Friday, December 1, 2017

Don't diss the grits

Where are you from? I actually get asked this question a lot. People I meet can tell right away that I am not from California, I suppose my accent gives it away the minute I open my mouth.

Just last week Cindy and I were joking back and forth with one another at the post office, while the clerk was weighing the gigantic box filled with goodies for the grandson, the clerk we were dealing with asked me, "Where are you two from?" I told her "We live right here in The Valley", and she said "Yeah, but where are you from?" I told her that I was born and raised in South Carolina, and that Cindy was born right here. She smiled and said "I knew you weren't from here!"

OK I guess it's no secret that I don't sound like a California boy, but on the same token my California girl is beginning to sound like she's not from here either, because over the last 20 years she has evidently picked up some of my accent, we sound like real life Beverly Hillbillies I guess you could say.

But what else other than an accent reveals you as being out of place? Food!

Yes food can give you away in a heartbeat, you just go ahead and order something out of the ordinary for a particular area, or even worse diss a beloved dish and see how fast you get a raised eyebrow, or even worse the old "Chicken eye", Oh come on now, you know what the chicken eye is! That is when someone turns their head slightly away from you and glares at you with one eye, go ahead and look in the mirror and give yourself the "chicken eye", I dare you to do it without smiling.

OK back to food outing you as a foreigner.

Once when Cindy and I were visiting my hometown in South Carolina, we met my sister and brother in law for breakfast at the local Waffle House.

Our waitress brought out our drinks and was taking our orders, my sister and her husband ordered first, then I ordered bacon and eggs with grits, a waffle, and raisin toast, and there had to be a gravy biscuit (biscuits and gravy) involved. Yes I kind of went all out on this order.

A plate of grits with eggs, bacon, raisin toast and butter

Cindy ordered the same thing but when it came down to the grits... First off you really need to know that Grits are a staple in the South, Grits come with nearly every breakfast meal, and rather than simply asking for hash browns my little California girl instead looked the waitress in the eyes and said, “Don’t put grits on my plate, I don’t eat those things!" The waitress slowly leaned down and said “Yall ain't from around here are you honey?”

My sister, brother in law, and I almost in unison said, “I was born right here, see I ordered grits”, while Cindy at the same time said “Not me, I’m from California”, this is when the whole restaurant went silent and everyone slowly turned to look at her, kind of like one of those old EF Hutton commercials where everyone listens. Well when Cindy said "California" everyone was suddenly listening. The waitress just looked at her for a minute and then said "Well bless your heart" and walked away scribbling on her pad. Everyone else turned back around and went back to eating.

Cindy has picked up enough of an accent to blend in when we go to South Carolina, but to this day she still disses the grits and right after always hears, “You ain't from around here are you honey?” and sometimes she even gets a “Bless your heart” thrown in for good measure.

If we lived there she would make South Carolina our home, just as much as California is our home now. But she can't help dissing the grits in South Carolina no more than I can change my accent in California.

Be proud of where you are from, and at the same time wherever you are living do your best to make it your home, be happy where you live because the Good Lord has you there for a reason.

If you speak with an accent, that's OK your accent makes you who you are, and if you like a certain food, enjoy it ever chance you get, and if for some reason you are like Cindy and won't even allow grits on your plate, that's OK too..."Bless your heart."

53 comments:

  1. I'd try them, but I think I would prefer hash browns.

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  2. Bless your heart. I'm with Cindy, grits are tasteless. I'll have hash-browns too.

    Have a fabulous day. ☺

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    1. Throw some cheese into them Sandee, that makes them better for a lot of people.

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  3. I bet you get looks when you ask for "buggies" in a California grocery store.

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    1. True Adam, a lot of terms are completely different from what I grew up with, a Carolina boy like you understands.

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  4. What exactly ARE grits? Somehow they don't sound very appetizing.

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    1. Delores, Grits are made by grinding corn or sometimes hominy into a meal, you slowly boil the meal in water until it thickens, grits are seasoned with salt, pepper and butter and served along with eggs and bacon, ham, or sausage as a breakfast meal. I sometimes like to throw some cheese into them to add a little more flavor. Red eye or coffee gravy is really good to add to them also.

      Growing up grits were always served for breakfast, and when we were short on money sometimes grits were all we had.

      Grits are bland when not seasoned and added to other foods, I think I like them because they are a common food item in South Carolina where I was raised.

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    2. So they are like the Southern version of oatmeal?

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    3. Kind of in the same category I suppose, but you don't sweeten grits like you do oatmeal, the uncooked grits are also more granular than oatmeal.

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  5. I've had grits a handful of times. Not my thing! Brats and Perogis are popular here, but I can't stand those, either. I love olives and avocados, so maybe I'm a California girl at heart?

