Oats

Rosemary Pepita Granola

September 15, 2013 by Charles 2 Comments

“So what’s been cooking?” you might ask.

Well, for starters, I got married!

On June 22, 2013, Caitlin and I got married before our friends and family at the American Visionary Art Museum in downtown Baltimore. The ceremony took place in the wildflower garden outside of the Museum, and was officiated by the Judge for whom I clerked, and in whose chambers Caitlin and I met some five years ago.

The beauty of the ceremony was matched only by the radiance of my bride, and it was Caitlin’s months of efforts and DIY projects that made the day so touching and meaningful. Caitlin painstakingly designed (and sometimes redesigned) …

Steel-Cut Oatmeal with Chopped Pistachios

February 12, 2012 by Charles 2 Comments

I need my breakfast. Absolutely need it. Without my morning meal, I’m listless and unthinkably slow – both on my feet and in reflection.

Fortunately, this oatmeal hits the spot. The regular oats can be a bit worn and thin. Not as sustaining as I might need. The steel-cut variety, available in any grocery store, comes packed …

Whole Wheat Banana Oat Yeast Bread

May 28, 2011 by Charles 10 Comments

Over the last few days, I’ve watched my bananas go from a bright yellow, worthy of wearing the leader’s jersey in the Tour de France, to a soft brown, like a tattered and mud-splashed elementary school bus.

Banana bread and banana muffins are always easy options for an overripe bunch. But banana bread is – let’s be honest – closer to cake than either bread or a trip to the bottom of the food pyramid. For that reason, I took my overripe bananas and turned them into real banana bread – not the quick kind. Indeed, if you know me, you know that I often enjoy taking the long and meandering route, passing through several culinary steps and preparation detours over what might have otherwise been a one-step, ten-minute trip, down the intercity highway (see curried couscous).

While this banana bread requires kneading and resting, rather than mixing and pouring, it is …

Whole Wheat Oat Bread

August 22, 2010 by Charles 6 Comments

It’s funny what we find intimidating.

For the longest time, the idea of making bread scared me. It just seemed so complicated. You had to make sure the yeast reacted. You had to make sure the water was at the precise temperature. You had to coax the dough into rising. You had to knead the bread – whatever that meant.

But then, I decided to just go for it. I opened up my cupboard, …