Grits at noon: Heartier dishes served at brunch, preferably with Bloody Mary's or Mimosas

• Evening Grits: Meals starring grits: Some fast, some fancy

• Shrimp and Grits: Low-country favorites, perfect for all hours of the day

• Grits on the Side: A collection of side dishes with suggestions for accompaniments

• Grits and More: All of the other grits recipes that didn’t fit into one of the other chapters

Now that I’ve got the chapters selected, all I need to do is figure out a name for the book.

Any suggestions?

What is a Grit?

pl.n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb)

1. A ground, usually white meal of dried and hulled corn kernels that is boiled and served as a breakfast food or side dish.
2. Coarsely ground grain, especially corn.

Technically speaking, the term "grits" actually refers to any coarsely ground grain such as corn, oats or rice. When corn has been soaked in lye and the casing has been removed it becomes hominy. The lye is rinsed out very well and the corn is left to harden. Then the swollen hominy is ground up to the texture of tiny pellets in a choice of grinds-coarse, medium and fine.

Historically speaking, Americans have been eating them since as far back as 1607. When the colonists came ashore at Jamestown, Virginia, they were met by Native Americans offering steaming hot bowls of "rockahominie," which was softened maize seasoned with salt and animal fat. For this reason, Turner Catledge, former editor of the New York Times, called grits “the first truly American Food.” This comment alone makes old Turner a genius in my eyes.

Personally speaking, grits are my favorite comfort food and it is my search for this favorite comfort food during my first winter in NYC that led me to begin writing this cookbook.