Eating Up the Brackets

Now I've seen everything. You've read the recent posts I've done about The Morning News and its book bracket. Well Garden & Gun magazine is now doing a Southern food bracket. And someone out there is even doing a basketball bracket, apparently.

I just found the food bracket, which is genius. Its point is to crown the king-daddy of all Southern dishes. A tournament like that could spark some serious slap-fights at the next family reunion.
Garden & Gun splits its bracket into four categories: Classic, Barbecue, Low Country, and Cajun/Creole. This fight is almost down to the Final Four (which sounds familiar, no?). And you can vote on all of your favorites.
Evidently, Cornbread beat out Mac & Cheese to advance in the Barbecue segment. Does that even make sense? First, there is no barbecue involved. And second, how in the world could Mac & Cheese beat Cornbread? My Southern-girl roots are deeply offended.
Oh, and why isn't biscuits-and-gravy included? Was the person who compiled this bracket even Southern? But I digress.
Yesterday, I voted for Shrimp & Grits over Hoppin' John in the Low Country category, but Hoppin' John won. Over grits. Oh, and did I mention the grits? The one foodstuff that originated in the South? Humph.
Today's vote will cause family rifts – it pits Fried Chicken against Country Fried Steak. My husband and I could have a fight over that one (I voted for Fried Chicken).
And tomorrow it's Beignets vs. Gumbo in the Cajun/Creole segment. Duh – fried dough with sugar wins every time. Just go to any county fair in the South if you don't agree and you'll see what I mean. The overall winner will be announced on April 9.
I'll keep an eye on this bracket, just like I'm keeping you up to date on The Morning News Tournament of Books. Time to check in on the Zombie Rounds.
As I told you on Monday, this is the one chance for fans to vote books back into contention (raising them from the dead, so to speak). And what do you know, some freaks people voted The Sisters Brothers back in! Seriously? Sigh. Moreover, the scary book won today's round and moves into the championship bout on March 30. It will go up against the winner of tomorrow's fight between Open City and the zombie vote Art of Fielding.
Never thought I'd root for baseball, but "Go Fielding!"