Cooking: Shrimp and Grits

The very first time I ate shrimp and grits was at art camp at Arrowmont in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. I really liked it and vowed to cook it at least once I was back home. Cue to a year ago, I crisped the bacon, reserved it for topping all the while boiling the polenta and then adding the butter and cheese. Finally I sautéed the garlic and shrimp in the bacon fat and removed, reserving it for topping the polenta. Finally I poured the polenta into the pan and then topped the grits with the bacon and shrimp and chopped scallions and parsley. I could not repeat that success. Plating-wise, my shrimp and grits looked a hot mess. Last time I cooked and presented it in my dad's cast iron to rave reviews from my friend, Julie.

Like I said, my dish looked so inelegant and muddy rather than bright yellow, studded with pops of green and red and pink. I've a cup of polenta left and likely won't cook shrimp and grits for another year--it's so rich that it's more like a biannual dish rather than a meal in regular rotation.

And so now I'm pondering on what else to do with the small amount of polenta that's left in my pantry.