I'm probably the only board member with a copy of Food Lover's Companion at hand, so here goes:
SCRAPPLE: The name of this Pennsylvania Dutch dish is derived from the finely chopped "scraps" of cooked pork that are mixed with fine-ground cornmeal, pork broth and seasonings before being cooked into a mush. The mush is packed into loaf pans and cooled. Slices of the scrapple are cut from the loaves, fried in butter and served hot, usually for breakfast or brunch.
GRITS: Though it's now commonly used to mean "hominy grits," the term "grits" actually refers to any coarsely ground grain such as corn, oats, or rice. Most grits come in a choice of grinds - coarse, medium and fine. Grits can be cooked with water or milk - usually by boiling or baking - and eaten as hot cereal or seved as a side dish.
Which leads us to...
HOMINY: One of the first food gifts the American Indians gave [to the colonists, hominy is dried white or yellow corn kernels from which the hull and germ have been removed. ...Hominy is sold canned, ready-to-eat or dried (which must be reconstituted before using. It is commonly served as a side dish or as part of a casserole. ... When ground, it is called hominy grits, or simply grits. ... Hominy grits are generally simmered with water or milk until very thick. The mixture can be served in this mushlike form or chilled, cut into squares and fried.
Rough translation: think of grits as polenta with soul.
CORNED BEEF: Beef (usually brisket, but also round) cured in a seasoned brine. The term "corned" beef comes from the English use of the word "corn," meaning any small particle, such as a grain of salt.
HASH: A dish of finely chopped meat (roast beef and corned beef are the most common) usually fired together until lightly browned. Other chopped vegetables, such as green pepper, celery and onion, can be added. Hash is sometimes served with gravy or sauce.
Which leads us to the Chicken Hash served at the '21' restaurant in NYC. It is made from skinless, boneless chicken breasts that have been poached in chicken stock and then cooled and cut into 1-inch cubes. This is then rewarmed in a veloute-style cream sauce (heavy cream, dry sherry, thickened with a light roux), and served over wild rice.
Something tells me we ain't losing weight with today's TOD!!!
