Part 2, Bountiful Birmingham, by Merle Exit

 Dried organic white, yellow and blue corn kernels are delivered to McEwen & Sons and ground using a stone gristmill. Corn meal is ground the finest and resembles the closest to be a corn flour.  Grits and polenta can be argued to be about the same, depending upon whether you’re from the South of the US or Italy.  I am still experimenting to see if I can hit upon a texture or taste difference.  

I’m not one for obeying recipes.  I look at them for the contents and a sense of some proportion of ingredients.  For instance, I decided to make pancakes with corn meal.  Took about a quarter cup and combined it with a large egg, some milk to make it less thick, olive oil, sugar (rather than my having to put maple syrup atop) and almond extract. Olive oil in the pan…one large pancake, served with a few thin pats of butter. Tasted great.

Then there was the blue grits that I sort of followed directions for. If they were getting too thick while cooking, I threw in a bit of milk.  I used the grits once as a hot cereal and took the leftovers, fried it up with an egg, sugar and orange extract.  Let it cool and had it as a dessert.

If you don’t want to experiment or goof at recipes the way I do, here is one (given by permission) from Susan McEwen McIntosh’s recent book, Glorious Grits, published by OxMoor House.

It’s a good thing that none of us were allergic to peanuts as we visited the Peanut Depot and got the inside information on how the peanuts are roasted and sometimes boiled. Old fashioned roasters and tour open to the public. 

Would you believe that it’s time for lunch? It’s the answer to the soup nazi here at Niki’s West, a fast paced cafeteria. Know what you want before getting on the line. Pause too long and they just yell, “Next”.  I chowed down on Southern cooking with fried chicken, creamed corn, 7-layer salad, fried okra and sweet potato pie.  

A break in the action gave me time to host my radio show, Whirl With Merle on www.blogtalkradio.com. A short rest and it’s time to eat again.

This particular dinner turned out to be my best dining experience of the tour. Hot and Hot Fish Club owned by Idie and her chef husband Chris Hastings. I thought we’d be running into spicy food considering the name.  Nope. Due to what I ordered and tasting others food, here is what I sampled: Kiefer Pear and bitter green salad with chestnuts, sweet grass dairy goat cheese and sherry vinaigrette; Hot and Hot tomato salad with Applewood smoked bacon, fresh peas, corn, fried okra and chive aioli; shrimp and avocado salad with Carolina gold rice, green goddess dressing and cherry tomatoes; roasted young chicken on Anson Mills Grits with muscadines and scuppernogs; seared Yellowfin tuna and Mississippi white shrimp with rice noodles, wild ginger, tatsoi and lemon grass broth; Elton’s chocolate soufflé with crème anglaise and whipped cream.  When asked if I wanted coffee I said, “No thanks. I’m on a diet”.  

 After a buffet breakfast at the hotel, I had a fabulous facial at their spa. Age, stress, hormones…who knows what contributes to a bit of rosacea. I just felt layers of stuff going on and off my face and looking much better afterwards. As for my body, I might just as well have Velcro-d the food to my hips.  Hey, fifteen minutes have passed and I’m feeling a little weak. Pass the popcorn!

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Photo Credits: USA Travel Magazine & Merle Exit

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