Thursday, May 22, 2008

It's not just for orphans anymore!


Walnuts, O most debated of all nuts! Are they better than almonds? Better than hazelnuts? Worse than cashews but better than peanuts? With a satisfyingly flavorful and full body of meat, but a sometimes off-putting astringency in the skin, walnuts are not very easily categorized or appreciated. Some people like them candied, others in cereals or trail mix, and still others prefer them used in savory dishes, encrusting fish, for example.

For these reasons, I tend to shy away from walnuts. It seems like there is usually a better nut to be found to suit any given purpose (pecans for desserts, maybe), but from time to time I also feel like I underestimate the walnut. That skin isn't SO bad, after all.

And so it was that in my constant search for a cheap, easy, and tasty breakfast (probably the most elusive meal of the day) I came across a certain dish not only containing walnuts, but defined by them. It turned out to be so simple, so wholesome, and so humble that I think now I'd feel a little insecure if I didn't have it around.

I mean, of course...

KOREAN WALNUT RICE PORRIDGE
(recipe taken from California Walnuts)
    • 1 cup walnuts
    • 1 cup rice
    • 7 cups water
    • 1/8 teaspoon salt

    1. Soak rice in water at least three hours, then drain thoroughly.
    2. In blender, grind walnuts, drained rice and 2 cups of water.
    3. Pour blended mixture into a medium sauce pan and add remaining water.
    4. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Add salt and stir.
    5. Serve in bowls garnished with walnuts.

Obviously this will make a considerable amount of porridge, so the best thing to do is wait for it to cool, then divide it into individual servings in plastic bags and freeze. Later, just heat the whole bag up in a pot of boiling water or remove the frozen porridge from the bag and microwave in a bowl safe for such things, and you'll have a piping hot bowl of tasty porridge anytime you want.

The best thing about it, I think, is that even though the walnut flavor is pretty strong, it's very versatile. I like mine with brown sugar and cream, but it would also be good with a little more salt and some vegetable or dried/cured meat side-dishes (the Korean way).

Anyhow, I've got a bowl of it waiting for me in the kitchen right now, so I'd better be off. Happy porridging!

2 comments:

Melanie G. said...

I'm definitely going to try this, because I actually really love walnuts (even plain). How much do walnuts usually cost? I'm guessing they are the cheaper nut of the bunch. I only eat them when I babysit a family in Winters who has a walnut tree in their backyard.

Your Friend Morgan said...

Walnuts aren't too expensive if you buy them from the bulk section of any store. The per-pound price might look intimidating, but it takes a lot of walnuts to make a pound. Sort of the way habanero peppers are always like $15 a pound, but nobody needs a pound of habaneros.