Varmint

I generally agree with this, but we have a couple of guests who truly, truly want to do this and enjoy the clean-up. They're very good friends who are always on our "A" list for invitees. I think they enjoy the socialization involved with the clean-up. As hard as I've tried, I can't convince them not to help out. I've stopped trying.

Booyah, JAZ, booyah!! Fortunately, most of our guests are always very appreciative. The one other pet peeve that I have is when I inform folks it's time to sit down for dinner, and 5 minutes later, when I'm ready to serve, all of them are still standing around.

This is a fantastic report. If we were to choose but 2 or 3 cheeses, which ones would you recommend?

How does one get to Arthur Ave from Manhattan, by the way?

bigbear, can't you design us a gully-like pig?

I don't have one, but my in-laws have a commercial Cimbali that is quite nice. That's one of the many reasons I go over there as often as I can.

C'mon, Craig. I need another line cook!

Ugh. You said shrimp paste, kp. Bad memories of concentrated sweat socks are returning.

"For the girl, I make special sauce." The wok boy's promise was my first tip that this was going to be no ordinary egg foo yung, but then, I knew the dame was a sucker for special sauces, if you know what I mean.

Well, here's my menu for this Friday: Antipasti Pizze Siciliane (Sicilian Style Pizza with Various Toppings) Insalata Insalata Verde con Gamberi e Pompelmo (Green Salad with Shrimp and Grapefruit) Primo Arancine con Ragu di Funghi (Rice Ball Croquettes Stuffed with Smoked Mozzarella and Served with a Porcini Mushroom Ragout) Pasta Pasta con Pesci Spada, Melanzana e Menta (Spaghetti with Swordfish, Eggplant, and Mint) Secondo Filetto di Bue all Moda e Zucchine Ripiene (Beef Tenderloin with White Wine and Marsala, Served with Baked Stuffed Zucchini) Dolce Torta di Frutte di Bosco con Gelato di Limone (Mixed Berry Tart with Lemon Gelato) Yes, I'm serving a salad early in the meal, but it's as much a seafood dish as it is a salad. I haven't figured out the wines yet, but I'll take care of it tomorrow.

No, no, no, Katie. You order grits AND toast (assuming biscuits aren't an option). You put the grits on the toast/biscuits, with your eggs and bacon. Instant bite of heaven.

Ah, but there's too much pork for just one fork.

"Gettin' Jiggy with the Piggy" maybe not.

Damn, that sounds good! I do scallops, mushrooms and grits all the time, but that's quite a different approach.

Big Pig Shindig?

Pigstockgatepalooza

I like to put a bit of crust on my grits cakes by dipping them in flour, egg wash, and more flour.

Because I've been a bit too busy of late, I haven't been posting my daily eating diary. However, I do want to say that I'm staying on course. Last night, for example, I had pan roasted wild king salmon and roasted cauliflower, with a banana for dessert. I had a small flank steak sandwich for lunch with about 10 triscuits. Breakfast was a raspberry smoothie. My parents were in town for the weekend, but I managed to exercise and to eat fairly well (including some Ben & Jerry's cashew caramel ice cream). I didn't stuff myself. My pants are getting too big. One of my belts is on its final notch. I have much more energy through the day, particularly in the afternoons. I like this, and I'm hoping that I'll be right around 200 pounds or less by my 40th birthday in late September. Woo hoo!!!!

First, grits and polenta are not the same thing. Polenta is really just coarsely ground cornmeal that has been cooked into a mush. Grits go through a chemical process to separate the hull from the harder bran. Polenta generally has a higher bran content than grits, making them have a bit more "corn" flavor and with a coarser texture. Plus, of course, grits are generally made with white corn and polenta is made with yellow corn. Historians have claimed that grits have been essential for the survival of Southerners for nearly 400 years, starting with the colonists in Jamestown, VA, who were shown how to make grits by the Native Americans. Because of the chemical processing of grits, they have a much longer shelf life than polenta, particularly in the humidity of the South. Shelf life is also why oatmeal isn't nearly as popular in the South. It has been said that many Southerners stayed alive through the Great Depression because of grits. Many people don't like grits, but they'll readily eat polenta. I think that's changing. The late Bill Neal revived an old fisherman's breakfast, making shrimp and grits a Southern cliche. Cheese grits are found in restaurants in the North and South. I eat grits quite frequently. I'll make a pot of grits for dinner, often with cheese and herbs. I'll let the grits sit in the pot over night, and then make fried grits cakes for lunch the next day. With a few sauteed mushrooms, you'll eat very well. I'm looking for ways to use grits for desserts or sweet breakfast dishes. Any ideas? Grits are a versatile flavor carrier. Chipotle chilis, sun dried tomatoes, even truffles work well with grits. What do you do with your grits?

I've added a Pig Pickin' FAQ page that I've pinned and locked that contains links to various pieces of information about the pig pickin'. This seemed to be the more prudent route rather than pinning a bunch of different topics on the forum.

Please post your design ideas for the pig pickin' here. You guys can propose and post designs and let the folks determine which one they like. If we get enough design feedback, I'll create a separate thread for discussions about the t-shirts. All egos must be checked at the log-in screen. Once a design has been decided, you'll need to decide who is to print them. No offense, but I'd prefer that the t-shirts be printed and sold in a manner that doesn't result in a profit for one or two people. I certainly understand that it may cost people lots of money to get here, and for that I'm very appreciative and pleasantly surprised. However, the pig pickin' should not be about profiteering, even in the slightest sense. Finally, any design that incorporates the name "eGullet" or the "Gully" logo would need to be reviewed and approved by Dave the Cook (Dave Scantland), who is the chief design guru for the site.

If ex drives you in his Caddy, that means you must spend time with ex. Go with Fresser. Be free!

Excess?? Tee hee!!!

I'm somewhat reluctant to get into the t-shirt fray, but if it's something y'all want to do, then we need to lay down some ground rules. First, it seems that many different people want to be involved in the design and printing of a shirt. As a result, we'll be dealing with subjective (whether an individual likes someone's particular design) and objective (its cost and size availabilities) issues. We have plenty of time to figure things out, and I really don't want to take an active role with this. You guys can propose and post designs and let the folks determine which one they like. If we get enough design feedback, I'll create a separate thread for discussions about the t-shirts. All egos must be checked at the log-in screen. Once a design has been decided, you'll need to decide who is to print them. No offense, but I'd prefer that the t-shirts be printed and sold in a manner that doesn't result in a profit for one or two people. I certainly understand that it may cost people lots of money to get here, and for that I'm very appreciative and pleasantly surprised. However, the pig pickin' should not be about profiteering, even in the slightest sense. Finally, any design that incorporates the name "eGullet" or the "Gully" logo would need to be reviewed and approved by Dave the Cook (Dave Scantland), who is the chief design guru for the site. Thanks!

Chris, I'd certainly be happy to steer you in the right direction regarding NC Barbecue. However, you certainly should visit SC if you have the opportunity. You can get a pretty good feel about what NC barbecue is all about by hitting a few Eastern Carolina places, one or two in the dividing line, and then a handful of Western style joints. That can be done pretty easily in two days. Mitchells, Wilbers, and the Skylight Inn are good Eastern style representatives. Try Allen and Son just north of Chapel Hill for their desserts and their barbecue. Lexington #1 (aka Honey Monks), Cooks Barbecue, Bridges in Shelby. That's a pretty good start. There are a ton of NC places, and if you read the Garner books, you'll get all the info you need.