There are small, local area mills all over the south that have a long history of grinding corn into grits, cornmeal and corn flour for making all the traditional southern dishes that so many of us grew up enjoying. But if you don’t live close to one of those mills, or have moved away from the south, you may not have easy access to a source for stone-ground or cold-milled grits. If that is the case, here’s a list of purveyors of traditional, whole kernel, stone-ground grits from a variety of southern sources. Bradley’s is the mill in Tallahassee where I grew up and I love their grits. I’ve also tried several of the others on this list. You won’t go wrong with any of them, though you may find differences in the taste of the grits due to the corn used (all of these I believe are using old-fashioned “dent corn”, or a non-GMO variety) or the particular type of grind that the mill produces. You want to make sure you buy grits where the germ has not be removed from the kernel before grinding. This will require you to keep the grits in the freezer or fridge to prevent them going rancid, unless you quickly eat your way through a small bag of grits (which isn’t hard to do, by the way).

Anson Mills (SC)
http://www.ansonmills.com

Old Mill of Guilford (NC)
https://oldmillofguilford.com

Beaverdam Creek Mill (TN)
https://www.beaverdamcreekfarm.com/

Carolina Plantation (SC)
https://www.carolinaplantationrice.com

Weisenberger Mill (KY)
https://www.weisenberger.com

Palmetto Farms (SC)
https://palmettofarms.com

Geechie Boy Mill (SC)
https://geechieboymill.com

Old School Mill (NC)
https://oldschool.com

Bradley’s Country Store (FL)
http://www.bradleyscountrystore.com

Barkley’s Mill (NC)
https://www.barkleysmill.com

Woodson’s Mill (VA)
https://woodsonsmill.com

The Old Mill (TN)
http://www.old-mill.com

Atkinson Milling Company (NC)
http://atkinsonmilling.com

Here is my personal chili recipe, for those that requested it:

1 1/2 pd. ground beef – use 80/20 or 85/15, but no leaner 

1 large white onion, diced

4-5 large cloves of garlic, peeled and finely minced or put through a garlic crusher

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 28oz can diced tomatoes

1 14 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained

1 14 oz can light red kidney beans, drained

3-4 tablespoons McCormick chili powder

2-3 tsp salt

ground black pepper to taste 

1 Tbsp Lowry season salt

1 tsp ground cumin

Brown the beef over medium high heat for several minutes, breaking up as it cooks.  When no longer pink, add diced onion and minced garlic and sauté until fragrant and onion becomes soft.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  It should taste good to you.  Dump into the bottom of crock pot.

Add all of the remaining ingredients, stir well, cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.

If you use a different chili powder, you’re on your own figuring how much is enough, as various brands differ wildly in how hot they are and what other spices they contain.

You can substitute your own preference for beans.  Add more or less.  Try black beans, garbanzo beans or white kidney beans.  Or some other combo.

You can also add diced bell peppers, canned chipotle chilis, fresh minced chilis that you like, or juj it up however you like.  I usually don’t bother.

If you aren’t using a crock pot, simmer it on top of the stove for 2-3 hours.

 

 

I used to make this until I either lost or threw out the magazine that had the recipe.  Luckily, someone on the internet had re-typed it in response to someone’s question about best recipes for the disk.  This is my “go-to” recipe for this heavenly creation.

Source:  http://www.chowhound.com/post/turkey-tetrazzini-americas-test-kitchen-463386

I know this isn’t what you asked for, but I had to share.
This recipe ran in Saveur magazine in 1997. It is a staple in our house. I think we look forward to it more than the bird itself. it is rich delicious and has none of those green vegetable things.

“This creamy noodle dish, named for Italian coloratura Luisa Tetrazzini (1871-1940), is said to have originated in San Francisco. Whether it was first made with turkey or with chicken is debated, however. This is Anne Jaindl’s recipe.

1/2 pound wide egg noodles (like pappardelle, the name, appropriately, derives from the verb “pappare,” to gobble up.)
8 tablespoons butter (plus more for baking dish)
1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
6 tablespoons flour
salt, freshly ground pepper
3 cups turkey stock, warmed
1-1/3 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup dry sherry
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
3 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until just tender. Drain and set aside
2. Preheat oven to 375℉. Melt 2 tbs. butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add mushrooms and saute until lightly browned, 3-5 minutes. Add turkey and remove from pan, set aside.
3. Melt remaining 6 tbs. better in same skillet over medium low heat. Sprinkle with flour, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Then gradually add stock, whisking constantly. Increase heat to medium and simmer until sauce thickens, about 7 minutes. Add cream, sherry and nutmeg, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Place noodles in a lightly buttered medium baking dish (about 9” X 12”). Spoon turkey and mushrooms over noodles, top with sauce and sprinkle with cheese. Bake in oven until sauce is bubbly, about 30 minutes. Heat broiler and brown for 3-5 minutes. Serve warm.”

 

For those of you in the Twin Cities, you may be interested in a new Asian buffet. It is on the south frontage road of 394 between Louisiana and Xenia. We have been watching the construction for several weeks, wondering when they would open for business. Apparently that happened last week. After reading several encouraging reviews on Yelp last night, we decided to try it for dinner tonight. The verdict? Delicious and surprising, in a good way!

We loved the decor, though just a tad on the bright side for me – but at least you can see what you are eating. I love the koi ponds at the front and it’s quite tastefully done for a buffet.

The roast duck alone is worth the price of admission in my opinion. I had three servings. The shrimp in coconut sauce was very good, and there were lots of various seafood dishes I did not try but really wanted to. The short ribs were tender and ginger-loaded, a nice twist. The fried cod was most surprising of all. Very lightly seasoned and perfectly cooked. I wanted to try several of the steamed or fried fish dishes, as well as the crab claws, the crawfish and more of the shrimp dishes. I enjoyed the dumplings and dim sum that I tried, though the hot and sour soup needed to be more of both. The sushi was plentiful, very fresh, and quite good for a buffet, though I have had better. But for the price, what can you honestly expect. Harald quite liked the Mongolian BBQ station, though you need to be patient on a busy night.

Actually, a busy night is probably the best night to go as the food is served and replenished frequently. The table service was courteous, attentive without any unnecessary hovering, and accommodating.

And best of all, kids under 3 eat free. We will definitely be going back soon. The fresh fruit selection was an attraction for Juliette as well.

I would highly recommend it. I haven’t been to a good Asian buffet since the last time I was in south Florida, and it is high time we got one here in Minneapolis. Actually, it’s in St. Louis Park, but close enough.