If you’re a fan of Cream Of Rice or Cream of Wheat porridges, you’re a lock to enjoy the rice-based Chinese version.

This traditional Chinese dish has evolved from gruel to porridge* to a porridge mixed with bits of protein (chicken, pork, shrimp) and vegetables (green onion, peas) to a spread of “DIY congee,” where the table is laden with dishes of condiments to tailor the dish to one’s taste.

Congee can be as simple as a plain bowl of porridge, or as complex as the condiments and toppings allow. More luxurious versions cook the grain in chicken broth rather than water.

It is easy to digest and very simple to cook.

Plan to make it for breakfast or brunch, lunch or late dinner; serve as a DIY spread for a special meal (see the garnish options below); and reheat any leftovers on subsequent days.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF CONGEE

Congee (CON-gee with a soft “g”) is an ancient dish, made in China for thousands of years from uncooked rice and boiling water.

The Book of Zhou (published 636 C.E.) says that the mythical Emperor Huang Di (2698–2598 B.C.E., mythical dates) was first to cook congee made from millet—or, we guess, his cooks did it, since we can’t imagine an emperor standing over a stove. This is considered the earliest reference to congee. [source]

Tobie Meyer-Fong, associate professor at Johns Hopkins University who researches late imperial China and Chinese cuisine, has found references that date congee to the Han dynasty, circa 206 B.C.E. to 220 C.E. Eileen Yin-Fei Lo, author of Chinese cookbooks, maintains that congee dates to approximately 1,000 B.C.E., during the Zhou dynasty. [source]

Today it is eaten throughout Asia (known by different names), in Burma, China, Korea, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Nepal, Thailand, Tibetan, Vietnam and elsewhere.

The name in Chinese, which means the watery one, derives from the Tamil language of India, where kanji refers to the water in which rice has been boiled.

It can be part of a meal, but is most often served as the main dish of the meal (and often, the only dish).

Congee can be made in a pot or in a rice cooker. Some rice cookers even have a congee setting, for households who want to cook the rice overnight.
 
 
RECIPE: SIMPLE CONGEE

Ingredients For 6 Servings

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the water, broth, rice, salt and ginger in a large pot set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling, uncovered, for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. REDUCE the heat to medium low, cover and cook for 40 minutes longer, until the porridge has a creamy consistency, stirring occasionally.

3. REMOVE from heat the and keep warm. Discard the ginger pieces. Stir the chicken into the soup. Serve garnished with the green onions, cilantro, julienne-cut ginger and soy sauce, or let people garnish their own.

You can serve congee family-style, from a casserole-type dish, or bring individual bowls to the table.
 
 
CONGEE GARNISHES: CREATE YOUR OWN CONGEE MASTERPIECE

For a party, offer as many as you like. At home, serve half a dozen options (including the soy sauce); but keep rotating them each time you serve congee, so it’s never the same dish.

Traditional

 
Non-Traditional Garnishes

[2] Congee With Pork & Scallions (here’s the recipe from The Woks Of Life.

[3] This Ginger Chicken Congee is made with brown rice. Here’s the recipe from Honest Cooking

[4] Seafood Congee. Here’s the recipe from Omnivore’s Cookbook.

[5] A soft-boiled egg, crispy shallots and cilantro top this congee. Here’s the recipe from Sprinkles And Sprouts.

 
Plus

 
 
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*Gruel is a cereal—based food—typically made from oats, rice, rye or wheat—boiled in milk or water. It is a thinner version of porridge. Some gruels are so thin that they are drunk rather than eaten. It is a food that is eaten every day, easy to digest, and thus also used during an illness. It is usually the first non-milk food given to infants, a food for the elderly and those with dental or stomach problems, and above all, comfort food. Some people call congee a soup.
 
 

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[2] Deconstructed Eggs Benedict: poached egg, julienned Canadian bacon and English muffin crouton atop a mixed green salad.

[3] Romaine, apples and grapes with a honey-yogurt dressing, topped with granola.

[4] Blueberry and mandarin breakfast salad (photo © Blueberry Council).

We first heard of breakfast salad in 2014. Someone sent us a recipe, but it got lost in the shuffle.

In the ensuing two-plus years, the concept has spread. So if you’re ready to move on from the last breakfast trend—overnight oats—here’s a roundup of the latest.
 
 
WHAT IS BREAKFAST SALAD?

Breakfast salad is a fusion of conventional breakfast items with salad greens or other raw or cooked vegetables. Example: bacon and eggs on a lettuce wedge, or yogurt and fresh fruit salad atop mesclun greens.

For years we’ve served what we never thought to call “breakfast salad”: an omelet topped with lightly dressed baby arugula and watercress.

And for brunch, a poached egg on top of a frisée salad with lardons, or on top of a Caesar salad, is another favorite, adding more protein to both.

