22nd
Oat and about
Throughout my life I have been through many oatmeal phases, enjoying oatmeals both soupy and not.
As a latch-key youth, I was committed to packets of instant oatmeal— chiefly the apple or maple flavors— prepared with two or three tablespoons of hot water – just enough moisture to form a pastelike meal.
I grew up and learned things. I learned about oats rolled and steel cut, and the delights of each. I learned that flavored is not as good as the plain stuff, 1) because plain is cheaper and 2) because dried apples are no way as great as plain brown sugar, king of all toppings. Brown sugar, I also learned, should never ever be skimped on.
In college, I adopted soupiness as a free of charge way to make the oatmeal “go further,” transforming “less” into so much more. Plus, I really enjoyed it! Soupy oatmeal joined the ranks of things-I-used-to-hate-but-can-now-enjoy. Other members: Stuck-pot rice, wide noodles, butter pecan ice cream, In-N-Out burgers, and roasted barley and mint teas.
These cold mornings I find the following pleasant: Make a really soupy oatmeal of a high water to oats ratio. Throw in a large lump of hardened brown sugar. First drink the oat “soup”; then eat the oats. The lump of hard brown sugar acts as a time-release capsule: First there’s the lightly sweet soup and then the intensely sweet oats that seem to say “thanks for eatin!” but also ease the sadness of a good thing, coming to its end.
