In The Florida Cookbook (Knopf, 1993), Jeanne Voltz traced the original recipe for the grits to Henry Richardson, who sampled a similar dish in the Bahamas. Voltz obtained the recipe from Richardson's niece Molly Biggs for her book. Edge tweaked it a bit for Saveur.

If grits are the glue that keeps the South together, I think I've found the super-glue, cooksters. Saveur's special edition hits newsstands Tuesday.

Nassau Grits

Yield: 4 servings.

8 slices bacon

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 cup finely chopped smoked ham, about 6 ounces

14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

3/4 cup old-fashioned stone-grou nd white grits

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Fry the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels. When cool, crumble bacon into pieces.

2. Leave 3 tablespoons drippings in skillet. Reheat pan on medium. Add onions and peppers. Cook until onions are translucent, 5 minutes. Add ham and cook, stirring, until peppers are soft, 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and their juices along with chopped garlic. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the moisture has evaporated, 30 minutes.

3. Bring 3 cups water to boil. Add grits and salt. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thick and creamy, 30 minutes. Stir in ham-tomato mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Top with bacon.