Oatmeal Recipes -- The Porridge That Meets You Where You Are

Second week of January. The trip is eight weeks away and my brain has developed a countdown function that I cannot turn off. Eight weeks. Fifty-six days. I catch myself thinking about it at work, at the grocery store, at the smoker. What will Mai feel when she sees the street? What will Mrs. Thi say? What will the food taste like in the place where it was born?

Work was steady. January is traditionally slow for restaurant supply — post-holiday lull, restaurants tightening budgets after December — but I had three consultations and a decent equipment delivery to a new ramen place in Midtown. The ramen chef is Japanese-American, same guy from last year who was incredibly precise. His ramen shop opened in November and it's doing well. He ordered a second noodle press. I delivered it personally because I wanted to eat the ramen. The tonkotsu was exceptional — eighteen-hour pork bone broth, milky and rich, with chashu pork that was sliced so thin you could read through it. I told him it was outstanding. He said, "It's not right yet." I said, "When it's right, I want to be the first to know." He smiled. Cooks who are never satisfied are the cooks worth knowing.

AA meeting Tuesday. I've been going to this meeting for fourteen years and the room still looks the same: fluorescent lights, folding chairs, bad coffee, and the smell of survival. Bill was there, limping a little worse than usual. He's seventy-nine and his knees are giving out. He told me after the meeting that he's going to have surgery this spring. I said, "Who's going to bring the cake to my anniversary?" He said, "I'll be back for that." He will. Bill has never missed my anniversary in fourteen years. Not once.

Cooked a big pot of congee Saturday morning — the Chinese rice porridge that Mai adopted decades ago and made her own. The Vietnamese call it cháo. The concept is the same: rice cooked in too much liquid until it breaks down into a thick, silky porridge, then topped with whatever you have. I used leftover rotisserie chicken, ginger, scallions, fried shallots, and a drizzle of sesame oil. The simplicity is the point. Congee is the food you make when you need the world to be simple and warm and uncomplicated. It is the culinary equivalent of a hug.

Brought it to Mai. She was already making her own congee, which meant we now had enough porridge for eight people and there were only two of us. We ate in companionable silence. Two pots of congee. One kitchen table. All the words we don't need to say.

That Saturday morning with two pots of cháo on the table reminded me that porridge — in any culture, under any name — is really just an agreement between you and the world to keep things uncomplicated for a little while. I’ve been leaning on that idea a lot lately with the trip counting down in the back of my mind. If you don’t have leftover rotisserie chicken and a jar of fried shallots on hand, a bowl of good oatmeal answers the same call: grain cooked low and slow in too much liquid until it becomes something soft and generous, ready to hold whatever you put on top of it.

Oatmeal Recipes

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 15 minutes | Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
• 2 cups water (or whole milk for a creamier result)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional)
• 1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar, to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup fresh or frozen berries (for topping)
• 2 tablespoons chopped toasted walnuts or pecans (for topping)
• Splash of milk or cream, to finish

Instructions

1. Bring liquid to a simmer. In a small saucepan, combine the water (or milk) and salt over medium heat. Bring just to a gentle simmer — do not let it reach a rolling boil.
2. Stir in the oats. Add the rolled oats all at once and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low.
3. Cook low and slow. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 9 minutes until the oats have absorbed most of the liquid and the porridge is thick and creamy. If it tightens too quickly, add a splash more water or milk and stir through.
4. Finish with fat and flavor. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter (if using), honey or brown sugar, and cinnamon. Taste and adjust sweetness.
5. Serve and top. Divide between two bowls. Top each with berries, toasted nuts, and a small splash of cold milk or cream poured around the edge. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 290 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 46g | Fiber: 5g | Sodium: 160mg