When I was learning how to cook a few years back it became very clear to me that even though cooking is an enjoyble- and grounding-to-me activity, I was not built for the kinds of fiddly recipes designed to capture the hearts of the haute bourgeois cooks-as-hobbyist set. Instead, I like something I can make consistently but can tweak with seasonings and add-ins. Two of my life-saving staple meals of this kind—dal and oatmeal—boil down (ha) to the same glamorous genre: gruel !
Gorgeous gorgeous girls love gruel! This morning I’m enjoying my oats seasoned kind of Scandinavian holiday cookie meets generic Indian, with black pepper, cardamom, coriander, and turmeric. And I always throw in some nuts and dried fruits at the end.