Bob Brown

On the grits issue, lets hold up on that one. Not every Southerner eats grits on a regular basis. Although I was born in California (Dad was a Stanford Ph. D. student.), I grew up a Southerner and have lived in Georgia for the past 33 years.
AND I rarely eat grits!!!! In the last 15 years the only grits I have had are Savannah style grits served with grilled salmon as a delicacy at a local restaurant. And that type of grits is/are so well prepared that most run-of-the-mill grits eaters might not know what they are.
And another item I do not eat at all is hominy. And I haven't knowingly eaten a piece of bacon or sausage in 25 years.

dan woodlief

I have tried grits maybe three times, and only once did I find them very palatable. Maybe its because my family didn't eat them when I was growing up. Actually, sometimes you can be surprised on the tea issue. Some parts of Tennessee (Oak Ridge for example) seem to serve mostly unsweetened. A lot of restaurants around here (central NC) will serve sweetened as a matter of course unless you ask for unsweetened. Others will ask you which you would like. For your information Tony, in the North Carolina Mountains, there is an annual competition called the Highland Games. Members of Scottish clans gather for athletic competitions, traditional dancing, etc. It's in July. The website is www.gmhg.org. I see they have Scottish country dancing. Maybe you should stop by sometime.

Isn't Hoggly Woggly just a large Piggly Wiggly? Sort of a Super K-Mart thing?Just a joke.

Bob Brown

Back to the grits issue. My uncles lived on a farm and I worked there some as a boy. We ate grits daily for breakfast, but mainly because they were cheap and filling before going out to work in the fields. My uncles would eat them with fried eggs, ham, sausage, syrup, butter, and about anything else handy. Even if bland, they were superior to an empty stomach.

Bill Irving

M&J:
Still plenty of cheese curds made. Go to the Farmer's Market on any Saturday in Madison, WI & all the cheese makers there have them (in white or yellow)as well as all the other cheeses. You can usually eat a bag of curds before you get around the whole market.(This is one of the best Farmer's Markets Ihave ever been to - in both size & diversity.) If you like the fried cheese curds - try them at Krohl's restaurant/bar across from Lambeau field, in Green Bay.

Ann

Am I the only person who considers GooGoo Clusters to be a regional treat? I'd never heard of them, let alone sampled one, before a trip to Tennessee. Now our friend in TN ships them to us for the holidays, if we're lucky! Are they only available in Tennessee, or can you get them further afield? Still haven't tried a mooonpie.

martha python

The Vermont Country Store sells Goo-Goo Clusters.

dan woodlief

Many years ago, I bought Goo-Goo Clusters ice cream at a grocery here in NC, and the clerk asked me about my children. Well, I had to admit that I didn't have any. It was pretty good too.

jean

Ann, I've seen goo-goo clusters in grocery stores and drug stores all over Alabama and Florida.

Frank

I have to agree with Bob about the grits thing. I'm from California, and commuted for work to Alabama for the better part of two years. I noticed a lot of older (elderly?) people eating grits at breakfast, but most of the locals I worked with claimed to hate them. Anyway, my impression is that it's more of a traditional thing. I, on the other hand, ate a LOT of grits when I was down there--must be because of all the cream-of-wheat my mother made me eat when I was a kid.

Southern food was wonderful, but you've got to pace yourself.

M&J

Hey, Bill Irving:
Cheese curds and grits.
Been living in the south since '71 and whenever I head back home to Wisconsin, the curds are the top of list. Well, after almond kringle and brats !
First time I ever saw grits was in '71 in Columbus, Georgia--I thought they were creme of wheat !

lisa

Shrimp 'n grits...mmmmm....

Polly

And catfish and grits....MMMMMMMM!

Tony Hughes

And on that whiskery thought I'm off to bed.