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    1. Bijoux you never know, you just may be a California girl at heart, you do seem to enjoy your vacations out here.

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  6. I totally agree with the message at the end of this blog entry. On a slightly related note, when I go down south, no one can understand my accent. My husband and I were born and raised less than 50 miles apart but he always has to translate for me.

    No grits for me!

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    1. Jean, Isn't it amazing the differences in the accents in the distance from where you were raised down to where I was? I have heard it said to not worry about not being able to understand people when you go to visit a different area, because most likely they can't understand you either.

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  7. You are so right, Jimmy. Love where you are, but love where you came from too. Mmm raisin bread toast . . . hold the grits :)

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    1. Jenny you can't go wrong with raisin toast, that goes good with anything.

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  8. My hubby and I grew up in Maryland. There, nobody eats grits. Hash browns and disgusting Scrapple, yeah, but no grits. My mother, however, occasionally served canned hominy... big chunky pea-sized grits with a disgusting texture and no taste. So, natch, when we moved to GA in '71, I wasn't keen on trying grits. My hubby's belief was if you have to ADD something to something to make it taste good, why eat it?

    Then... when we visited our friends in NC a couple years ago, the gal fixed homemade grits for us for breakfast. Much to our surprise, we both liked them! (But even so, given a choice at a diner, I'll STILL order hash browns...) (Bless my heart...)

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    1. Susan as you know there is a really big difference in the taste and texture of homemade grits and instant or quick grits. The quick grits are thinner and more... gritty, homemade are thicker with almost a creamy texture and more flavor, it's no wonder that you both liked the homemade grits. I have a feeling that most restaurants don't take the time to slow cook grits properly anymore.

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  9. When we are in the States people always say they love our accent and then ask where we are from. Most Americans think we are either from the UK or Australia.

    I've never eaten grits, but I do like hash browns.

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    1. I imagine that you do get a lot of compliments on your accent when traveling in the states, I imagine also that the accents where you live differ from area to area like they do here.

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    2. Oh yes, Scottish, Irish, Welsh etc. My brother lives in Yorkshire and his kids accents are so different from our kids accents. We live very near London and you can really tell! Ha.

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  10. I was born in California and I've been told I have a West Coast accent, whatever that is.

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    1. Stephen, We actually had a guy tell Cindy once that she had lost her California accent, I suppose you and Cindy must have been raised with the same accent.

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  11. I'm definitely not from there, because I call the "chicken eye" the "side-eye." I definitely know what you're talking about, though.

    Funny you should mention grits. We went out to lunch on Thursday, and Hick ordered breakfast instead, at Cracker Barrel. He got a side of grits (came with it, he didn't ask) and said he didn't want them. I tried a bite, and I didn't want them either. They tasted like bland oatmeal. In fact, I even asked Hick if he was sure it was grits and not oatmeal. I like hominy, but not grits.

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    1. The Cracker Barrel is a good place to eat, we don't have one here but always stop there when travelling.

      A lot of times restaurants serve grits with a side of milk and brown sugar which is a no no for anyone who actually eats grits, a lot of people try to eat them like oatmeal, my suggestion is don't do it. Melt some butter in them, add salt and pepper to taste, heck even throw in a little cheese, this is how I like them.

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  12. I've never liked grits, but I didn't know you were supposed to season them!!

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    1. Fran they would be really bland by themselves without any seasoning, no wonder you didn't care for them.

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  13. I am totally gobsmacked! Grits, waffle, raisin toast, gravy biscuit?! Still I guess our bubble and squeak sounds odd, too.

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    1. Good morning Valerie, To be honest with you I had to look up bubble and squeak to see what it was, the different terminology we have for foods in our own countries can make you sit back and think, but I bet if we were visiting one another the foods would be good no matter what we call it :)

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  14. I've never tried grits, we just don't have them way downunder, but in winter I do melt a little butter into my oatmeal.

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    1. I like my oatmeal with butter and some sweetener, that's all, I have seen other people add so much brown sugar, milk and fruits to it that I don't believe you could taste the oats anymore...that's not for me.

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  15. Having grown up in the state just north of you, I started drinking unsweetened tea when I was in high school. During my 30 year exile from the South, many people just assumed that I drank sweet tea and were offended when I didn’t want to drink their attempts at sweet tea... and now I’m back South, people think my unsweetened habit is something I gained up North or while living in the West. Good post!

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    1. Oh, I do eat grits, but really like them backed with jalapeños and cheese

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    2. I started drinking unsweetened tea at a young age also, due to my diabetes. It funny when I go back home there is usually a pitcher of sweet tea in the refrigerator along side an unsweetened pitcher marked "Jimmy's tea". Sweet tea is indeed as much a staple in the South as grits, like you I too have seen a lot of funny looks from people when asking for unsweetened tea.

