Creamy Cheddar Grits and Red Cabbage Slaw

For this past weekend's BBQ, I wanted to go a bit Italian in theme, perhaps with some creamy polenta and sauteed radicchio to accompany our chicken and ribs. But Dara reminded me I don't actually like cooked radicchio; I just like the idea of it.* I grumbled and acquiesced, and then developed a Southern take on my creamy corn and crunchy cabbage cravings instead: Cheddar Grits and Red Cabbage Slaw.

It's a funny thing how Italian food and Southern food have more similarities than you might think. Alton Brown once did a very Alton Brown-esque episode of his show, "Good Eats," on the difference between polenta and grits. You know -- brightly lit, not very subtle actors were involved, one as a dumb Southerner who loves cheesy grits, and one as a dumb Italian who loves cheesy polenta. The two used thick accents and lots of hand gestures to argue over which was better, and then agreed the two are very similar and both are good.

If you're more familiar with one or the other, this is basically the difference:

- The color of the cornmeal (yellow for polenta vs. white for grits)

- The liquid used (broth vs. water and/or milk)

- And the method (constant whisking until the mass pulls away from the sides of the pot vs. occasional whisking just until the mixture is creamy and smooth)

To make our grits seem more "Northwest" rather than Southern, I used a good-quality local Cheddar and some chives from our garden.

The slaw turned out really well, too, with crisp apples, thinly sliced red onion, toasted walnuts, golden raisins, and a dressing of raspberry vinegar, brown sugar and salt. Really, how can you go wrong? The sweetness and crunch is a nice contrast to smoky meat and creamy grits.

*The same goes for Campari -- another bitter, red, Italian substance. Several years ago I got fixed up on a sort of professional friend date with Amanda Hesser, the New York Times food writer. She took me to this swanky hotel lobby with mysterious curtains everywhere, and she ordered a Campari and soda. I thought she was so cool that ever since then, I try every three or four years to order that drink. I still can never choke it down, and have come to terms with the fact that I will never be as sophisticated as Amanda Hesser was at age 24.

CREAMY CHEDDAR GRITS

Serves 8-10; this recipe may be halved.

1 quart milk (use whatever fat level you're comfortable with)

3 teaspoons kosher salt

2 cups medium ground white cornmeal (use regular as opposed to stone-ground)

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

8 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded

15-20 fresh chives, minced

Place the milk and salt in a large pot and bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in cornmeal, then turn heat to low and cover. Cook 20 to 25 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the mixture is creamy and smooth. Stir in butter and let it melt; then stir in cheese and let it melt. Stir in chives and serve immediately. Or, if timing requires that you simply must make this dish in advance, keep it refrigerated and plan to spend some time reheating it on the stove and whisking in some more milk to get it soft and smooth again.

RED CABBAGE SLAW WITH APPLES & GOLDEN RAISINS

Serves 8-10; this recipe may be halved.

2 crisp apples (I like Pink Lady and Honeycrisp), cored and cut into a large dice

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 small to medium head red cabbage, thinly sliced

1/4 large red onion, thinly sliced

1/2 cup golden raisins

1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces (optional)

1 cup raspberry vinegar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Dress apples with lemon juice, and then combine them with cabbage, onion, golden raisins and optional walnuts in a large lidded plastic storage container. Whisk together vinegar, brown sugar, salt and pepper and pour it over the cabbage mixture. Close the storage container and give it a gentle shake to dress the slaw. Refrigerate for at least an hour, shaking a couple of times, and serve cold.