A Rose By Any Other Name….
One of my Progeny is particularly fond of Cream of Wheat for breakfast.
Cream of wheat is cheaper than cold cereal, but Farina
Weizengries is another product that is essentially the same thing- this is available in Germany.
We like ours cooked in milk rather than water- it has a creamier texture and a richer flavor. We serve it with jam and a bit of butter or coconut oil.
Leftover cream of wheat can be put in a buttered pan and chilled, then slice it into about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch thick slices and fry gently until golden brown and heated through. Some people like this ladled with a bit of gravy (red-eye is good), others prefer it drizzled with honey and maple syrup.
To make a very generous adult sized serving of Farina I put 1 1/2 cups of milk in a saucepan, whisk in 2 1/2 Tablespoons of farina and a dash or two of salt, turn the stove to high and whisk the mixture until it boils. I don't exactly whisk continuously, but I don't leave it alone for more than a minute or two, either- I whisk a few times and then go get out a bowl, whisk a few more times and get out the butter and jam, whisk a few more times and put away the farina, whisk again and maybe put away three or four clean dishes from the dish-rack, drizzle jam into the bowl-
Once it starts to boil, turn down the heat and let it simmer or bubble for about 6 minutes longer, or a little more if you want it really thick. I continue to whisk it every two or three minutes.
I stir in a tablespoon or so of butter or coconut oil, pour the farina into a bowl, and then stir well to mix the jam throughout.
4 Responses to “A Rose By Any Other Name….”
January 5th, 2013 at 9:29 am
We like cornmeal mush or Injun pudding as it is also called. With a name like corn meal mush who would want to try that? I decided to give it a go after reading Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It is fantastic! We serve it with maple syrup and butter or with milk and sugar. If we have leftovers, I slice it and fry it with butter and serve with maple syrup. The name is terrible but it is so good! My kids also like to take corn meal and crumble it up and serve it with milk. They swear that it tastes great and gobble it up. I haven’t tried that yet. I guess that is for the more adventurous palate……
January 11th, 2013 at 12:16 am
I’ve tried Injun pudding, but I just cannot like it. I don’t know why, because I do like leftover cornbread crumbled up and drizzled with butter and honey, with a glass of milk on the side.
January 17th, 2013 at 4:16 pm
If Aldi’s is accessible to you, their brand of farina is called “Creamy Wheat,” and is very good.
March 5th, 2013 at 7:47 am
I have dropped by your website off and on for the last year. I have enjoyed reading your articles on thrifty living. I grew up on Cream of Wheat and early on tried to imitate that “beloved memory!” This is a great substitute. I wanted to share our recipe.
Homemade Cream of Wheat
5 cups filtered water
1 ½ cups freshly ground whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp heavy cream or half-n-half
1 ½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp butter
Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Turn burner to low and remove pot from burner. Try to sprinkle in flour very slowly while whisking very QUICKLY to prevent lumps. Set back on low burner. Cook 1 minute more or until thickened. Add butter, salt and cream.
Leave a Comment