      The jalapenos and cheese sound like a good addition to grits, I'll have to try that.

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  16. I was raised in a grits family but I was the only hold out. The texture always left me wanting. I like something I can chew.
    I am an accent chameleon. I quickly slide into what ever accent I hear every day. Pretty sure if I moved to England, I would sound like a Brit in no time.It isn't intentional, just happens.

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    1. Our daughter does the exact same thing as you with accents, anyone she is talking with who has a different accent, she will pick it up before the end of their conversation and not even realize it, it's a gift both you and she have, I don't believe I could do that even if I tried.

      Raised where you were I know that you were introduced to grits early, but if you don't like them then you aren't going to eat them.

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  17. I'm from Sweden, my husband was from New Orleans and I loved everything he ever cooked for me. And I still have my accent, my Swedish one. I arrived here with a Swedish/British accent after living in London, but the British part quickly fell by the wayside. When I speak Swedish, I'm told I have an American accent. Go figure....

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    1. That sounds about right Inger, everyone here in California talk about my Southern accent but in South Carolina my family say that I have lost my accent, Like your Swedish accent I guess it depends on where you are.

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  18. Again, you too have me laughing. Bless her heart! Lol
    I love grits smothered in butter or gravy. I hear that up North they fry grits! I may try that sometime for the fun of it.
    Im told my accent is higly southern. It doesnt get much repect though. Some people think it sounds dumb but I am who I am I reckon.
    Lisa

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    1. Lisa some of the smartest people in the world are thought to be dumb because others assume their accent says they are not smart...Bless their hearts!

      I have also heard of fried grits but have never tried them either, I seriously love to cut up my eggs and bacon and to mix them all through my grits, a little coffee gravy and I'm in heaven, have you ever eaten yours like this?

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    2. Yes except I never had coffee gravy unless thats what red eye gravy is. Ill mix it all in my grits.
      Tell Cindy its a good thing the waitress didnt say “kiss my grits!” Hahaha.

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    3. What I'm calling coffee gravy is pretty much the same as red eye gravy, where ham is used with red eye gravy, bacon drippings and pepper is used for the coffee gravy, I think this was moms answer to red eye gravy when we had no ham.

      I haven't heard "kiss my grits" in a while ha ha.

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  19. After having lived in New York State for most of my life so far, we moved to South Carolina. I was painfully aware of how real old Southerners felt about Yankees when we first moved there. So then I was in Walmart and the cashier asked me, "Where are you from?" I looked at the kid, and wasn't sure how to answer. Had he heard my German accent? Or my "Yankee" accent? I think I said, "Where do you want me to be from?"

    It turned out he asked me because (when I was price-matching the Pepsi) I had said "pop." Ha!

    I don't care for the breakfast grits, but I love me some shrimp and grits!

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    1. Yes there are a lot of old Southern attitudes in South Carolina but for the most part no matter where you are from they always come around and you become part of the family, saying "Pop" will definitely get you a "You ain't from around here are you Honey" where I was raised they even call Pepsi coke unless speaking specifically of the brand.

      I tell you what, you really can't go wrong with shrimp and grits, they are more prevalent in low country or coastal South Carolina but this Upstate Carolina boy will have a bowl with you any day.

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  20. Well, Jimmy, I'll say that you don't blog like you're from California either :). Bless her heart - ha! P.S. I'm no fan of grits either.

    Many people from the small town in Colorado where I grew up have a distinct accent. I don't think that I personally have it, but I can hear it from a mile away.

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    1. Hey Abby, I bet that I blog just like I sound ha ha.

      Isn't it funny how different accents go with particular areas, like you I don't hear my own accent...that is unless my voice is recorded, then I don't really think that is me that I hear.

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  21. I am from the northern part of country (Pakistan) where language is different one people speak here in southern part of country ,
    I was 20 when i got married and came here to live and it has been 25 years i am living here and still i face such questions " where are you from" sometimes it is irritating specially when i speak local language as fluent as i am from here (says hubby) .

    this is amusing how people in the restaurant reacted when Cindy said she is not from there '

    what upsets me "doe's it matter"?

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    1. Baili, You are 100% correct, it really doesn't matter where we are from, what language we speak, or how we sound, we are all the same when it comes right down to it.

      Like you have been living in your area for 25 years and people still can hear your accent, I have been away from my home state since I was 18 and just yesterday I had a lady ask me where I am from.

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  22. I'm from Kentucky, but I'm not fond of grits. I think it's because I've always hated hominy. I'm sure it was because of how my mom boiled every vegetable and bean into mush.

    Speaking of food, do you guys ever eat at Granny's Country Kitchen?

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    1. We have eaten at Granny's Country Kitchen a few times, was a while back but I remember it being good.

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