There is comforting, there is belly-warming, there are old rituals and new traditions, there is delicious, and there are hoecakes. This corny staple, found in cultures from central America to the Caribbean and north to the United States, is the obvious product of water, coarse cornmeal, and hot fat. We amend ours with eggs, a little leavening, butter, and salt. We didn’t cook ours on a hoe over an open fire as they may have been made formerly; our cast iron works plenty well. Southerners have endless access to grits . . . in Vermont I have to search a little but can usually find them. I like the yellow ones for their color and prefer “Regular” over “Instant” as Regular are crunchier. You may use what you like! And, for a nice variation, try them “savory,” garnished with shredded chicken, roasted salsa, fresh avocado, cilantro, and lime juice.