The Nitty Gritty Summary

This week I cooked from The Grit Cookbook by Jessica Greene and Ted Hafer. The Grit is a vegetarian restaurant in Athens, Georgia. So how did the week go?

This was an easy cooking week for me. I've prepared the Grit-Style Tofu and Golden Bowl before, so I had to remember the technique - and it did work really well.

The Grit Black Bean Chili was delicious, as was the Mondo Burrito; I plan to revisit the Roasted Corn & Zucchini Quesadilla in the summer with fresh-from-the-garden vegetables. The Grit Brownie was disappointing, but that won't stop me from trying some of the other desserts. Must find a crowd to feed so I can test the Naked Granny Apple Pie or Amaretto Cream Cake. I also like that the book was published by an Athens area publisher keeping it a truly local effort.

What don't I like about The Grit Cookbook? Well, for one thing, my copy has fallen into two pieces - mostly from wear and tear.

Cookbook In Pieces

Additionally, the page numbers are difficult to locate. The numbers are in tiny crowns in the upper right and left corners...inset about two inches from the side of the page. So it's difficult to flip through and locate a page. On the other hand, I do like that those two inches on the left and right side of the pages are used for categories (Salads, Quesadillas and One Mondo Burrito, Breads, etc) and for quotes from famous Athens residents:

• "Whenever I visit my old stomping grounds in Athens, my first stop is always The Grit!" -Kate Pierson of The B-52's.
• "If every town had a vegetarian restaurant as good as The Grit, there would be a lot more cows, pigs, and chickens running around." -Dave Schools, Widespread Panic.
• "The Grit is a great restaurant. They have consummate taste." - Michael Stipe of R.E.M.

I adore the various flyers that are included - they really make me homesick for a town I lived in for only four years. For example, on page 55 there's a flyer with a gorilla proclaiming "Me like food. Me eat at Grit! Me try new Teriyaki Tofu Wrap Sandwich! Eat every bite then jump and yell So Good!" Other advertisements include pictures from 1950s magazines with various Grit phrases included like "Eat Grit, Keep Fit" and "Try Our Coffee It's Delicious."

Grit Flyer

Not every restaurant has the personality and panache of The Grit. This cookbook has the style and swagger of the restaurant. All Hail The Grit - and The Grit Cookbook!

King Grit