Boiling mad about biscuits

It's been awhile since we had a topic that brought one letter after another all morning. Guest columnist Katelyn Ferral, an N&O staff writer from Wisconsin, got folks riled up with her column questioning Southern food. Enjoy a taste and add your own comments:

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Speaking, perhaps on behalf of a few Southerners, regarding Ms. Ferral's uninformed opinion of traditional Southern foods, as expressed in her column of Sept. 2 "Kiss mah grits; is this food?":

 We are not amused.

Katrina W. McDaniel
Raleigh

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It is generally unwise to write about something that one doesn't understand. Especially when writing about something that is beloved by many. In her column on Southern food, Ms. Ferral admits her ignorance in the third sentence, yet goes on to knock nearly every breakfast food that North Carolinians hold dear.

I can only guess that she thought she was being funny, and found a receptive editor who agreed. Unfortunately, her jokes, like a poorly made biscuit, didn't rise.

Moving to the South and mocking Southern cuisine is as bad as moving to Wisconsin and making "cheesehead" jokes.

Byron Goode
Raleigh

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What was The N & O thinking in publishing the column "Kiss My Grits" on Sept. 2?  This was an odious rant about a fictional stereotype. We now recognize that it is offensive to satirize groups of individuals who share a particular ethnicity or religion, yet the "Southerner" is too often the brunt of stereotypical commentary such as this column. 

Would Ms. Ferral dare write such a column about any other readily identifiable group of people?  Would the N & O publish it if someone did?

On both counts, I hope not. This  "us" vs "them" mentality that characterizes her column has no place in the modern world.

Emily Lees
Chapel Hill

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I must register an amused objection to the Sept. 2 column by Katelyn Ferral regarding some of our much beloved Southern foods. Perhaps had she taken the time to research the era from which these foods sprang, she would understand the need for cheap and filling in a region historically entrenched in poverty with the extra challenge of little or no electricity.

Biscuits and gravy? Cheap and filling. Grits? Cheap and filling. Here in the South, we use those “big ol’ balls of carbs” to stretch a Wisconsin single serving of meat to feed four.

But as for weird foods, who in their right mind would eat lye-preserved fish (lutefisk)? Cheese curds are for people who cannot wait for the cheese to complete the entire cheese-making process. And Herring Rollmops? Really? This pride of Wisconsin is herring wrapped around cucumber and pickled – doesn’t sound like a top 10 dish to me (but I would try it)!

I think that Miss Katelyn would benefit by spending time with Andrea Weigl – an open, adventurous and accepting Yankee transplant.

Tiffany Broyles
Wendell

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In response to Katelyn Ferral’s Sept. 2 column, “Kiss mah grits; is this food?” I just have a couple of things to say.

I love this country. It allows us freedoms to express our opinions in open forums such as The News & Observer. That freedom has never been more evident than today, given what is happening all over the world. So I am happy that Ferral is able to tell us just what she really thinks about some of the more revered Southern specialties.

No, I am going to exercise my same freedom when I say that Ferral can go back to Wisconsin. As a parting gift, she can feel free to take our sweet tea with her.

Rebecca Hayes
Raleigh

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Regarding the Sept. 2 column “Kiss mah grits; is this food?” It is truly amusing that someone who most likely was raised on brats and sauerkraut, spatzel, fried fish every Friday (year-round), beer, cheese, beercheese, beer brats, beercheese soup, whole milk and more cheese and more beer could complain about “Southern breakfast.”

I have two “GRITS” in my family (girls raised in the South), and I love them as much as they love their country ham biscuits. My suggestion is that the author keep her personal distastes to herself like most qualified “foodies” do. Ever heard the adage when in Rome?

Dave Moody
Raleigh

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I continue to be amazed at commentary on the South by transplants from the North and West. While I welcome and appreciate those who move to the South for varied reasons and bring with them elements of their clulture, I do not appreciate (or tolerate) your opinion of things notable to a Southerner.

The young (and naive) writer falls into the trap of thinking we care what her opinion is of our traditional and cherished foods and culture. I like cheese but there are many items from her area of the country i would have no part of. I do not put them down nor do I partake of them.

I enjoy the influence of Italian, Mexican, Asian and other food clutures's but relish my Southern culinary roots. Here's the deal; to quote the late Lewis Grizzard (Great Southerner and protector of Southern things) "to all our Northern friends, come on down, eat our food, marry our women, build your homes. But don't tell us how you did back there. You don't like it, Delta (and other airlines) are ready when you are. They will have your butt back in Wisconson by midnight."

Stephen Agner
Chapel Hill

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I have some comments regarding the ruminations by Ms. Ferral over Southern food. Firstly, the author makes it quite clear in her diatribe that she is yet another Yankee who has no understanding of Southern culture. Stereotype affirmed.

The food we eat stems from tradition that emanated from necessity. Southerners, for well over 100 years, had to make "hearty" foods that were readily available. Biscuits with meat, gravy, grits, pork and ham: these are heavy foods that became tradition because they are very filling, much needed for hard work in our historically agrarian society. They also keep well and are easily portable.

Southerners combined those foods. Many cultures have "strange concoctions": so what?

Country ham: salted or cured pork was for centuries the only way to preserve meat, even in Wisconsin, but especially in our hot climate.

Oysters and shrimp grits, cheese in various foods: what's wrong with some regional variations?

If you don't have anything nice to say, or don't understand our culture, don't say anything. Maybe this is why Southerners don't move to Wisconsin (but Yankees certainly like moving here, in critical droves). We like our traditions.

So she likes sweet tea. Well, bless her heart. She at least got ONE thing right...

Taylor Lee
Greenville