3.13.2009

Groats

Last night, we went to see Modest Mouse at Rams Head Live in Baltimore and while it was a great concert, there were two minor setbacks. One, they didn't play my favorite song. Two, this extremely tall, broad-shouldered, older man decided he should push his way directly in front of me so I couldn't see anything. He then proceeded to dance around flailing his elbows a lot. After getting shoved and elbowed numerous times, I decided to do the chicken dance...very near his back. He eventually moved out of my way. ;)

Eats

What do you know about steel cut oats? I picked these up at Trader Joes and had no idea what I was in for.

They are very different looking than my regular Old-Fashioned Oats. My source for all "stuff I don't know about" (Wikipedia) informed me that:

"Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces. They are golden in colour and resemble small rice pieces."
I used the microwave method and the fact that I don't usually measure stuff didn't work out for me here. I think it is important to use the exact amount of "hot water to steel cut oats" ratio because mine still had a crunch to them after 8 mins in the microwave. Or maybe they are supposed to be crunchy?
I added chopped pecans, cinnamon, blueberries, chopped turkish smyrna figs, and a spoonful of White Chocolate PB to the mix. This was the first time I added figs to my oatmeal and I loved it...should have added more. But, I did miss the smoother texture of my regular old-fashioned oats.

The other day, I mentioned I would be trying this TJ's Lentil Rice Biryani for lunch. Well, I did and it was just OK. The front of the package said there were green beans, but I didn't see any. The flavor had a spicy kick I enjoyed, but overall it was too salty for my taste.
Would I buy it again? Maybe, if my salt tooth needed a fix, but I would mix in some veggies.

New Blog

I wanted to give you all a tip about a new blog a friend of mine started recently:


I think you all would enjoy seeing her perspective as she posts about her "...daily eats, food reviews, political topics, travel ideas, and general musings on my walk through this life."


Happy Friday!

22 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl March 13, 2009 at 2:03 PM  

Sorry about the concert experience and the Biryani product - but hooray for the groats!! :-D

Happy Friday!!

Kara March 13, 2009 at 2:04 PM  

Nice concert crowd techniques :)

I hope you had fun, though! I'm getting pretty pumped for the DC show tonight!

Erica March 13, 2009 at 2:12 PM  

Ugh! What a jerk at the concert! I'm super tiny so I do better at concerts with assigned seating than standing room only ;)

Thanks for the blog link.

Have a fab weekend

The Purple Carrot March 13, 2009 at 2:13 PM  

I like learning about all the different kind of oats and rice out there ... who knew they could all be so different?

Have a GREAT weekend!! : )

Julie March 13, 2009 at 2:15 PM  

I was JUST in TJs like 20 mins ago thinking about buying that microwave rice thingamabob and exnayed it! I'm glad I did haha

Anonymous March 13, 2009 at 2:33 PM  

Aw, thanks for posting my blog link Lauren!

Those oats scare me. I know a lot of peeps here in the food blog world eat them, but they look like too much work. Hope you figure out what to do with them.

Corey March 13, 2009 at 2:43 PM  

Steel cut oats are the shizzle, though I have never tried the quick variety. They are definitely nutty, kind of like brown rice, which I like.

Anonymous March 13, 2009 at 3:05 PM  

Thanks for the reviews!! Nothing against big guys but WHY do they always do that?! There's one in one of my classes who sits in front so trying to see the board around him is a pain in the butt!

Anonymous March 13, 2009 at 3:07 PM  

HAHAHA that is hilarious a/b the chicken dance! good for you I say! I hope you do get to have a vaca-unforunately flights are ridiculous expensive right now but yes I cannot wait to feel the warmth!!!

Anonymous March 13, 2009 at 3:20 PM  

I have heard that steel cut oats do not work in the microwave. You can put them in the crockpot overnight though if you don't have time to cook them on the stovetop.

Bridget March 13, 2009 at 3:56 PM  

Haha I do that when I start getting elbowed/pushed at concerts too!! Just jump around/into them until they get the picture!!

I LOVE steel cut oats, but I dont think I would ever try the microwave method. I also have never tried quick cooking steel cut...hmmm. I usually bring the oats and liquid to a boil, stir, reduce the heat to very low, cover, and cook for about 30-35min, stirring occasionally. If they are cooked all the way they wont be crunchy, they have more of a chewier texture than regular oats though. Another way I like is to bring the mix to a boil the night before, cover, turn off the heat and just leave it covered until morning.

lauren March 13, 2009 at 4:24 PM  

julie/good thing!

corey/ok - maybe I need to give them a second try and do it right this time.

ksgoodeats/seriously - I wanted to yell at him - "you can see if you stand behind everyone - I cant!"

melissa/thanks for the tip!

bridget/nice! ok, I am going to try that way - I need to use these steel oats up!

Anyone have experience baking with these type of oats?

Corey March 13, 2009 at 4:35 PM  

Looks like you have the quick variety. If you stop over I'll give you a cup to try. In the old days neighbors stopped by for a cup of sugar, but we're more modern, so you can feel free to stop by for oats.

Or you and Kevin can always stop by for a beer - we can all sit and drink while watching Oscar kick Wally's butt. :-)

Anonymous March 13, 2009 at 4:41 PM  

Lauren, would you believe it is fat free kraft cheddar? I do like some American cheese though, might have to grab some on Sunday... :)

I Run for Fun March 13, 2009 at 6:08 PM  

Good work, elbowing the big man.

I've always wondered about steel cut oats. I don't generally experiment with oats, so haven't bought them. Thanks for the review.

Unknown March 13, 2009 at 10:10 PM  

i like the way my aunt makes her steel cut oats. Night before, bring 1 3/4c water to a boil. Stir in 1 1/2c steel cut oats, cover and remove from heat. In the morning, all you have to do is reheat and add your toppings! (This will be more than 1 mornings worth:))

RunningLaur March 13, 2009 at 10:18 PM  

I just finished my first box of steel cut oats, and was considering doing a post on it.

I prefer them a little bit crunchy, so maybe that's why I enjoyed them so much, but I microwaved mine. No measurements, just 8 spoonfuls (random amount that seems right) a big squirt of water, microwave 55 seconds, more water, another 55 seconds, almond butter and bananas. My almond butter is a slightly crunchy texture, so I think they mesh well together.

Hope you find the perfect way to use them for you!

ChickPea March 14, 2009 at 12:44 AM  

I;ve never tried steel cut oats for that very reason--I'm afraid they'll take too long to cook!

Anonymous March 14, 2009 at 7:21 AM  

the words ELBOW FLAILING made me laugh ...BEEN THERE with the tall dude in front of me as well.

now if only we had video of you and the chicken dance!

Anonymous March 14, 2009 at 10:49 AM  

sorry about the bad concert experience. I love those steel-cut oats, my mom buys those exact same ones all the time from trader joe's - but she uses them to make soup!

Erica March 14, 2009 at 10:24 PM  

Girl- maybe I'm special- but how do you add the tabs to the top of your blog?

Anonymous September 22, 2009 at 10:28 AM  
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