Are you a GRITS Girl, you know, a Girl Raised in the South? If so, you need no primer on how to cook grits. It's in your DNA and there's no changing your mind, it's fixed and fabulous. But for the rest of us, read on ...

My friend Lisa from My Own Sweet Thyme is a GRITS Girl and many years ago, she introduced me, a GRITN Girl, to grits. I was less than impressed but since she's a Girl with Grit as well as a GRITS, she's still trying.

But leave it to another GRITN Girl to raise a north-pointing antenna to grits -- just check out the Grits with Corn & Green Onions from Simply Recipes. My friend Linda -- a New Mexico gal transplanted to the Midwest -- has made Elise's grits a few times in the past month: I hear the moans of pleasure from several miles away, her husband reports, "I can't believe you got me to eat grits. These are wonderful."

So what do the GRITS Girls have to say about cooking grits?

"Growing up in the south I frequently saw them served for breakfast, scooped on a plate with a pat of butter on top. I must confess, I didn’t like them then. Served plain, they have no more pizzazz than oatmeal or cream of wheat. Also, most often white grits were served and, in my opinion, yellow grits have a bit more to offer in terms of color and texture on a plate. Yellow grits are also known as polenta, and polenta sounds trendy and more desirable than grits, so if your friends are opposed to eating grits and give you that 'grits face' tell them you are serving polenta and, while that might not inspire enthusiasm, it is less likely to invite a sour look." ~ read more and get Lisa's recipe for Cheese Grits Casserole from My Own Sweet Thyme

"What can I say about the creamy grits? Nothing other than I knew they were going to be wonderful before I even added the 1/2 stick of sweet cream butter and heavy cream. Sometimes when stirring you can just tell that the food is going to turn out better than ever. This was one of those nights." ~ read Braised-Pork Hash, Creamy Grits & Freezer Pickles from A Yankee in a Southern Kitchen

"Of course, if you don't dig grits you might not care for this. But around here - the South, of course - grits are a mainstay. And I've always liked mine mixed with ground sausage or cut bacon - lardons, if you will. (Yes, I know a few things about food. Ha.)" ~ read Southern Grits Casserole from Confabulation in the Kitchen

"I did not grow up in a grit-eating family. I’d beg and beg my mother to make grits, but she’d always say, 'We don’t eat grits in this family. Now go eat your porridge.' ... And so when we took a family vacation to New Orleans to see the King Tut exhibit back in the 70s, I was in heaven. Every menu had grits and I finally could eat this forbidden food with the fantastic name. (Just say the word to yourself, “Grits, grits, grits.” You can’t help but fall into a twang.) And what did I discover in New Orleans? Grits are gooooooood. They’re creamy with just a hint of texture to keep it interesting. And they’re a marvelous vehicle for butter. I was hooked." ~ read Jalapeño cheese grits from Homesick Texan

Are you a GRITN Girl or a GRITS Girl? And what do you think of grits? Have you made them? (Link to your recipe!) Are grits for breakfast or a supper food? White or yellow? What do you do with leftover grits? (The Homesick Texan replies, "Leftover grits? Surely you jest.")

BlogHer food editor Alanna Kellogg has yet to cook grits but her Cheese Gnocchi Pie comes close.