“What? You’ve never tried oysters in your smoothie?”
“You should absolutely put ketchup in your chicken noodle soup.”
“Just stopped by for the ingredients to my signature salad. Olives and Jell-O.”
As luck would have it, I have an iron stomach. If something smells bad, I have a nagging curiosity to taste it. If a group is gathered around a box of crackers saying, “ugh, these are awful.”
I feel compelled to confirm. A creepy Tupperware container emerges from the depths of the refrigerator? It’s ok, I’ll check it out. With very few repercussions I happily taste my way through life no matter how unappealing the subject.
It’s almost as if the more polarizing a piece of food, the more curious I am.
However, part of being a chef and recipe creator is not only making food taste good, but knowing what people want to eat. People often come to me with a recipe that didn’t work out, asking how they can make it better. In time, I find out it was a black bean and mandarin orange salsa they found on Pinterest - and I’m like, duh. That was never going to be good.
There’s little I can even contribute when people attempt to combine things that just shouldn’t go together. So, most of these suggestions I receive at the register, no matter how signature your salad, will not be recreated in my own kitchen.
And if you think I’m not judging those ingredients as you check out, you’re wrong, I am.
Once in a while though, there is a combination or method that I haven’t thought of and sounds like it would work. One such occasion was recently when a customer told me about making savory oatmeal.
Now, I’ve been known to have black beans and rice or marinara and eggs for breakfast so I think no food belongs in a box, restricted to only be enjoyed at one time of day. Oatmeal for lunch, let’s do it.
I reasoned that the cooking of steel cut oats until creamy, with the addition of Pecorino, and sauteed mushrooms would not be unlike a traditional risotto. And thus was born one of my favorite fall lunches or a great hearty side to sausages and steamed greens as we enter into these shorter days.
Also, when my kids were first eating solid foods I came up with a theory. If I served savory foods instead of sweet, my kids would develop an affinity for those types of flavors, ultimately leading to a love of vegetables and not an overconsumption of candy. I wish to not disclose how that experiment is going.
Needless to say I served them oatmeal with coconut oil and a bit of sea salt, instead of brown sugar, as a fundamental part of their developing toddler diet.
So, I guess the takeaways are plenty with this one. Never assume one ingredient can be used at only one meal. Someone had to think out of the box before bacon made the jump from breakfast plate to BLT. Consider trying things even when you think you might hate them.
I mean, peanut butter and jelly was probably an insane idea before it was beloved. But, always, always, vet your recipes because, babe, blueberries and meatloaf are never going to work out.
”But First, Food” columnist Whitney Kling is a recipe developer who lives in southwest Ohio with her four kids and a cat. She is usually in the kitchen creating something totally addictive — and usually writing about it.
SAVORY OATS WITH SAUTEED MUSHROOMS
Chef’s note: I add mushrooms here, but fresh thyme would be great, as would spinach or kale.
Serves: 4 as a side dish
Cook Time: 40 minutes
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. butter
1 shallot, chopped
1 cup steel cut oats
4-6 cups broth, chicken or vegetable both work
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, Parmeggiano works also
1/4 half & half
1 tsp. Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
In a saute pan over medium heat, warm the butter and olive oil. Add the shallot and cook until soft. Add the oats and stir until they’re toasty and slightly golden, you’ll be able to smell them. Add one cup of broth and stir occasionally until the liquid is absorbed. I usually add about 5 cups of broth, 5-7 minutes apart until the grain is fully cooked and satisfyingly chewy. Stir in cheese, half & half, salt, and pepper. Serve topped with sliced mushrooms sauteed in olive oil or butter.
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