Grits are an American tradition

It's not just a southern dish. Eating grits is an American tradition. When the first colonists set foot in the new world, they found the natives of the eastern coast eating mush or "maize." Corn and its derivatives--grits and hominy--became frontier staples.

The low country of South Carolina took the dish a step further by adding shrimp from their shellfish catches. Shrimp and grits evolved as a mainstay on breakfast tables and, in 1976, was named the State Food of South Carolina.

It is rumored that the practice of hulling the corn before boiling encouraged Daniel Decatur Emmett, to pen the old folk ballad, "The Blue Tail Fly". Others believe that slaves who were cracking "corn while master's gone away" had a whole different idea of the end product: corn whiskey.

Recently, bistros along the Southeastern Coast have added cheese to make the recipe a full-bodied entr?e.

Cheesy Grits and Shrimp

3 14-oz. cans of chicken broth

1 1/3 cups of instantgrits

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1/2teaspoon of salt

2 tablespoons of butter, melted

1 8oz. package of garlic herb cream cheese spread, softened

1 tablespoon half-and-half

1/2cup grated asiago cheese

2teaspoons of chopped chives

1/2 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp, cut into 1/2Ðinch pieces

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 2-ounce jar of pimentos

Bring the chicken broth to boil, stir in grits and boil for one minute. Cover and reduce heat. Stir in the half-and-half, pimentos and salt.

Saute shrimp, chives and butter for 5 minutes. Place the grits mixture in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and spread the herb cream cheese on it.

Pour the cooked shrimp mixture over the top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes or until the top browns.