Perfume of Life > Great Food Products From Small Growers And Producers

Morticia Addams

Jul 21 2008, 06:17 PM

DH always treats me after taking me to the doctor. It's a fun way for us both to relax together. On the way to dine at a seafood place on 11th St named Six Feet Under I spotted a specialty foods market I'd read about and never visited. Star Provisions is a lovely shop full of unique kitchen and dining items as well as a charcuterie, fine cheeses and fish. Oh, I could've spend a couple of hundred easily if I had it.

Instead I treated myself to a jar of Lusty Monk Original Sin Mustard. The clerk gave us a little taste and we were sold. It was a revelation to have fresh tasting mustard which was bright, sharp and fruity.

I also decided to treat myself to some Anson Mills antebellum grits and Carolina rice to see if there 'all that.' When I was growing up we used to buy cornmeal and grits from a real mill which was by Stone Mountain. The stoneground grits were far better than the grocery store brands which always taste old. They never go stale because they start out stale, sad to say, being heat processed. I'll report to you how the grits come out. There's a grits and greens recipe on the Anson Mills site I'm eager to test.

Anson Mills products

Catherine Fraser

Jul 24 2008, 09:28 PM

I also find that smaller venues have single serving sizes more often. For pantry or refrigerated items you have less waste and better quality; that's a huge personal and environmental saving.

Olfacta

Aug 12 2008, 08:23 AM

QUOTE (Morticia Addams @ Jul 21 2008, 06:17 PM)

DH always treats me after taking me to the doctor. It's a fun way for us both to relax together. On the way to dine at a seafood place on 11th St named Six Feet Under I spotted a specialty foods market I'd read about and never visited. Star Provisions is a lovely shop full of unique kitchen and dining items as well as a charcuterie, fine cheeses and fish. Oh, I could've spend a couple of hundred easily if I had it.

Instead I treated myself to a jar of Lusty Monk Original Sin Mustard. The clerk gave us a little taste and we were sold. It was a revelation to have fresh tasting mustard which was bright, sharp and fruity.

I also decided to treat myself to some Anson Mills antebellum grits and Carolina rice to see if there 'all that.' When I was growing up we used to buy cornmeal and grits from a real mill which was by Stone Mountain. The stoneground grits were far better than the grocery store brands which always taste old. They never go stale because they start out stale, sad to say, being heat processed. I'll report to you how the grits come out. There's a grits and greens recipe on the Anson Mills site I'm eager to test.

Anson Mills products

Decloaking -- I live in Atlanta also. And Star Provisions is one of those little places where you walk in and think, "I must be in heaven, man!" They have excellent, well, everything, but we go there for real Spanish serrano ham.

I have found those stone-ground grits to be a little problematic. You have to cook them and cook them and cook them and cook them and cook them. I imagine that a crockpot would be best. That said, they're delicious, and you'll never want Uncle Ben's Instant Grits again. Of course, you have to be really Southern to even imagine eating grits, in most cases. And then there's the Acid Test, buttermilk.

Morticia Addams

Aug 16 2008, 02:33 PM

Well, I have prepared those $3.50 for less than a lb grits. Starting at 11pm last night I soaked. Those suckers soaked. I spent over an hour stirring trying to keep the glop from burning. Yet the grits were never 'done.' And unlike Aunt jemima, Quaker Oats, whatever grits you can name, the rsult wasn't delicate and slightly creamy. I call Anson Mills grits glue-y corn porridge. DH said those grits are basically 'wet popcorn'. DH is now tossing the mess out of the pot.

Those grits aren't the same as we used to eat when i was growing up. Ours may have been stoneground, but they were fine milled and cooked to consistency.

My summation: there's a good reason Quaker Oats has a billion dollar business and Anson Mills doesn't. Progress is GOOD. And often the products are superiour to those from antebellum days. In fact a LOT of things today beat the H** out of antebellum days.

The Carolina Gold rice? Nothing to write home about. Any long grain rice grown in America, such as Blue Ribbon is as good, and certainly easier to cook!