The only thing I like better than stumbling upon an absolutely scrumptious restaurant meal that I’d like to eat again and again is finding the recipe for this meal published in a cookbook.

During a recent foray into the South, I found myself at a little diner called Crook’s Corner, at the west end of Franklin Street in Chapel Hill, N.C. To be entirely accurate here, I should clarify that I was not at Crook’s Corner by happenstance. In fact, I was taken there specifically to eat the shrimp and grits. And in double fact, I already had read the recipe prior to ordering this menu item at the restaurant.

That’s because it appears in “Southern Cooking,” a cookbook by the late Bill Neal, who founded the restaurant and catapulted to a certain degree of fame when he was discovered by Craig Claiborne.

What I was served at Crook’s Corner is not your ordinary puddle of pasty grits. This is a spicy little dish that has enough going on in the ingredients list to be interesting to eat without being difficult to make.

In any case, I hope my family is ready because shrimp and grits is going to become a standard at our house. Admittedly, this will be hard to sell to my Jayhawk kin since I’m importing this dish from Chapel Hill, and I sort of had to sneak behind enemy lines during basketball season to get it. I am confident, however, that the power of persuasion will be in the first bite.

Anyway, I’m thinking that folks who buy into the Hoppin’ John tradition of serving rice and black-eyed peas on News Year’s Day might want to rethink their menu. Shrimp and grits would get my vote instead.

Serve this in shallow soup bowls or deep plates. If you make this with quick grits, follow package instructions, but add the seasonings, butter and cheese.

Shrimp and Grits, Crook’s Corner Style

4 1/2 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup hominy grits

1-2 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

Tabasco sauce

freshly grated nutmeg

white pepper

6 slices bacon, diced

1 pound fresh shrimp, peeled and rinsed

peanut oil

2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 cup finely sliced scallions

1 large garlic clove, peeled

4 teaspoons lemon juice

Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley

salt and pepper

Bring the salted water to a strong boil in a 3-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Slowly sift the grits through one hand into the water while stirring with a whisk in the other hand. When all the grits have been added, continue stirring and reduce the heat to low until only an occasional bubble breaks the surface. Continue cooking for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent scorching. Beat in a good quantity of butter and the cheese. Season to taste, but lightly, with Tabasco, a very little nutmeg and white pepper. Hold in a warm place or in the top of a double boiler over simmering water.

Saute the bacon lightly in a large skillet until the edges of the bacon are brown but not crisp.

Add enough peanut oil to the bacon fat in the skillet to make a layer of fat about 1/8-inch deep. When quite hot, add the shrimp in an even layer. Turn the shrimp as they start to color, add the mushrooms and saute about 4 minutes. Add the garlic through a press and the scallions and cook 1 minute. Then season with lemon juice, a dash or two of Tabasco and parsley. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the grits among four plates or bowls. Use a slotted spoon to drain away excess fat, and then spoon the shrimp mixture out of the skillet and over the grits. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings