Here's another take on cornmeal, grits and hominy grits. Cornmeal = ground corn. Grits = corn ground a little courser than cornmeal and cooked like cornmeal mush. Hominy grits = ground hominy cooked like cornmeal mush. Confusingly, hominy grits are often (usually?) referred to simply "grits". If that isn't confusing enough, there is also corn flour, masa harina (hominy ground fine as flour), fresh masa, polenta, etc. There is much debate (not just here) over the meaning of the names and the correct or tastiest way to prepare each of these. I have my own strong preferences and am still experimenting and learning. Feel free to correct me. Can we at least agree that it's all corn? Jim

I must confess to not liking grits much...or at least I think I don't. I only had them once while in Florida many moons ago and swear they tasted like wallpaper paste. However I do like polenta so maybe it was just a very bad order of grits. It was at an IHOP so maybe thats a clue ! LOL Tyler cooked this recipe on his "Ultimate" show the other day and it looked awesome. Even this Canadian gal thinks she could manage to enjoy this dish! PS: patti LOL on your looking for a hot crap dip!! Thanks for a much needed giggle! Here is a link that might be useful: Tyler's Shrimp and Grits

oh Glenda, where are you. Girl this was a wonderful recipe. We had it for brunch today and had several friends over. I doubled the recipe, could have tripled it. Nothing left over. Thank you for another great recipe. It turned out perfect.

I've posted this recipe a few times, but it always comes to mind for a delicious make ahead. I take it to our Christmas celebration where Prime Rib is served and also at Thanksgiving with turkey. I do everything ahead, keep all the ingredients separate from each other and just toss together about 5-10 min before dinner. You can do all a day or two beforehand, just don't bloom the onion until the morning of, so it doesn't get too soft. It is always a BIG hit. Michael Chiarello's Winter Panzanella Salad Ingredients For the croutons: 1/4 cup unsalted butter 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme 6 cups day-old bread, crust removed, cubed 6 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan, plus more for garnish Salt and freshly ground black pepper For the salad: 1 small red onion, sliced thinly lengthwise 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar Gray salt 4 cups peeled, seeded, and diced butternut squash (1/2-inch dice) 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 pound Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed, then quartered 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves Directions Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter in a large skillet over moderate heat and cook until it foams. Add the garlic and thyme, and immediately add the bread cubes. Toss to coat well. Add most of the grated cheese and stir. Transfer bread to a baking sheet and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and salt and pepper and gently toss again while still warm to melt the cheese. Bake stirring once or twice, until the croutons are crisp and lightly colored on the outside but still soft within, about 10 to 15 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Soak the sliced onion in the sherry vinegar and a pinch of salt for about 15 minutes. Set aside. Toss the squash with 1 1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sage, salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake until the squash is tender and lightly caramelized, about 15 to minutes. Let cool. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the quartered Brussels sprouts and cook until tender but retain a touch of crispness, about 1 1/2 minutes, and drain. Into the reserved red onions and vinegar, whisk in remaining 1/2 cup olive oil. Season with pepper. In a large bowl combine the roasted squash, croutons, and Brussels sprouts. Add the vinaigrette and toss. Add the parsley leaves and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with grated Parmesan and serve immediately. Chef note: "Soaking the onion briefly in sherry vinegar--sometimes called blooming the onion--mellows the raw onion taste." Olychick note: I use artisan white bread..I prefer ciabatta; it's a lot of crust to trim, but love the texture for this salad. I poke a couple of holes in the butternut and microwave for 3 or 4 min, let cool then peel and chop. Makes it so much easier to cut and to peel.