Corn Dogs & Grits

I first encountered grits whilst on holiday in North Carolina some years ago now. My opinion of them then was that they were a pretty grim way to eat corn. The consistency was grey and soupy - the taste was all but non-existent. Interestingly, on my return to the USA I find them exactly the same. A little thicker, perhaps, but essentially the same mixture of promise and disappointment. I think, perhaps, these southern delights should remain with those who created them. Thank goodness there are people out there who truly love them. Otherwise they might die out completely.

Corn Dogs are a completely different matter. I haven't tried these at all. The reason for this is not that I have not had the opportunity, but more to do with the fact that I simply do not like Corn Bread that much. This, in turn, unpacks a deal of misunderstanding which I will endeavour to explain.

A Corn Dog, caringly eaten by stunt operatives just moments later.

I was under the impression that Corn Bread was a kind of bread, made with a high corn content - but nevertheless standard bread which one might comfortably slice, butter and eat with jam, marmite or perhaps peanut butter. Such is NOT the case. The stuff referred to as "Cornbread" here, is actually a tray of 2" thick cake made with corn as the primary ingredient. Corn Muffins are exactly that as well - Muffins (Buns) made with Corn as the primary ingredient. If they are fresh and hot, they taste great with just butter, or with preserves (Jam). The thing you need to understand is that that consistency is crumbly like a cake, not stretchy like bread. There is no yeast involved, the raising is done with baking powder.

I have tasted corn bread, and some of it I like a little, some of it I do not really care for. Generally speaking, the coarser the grind of the corn used, the less I like it. This, in stark contrast the bread I once got from a bakery in Newark, Nottinghamshire, England, UK - which was conventional yeast-driven bread, but made with a high corn-content in the flour. This english "Corn-Bread" was utterly delicious and I would love to repeat my ingestion of it whenever possible.

So, to return to the subject in hand, it seemed pointless to waste a good Corn Dog, because it is essentially a hot dog, wrapped in American cornbread, battered and then deep fried, and then frozen and then thawed and then microwaved. Now Noah, here, loves the things - he can barely get enough of them - and good luck to him. I would, in truth, quite like a bite, I just don't want to waste a whole one. Maybe I will be brave one day and promise to eat a whole one no matter what. We'll see. I'm afraid I would mention it here if I did. You know I would...

Comments

[Liz Curtis]

Now I had corn bread in Kentucky that was quite bread like and really nice. Maybe it differs from state to state.

[Jac]

That just looks wrong on so many levels.

[Jac]

PS - Please may we have some pictures of the landscape? I am enjoying the foodaholic ones, truly - but I'd like a sense of place too:-)

[Jason]

Oh Jac you have completely misunderstood. Andy didn't go to America to look at trees or pretty lakes or majestic mountain ranges or even interesting towns, villages, people or places. He went to do what the greatest adventurers have always done - eat all he could, then leave the country an empty wasteland of dirty plates and discarded food wrappers. He gets my wholehearted support, and I hope he doesn't take a single photograph of a flower or jawdropping coastline or awe inspiringly beautiful river at sunset.

[Barry]

Andy I wonder what that cornbread would be like with some Barry juice on?

P.S. I would like to see a couple of photo's of your surrounding's too Please

[Rebecca]

Honestly, you lot....Andy, I am just grateful for your communication and if its only food that interests you on this sabatical, then so be it and we just need to look on map don't we, I mean its not that big a place is it?

[Sandy]

Mmmm, corndogs... They're delicious.