Bob Brown

Tony: There is are a few foods that you must try if you are going to the South:
Honey Roasted Pecans
Honey Roasted Peanuts
Watermelon
Fresh Peaches
Figs (if any are ripe)
Corn on the Cob
Sweet Potatoes
Okra -- fried or boiled, preferably boiled
Many years ago my father, who was a professor of chemistry, brought over on full scholarship a Scottish graduate student from St. Andrews by the name of Kenneth Mitchell. (Kenneth and my dad were doing research on ethyl hydrazine at the time.) My mother, being the perfect hostess of the refined, genteel type, invited Kenneth to dinner on more than one occasion. Kenneth initially arrived in the fall, so fresh corn was not available. But when spring rolled around, Kenneth came to our house one day for Sunday dinner when my mom served corn on the cob. I think poor Kenneth was jolted beyond belief when this petite Southern lady of impeccable manners, grabbed hold of an ear of corn with her bare hands, smeared on some butter, and began chomping away with gusto.
To this day, I think Kenneth thought it was some kind of pagan ritual of a most barbaric nature. Corn on the cob must be eaten with the requisite amount of butter, salt, and pepper to be good. And the corn must be fresh; otherwise, it is about what a horse eats. I will admit that eating corn off of the cob leads one to violate most of the rules of decorous dining, but what the heck, it is about the only way you can eat the stuff. As children we liked it because we could eat it without being scolded for poor table manners.

Susan

There seems to be this interesting North Carolina - Wisconsin sub-text going on....thought I'd add my two cents, with roots in both places.

Moonpies are definately good - only if you eat the chocolate ones, and cook them for 12 seconds in the microwave. (Be sure and remove the plastic wrapper first!)

However, Cow Pies (made in Baraboo, WI) are definately better. Made from chocolate, caramel and pecans - about 3 inches across. Resemble something like "turtle" candies, but definately look like their namesakes. They are definately more popular for visitors to Madison to take home as souveniers than kringles, brats or cheese curds!

Tony, looking forward to reading about your 3 month adventure in 2001.

Susan

Bob Brown

Tony! South of the Ohio River, and east of the Mississippi, don't ask for a cow pie. We have a somewhat different interpretation of the term down here.
It may be something to eat in Wisconsin; down here it is something that has already been eaten.

A Vernon

Goo Goo Clusters are available in North Dakota, but my Kansas-native spouse still longs for Cherry Mash candy.

A local candy maker also sells a version of a "cowpie" -- like a turtle only better. The real treat in our city is "CHIPPERS" -- chocolate-covered potato chips. Incredible!!

Have my first Moonpie a few weeks ago and was very disappointed (didn't know that part about the microwave). I can imagine that they were good way-back-when, but the chocolate was really cheap and waxy. (Sorry folks!)

cp

Lord Tony, look what you've started now.

Don't believe these folks when they tell you cow chips or cow pies is good eatin'.

I don't care HOW much it looks like a "turtle" candy....

Frito Pie, for those who are wondering, is a snack size bag of Fritos, slit up one of the sides with hot, beanless, meat chile ladled in on top of the Fritos, and a small pile of grated cheddar cheese on top.

Bob Brown

Just for the record, I don't like today's Moonpies either. In 1950 they might have been better than they are now. There is no way to compare. As a boy we liked the size because we wanted something big to eat.
But right now the product tastes cheap and I agree with the wax comment.

Lani

Tony,

You will only occasionally find a MoonPie now that tastes soft and fresh and dreamy like when I was eight! I think it must be the day after they leave the bakery. After that, they do taste a little waxy and need to be zapped in the microwave for a few seconds to be appreciated.

I'm in central N.C. Everyone definitely doesn't eat grits. I didn't growing up, although I love them now, the real slow-cooked grits made with cream and chicken broth, with a pool of butter floating on top. My hubby serves them with grilled salmon - to die for! Also heavenly with a couple of fried eggs on top! So do indulge when you're here! Even trying them at Cracker Barrel Restaurant with added butter will give you a good idea of what they can be.

And did you know Southern Sweet Iced Tea is served in Heaven, and that there is a secret to it? It's NOT just iced tea that's been sweetened!

Have a great trip, Tony!

Lani