Have Yourself a Gritty City Christmas

By [Nancy J. Brandwein] At â??Citi Pond in Bryant Park, skaters twirl in the center of the city, surrounded by festive pop-up holiday shops. The free skating pond stays open until Jan. 2, and so do all the fun shops. Where else can you find trashcans made out of trash, and stuffed animals you can microwave for a warming hug? And where else can you get 16 different kinds of grits's with ingredients ranging from Bacon and Eggs to Columbian chorizo, from Quattro stagioni (four cheeses) to Maple Brown Sugar. On a frigid, blustery day, Daisy"s grits lined my stomach and warmed me like nothing else's except, perhaps, a microwavable stuffed lion. Daisy"s Grits proudly obtains all meats and produce locally, from Astoria and Jackson Heights, Queens. A favorite is the chorizo ($5), but I tried the Louisiana shrimp ($6). Aside from cracking on a few stray shrimp shells, I enjoyed the zesty Cajun flavor and ample chopped shrimp, hidden like stocking stuffers, inside the white goop. And these grits are goopy, â??like polenta, says owner Roberto DePrisco, who says all grits are prepared with extra virgin olive oil's and obviously, lottsa love's except for the shrimp grits, which benefit from butter. Adventurous souls try grits with a Chinese â??century egg 's an egg preserved in clay, ash, lime and rice hulls. 's Daisy"s Grits Citi Pond Holiday Shops Kiosk D-06 (near 6th Avenue) 's Got a snack attack to share? Contact NBrand@aol.com