Friday, February 16, 2018

Oatmeal for breakfast オートミールの朝ごはん

I did not like oatmeal for breakfast because, for me, it has a peculiar slimy texture. It is kind of funny for me to say that I do not like a slimy food since many Japanese foods are characterized by their slimy texture which has never deterred me from enjoying them. In any case, it was a cold day and my wife decided to make "a breakfast which sticks to your  ribs. So here we go, oatmeal and cappuccino for breakfast.


Unexpectdly, this was much better than I remembered it. The cinnamon and raisin  flavors were nice and a pat of butter did not hurt. Amazingly, there was no slimy texture to the oatmeal.


I am not sure what made the difference. My wife toasted the oatmeal before making the hot cereal. I wonder whether that made a difference or Quaker oats may have changed the processing to reduce/remove the sliminess. The cappuccino was topped with very stable and creamy froth which was made with a new Nespresso milk  frother.


Ingredients:
1 cup Quaker Oats old fashioned
1 3/4 cups Milk
1/8 Tsp. salt
1 TBS. brown sugar
1/2 Tsp. cinnamon
1/2 Raisins
several pats of butter

Directions:
Toast the oatmeal in the toaster oven until it is lightly browned and fragrant (picture below). My wife does this because it brings our a nutty flavor that is nice.
Bring milk to a boil. Stir in salt, brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins.
Then add the oatmeal and bring back to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Serve with a little pat of butter to melt on the top. As an added luxury supply a little pitcher of heated milk (or to be really extravagant cream) to add on top.


Oatmeal for breakfast has been a mainstay for my wife since she was a kid. She didn't even notice it was "slimy" until I pointed it out to her. She served it to my mother and I, "as a treat" many years ago and we both gagged on it. My mother choked it down because she thought it was healthy but I couldn't finish the bowl. My wife tells of the oatmeal that was served at the overnight camp she attended. It came complete with a thick skin that formed as it cooled in the crisp mountain air. The servings were offered "with skin or without". My wife loved the oatmeal and opted for "with skin".

So given this history, I was pleasantly relieved at how good this oatmeal was. I even surprised my wife for going back for a refill. Only problem is that it really "sticks to your ribs" and I was not hungry even by dinner time.

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