Curried Grits with Greens 2 Tbsp. olive or grapeseed oil, divided 1/2 onion, diced 1/2 tsp. salt 1 cup grits (Hominy or yellow cornmeal will work fine, but Cote prefers yellow cornmeal.) 2 cups water 1/2 cup coconut milk 2 tsp. red curry paste 1 tsp. yellow curry powder 1 large bunch Swiss chard, collards, spinach or other greens, chopped In a sauce pan, heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium-low heat and add onions and salt. Saute onions until caramelized, about 20 minutes. (The longer you cook them, the darker and sweeter they become.) In the same pan with the onion, pour grits in the pan with onions and water and stir. Add water and cook, with the lid on, for 7-9 minutes. Mix in coconut milk, red curry paste and yellow curry powder. In a large saute pan, heat 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat and saute greens for 3-4 minutes (longer for collard greens) until softened. Serve with grits. -- Adapted from a recipe by Sonya Cote, East Side Show Room chef Sun-dried Tomato and Goat Cheese Grits 6 cups vegetable broth 6 Tbsp. butter 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 tsp. salt 1 1/2 cup quick-cooking hominy grits 1 pint heavy cream, divided 1 cup diced drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes 1 cup crumbled soft fresh goat cheese Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter 13-inch by 9-inch glass baking dish. Bring broth, butter, salt and garlic to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in grits and return mixture to boil, whisking occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until grits are thick and almost all broth is absorbed, whisking frequently, about 5 minutes. Whisk in 1 cup cream and simmer 5 minutes, whisking occasionally. Whisk in remaining cream and simmer until very thick, stirring often, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in tomatoes and goat cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining goat cheese over top and bake until cheese softens, about 15 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. Serves 12. -- Sarah Simmons, blogger whose cookbook 'City Grit' is set to come out next year Braised Short Ribs w/ White Cheddar Garlic Grits 10 beef short ribs, about 8 ounces each 2 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup onions, diced 2/3 cup celery, diced 2/3 cup carrots, diced 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 5 1/2 cups beef stock 1/4 cup tomato puree 1 bay leaf 2 cups hominy grits 8 cups chicken stock 2 cups white cheddar, shredded Salt to taste Pepper to taste Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Pat the ribs dry so the meat will brown evenly. Tie a piece of kitchen twine around each rib to hold it together. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet until very hot. Brown the short ribs well on both sides. Transfer the browned short ribs to a braising pan or baking pan. In the skillet, add the onion, celery and carrots to the fat and saute until lightly browned. Stir in flour to make a roux, and cook until roux is browned. Stir in the stock and tomato puree and simmer until the sauce thickens. Add the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the short ribs. Cover and braise in the oven until tender, about 2 hours. Transfer short ribs to a large baking dish or hotel pan for service. Pour the remaining sauce in a glass measuring cup and let sit. Pour off the fat that rises to the top. Taste the sauce and add any salt, pepper or stock to reach desired taste and consistency. For grits, heat chicken stock in a saucepan and slowly stir in grits. Bring mixture to a boil while stirring. Simmer grits, stirring every 5-10 minutes until done, adding more stock if needed to control the thickness. Depending on the coarseness of the grits, this should take between 30 and 45 minutes. Add salt to taste and stir in cheese until melted. -- Monique Carter, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin student and member of G.R.I.T.S. Tips on buying and cooking grits -- Cornmeal comes in three grinds -- fine, medium and coarse -- and the more coarse the grind, the longer it takes to cook. Cornmeal for polenta is often ground more finely than the cornmeal for grits, so it typically cooks faster. 'Quick' or 'instant' grits cook in just a few minutes, and coarse-ground cornmeal can take more than 30 to reach desired consistency. -- Stone-ground cornmeal is more nutritious than steel-ground, but it spoils faster because it contains parts of the germ and hull. Unless the package says 'stone-ground,' the cornmeal is probably steel-ground and will last almost indefinitely if stored in an airtight container in a cool, dry place. Keep stone-ground cornmeal in the refrigerator to extend the shelf life. -- If you specifically want hominy grits, make sure 'hominy cornmeal' is listed in the ingredients. To the chagrin of Southerners, many companies are now marketing yellow cornmeal as 'grits.' -- Addie Broyles Addie Broyles writes for the Austin American-Statesman. E-mail: abroyles@statesman.com. 