So we decided to take a look at what other people were eating for breakfast. We found:

 
 
BREAKFAST SALAD RECIPES

We decided to go purist. Here are some recipes that fit our bill of breakfast salad fare:

 
 
Do you have a favorite breakfast salad recipe? Please share!

And feel free to eat breakfast salad for lunch or dinner. The concept is no different from an omelet or any luncheon salad.

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National Farmers Day is October 12th, and National CSA Day, a floating holiday, is the last Friday in February.

CSAs deserve as much attention as they can get, so today’s tip is help yourself, help a small family farmer:

Head to the CSA DAY website and find a CSA near you.

You can also check on LocalHarvest.org.

If you currently browse farmers’ markets for the best local produce, the next step is to join a CSA and have the farmers’ market come to you (not literally).

WHAT’S A CSA

CSA stands for community-supported agriculture, which is a direct-to-customer business model for farmers.

The concept originated in Europe and Asia in the 1980s as an alternative financing arrangement, to help sustain small-scale farmers.

It was first adopted in the USA by some biodynamic farmers in Massachusetts, in the mid-1980s. They coined the term CSA.

The concept spread, and more and more food enthusiasts became excited to have the freshest produce while supporting local small farmers.

In a CSA, farmers and consumers bypass commercial supply lines (middlemen, warehouse storage) and deal directly with each other.
 
 
HOW A CSA WORKS

In a CSA, the consumer buys a share of a farm’s output in the form of a weekly (or biweekly) box filled with freshly harvested produce.

In the traditional CSA model, participants pay for a season’s worth of produce (called a membership or a subscription), in advance. The CSA member then receives a box of fruits and vegetables every week throughout the harvesting season.

This model helps stabilize the farm’s income. It’s a boon for small family farms, which get ash in hand to run the farm when they most need it (in advance having something to harvest and sell). The farmer commits to giving the best to a committed set of customers.

In return, members receive a weekly box of locally-grown produce. The contents differ each week and members never know what they’ll get, but seasonal harvests root vegetables in the fall, tomatoes, and berries in the summer, etc.

Some people join a CSA for the freshest fruits and vegetables, to support local farmers, and to know where their food comes from. Each farmer selects his/her own model, but in general:

 
 
CSF: A CSA FOR SEAFOOD

There are also CSFs—community-supported fisheries—that use the CSA model to support their small, local fisheries. Use this locator to find one near you.

Members support sustainable, transparent supply chains of ethically sourced or captured fish.

[1] Farmers pick what’s ready, shortly before delivery (photo © Halas Farm).

[2] Boxes get packed and labeled at the farm, then trucked to the delivery spots (photo © Driftless Organics).

[3] You open the box, and decide what to make with the week’s bounty (photos #3 and #4 © Urban Tilth and The Chef’s Garden).

[4] Enjoy the beauty as well as the fresh flavor.

[5] A similar concept for fish delivers the fresh catch (photo © Inhabitat | Shutterstock).

Here’s more about CSFs.
 
 
CSAs: HOW YOU BENEFIT

You become part of a community with reverence for the land.
 
The fun aspects include:

 
And if there’s something in the box that you absolutely won’t eat, score points by gifting fresh produce to a neighbor, teacher, etc.
 
 

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[2] Simple oyster gravy. Here’s the recipe from Anson Mills (photo © Anson Mills).

[3] Put an egg on it (photo © Pillsbury).

[4] Surf and turf: oyster gravy over ham and biscuits (photo © Pillsbury).

[5] Shucked oysters. Your store may also sell a container of shucked oyster meats (photo ©y The Spectator Hotel).

Biscuits and gravy is a popular breakfast dish in the southern United States, a comfort food of biscuits smothered in sawmill or sausage gravy (see the different types of gravy, below).

It’s a hearty gravy, made from the drippings of cooked pork sausage, white flour, milk, and often bits of sausage, bacon, ground beef or other meat. The meat gives heft to the dish as a main dish.

Last year we featured biscuits and gravy as a Tip Of The Day. Check out a classic recipe and the history of biscuits and gravy.

This week, Anson Mills sent us a recipe for oyster gravy on toast, using their local Sea Island oysters. It sure is an improvement on butter or jam.

If fish for breakfast sounds strange, think of:

 
 
GRAVY CULTURE

Time out for an accolade: Anson Mills, founded by food visionary Glenn Roberts, has managed to reclaim America’s heirloom grains from oblivion. Bred for flavor, not for efficiency and profit, whatever products bear their name are the best of the breed.

If you want the best, or know someone who does, take a look. You’ll be overwhelmed at the riches, so be prepared to return.

Says Glenn Roberts: “We won’t quibble with anyone outside our region over Southern ownership of gravy culture. But we will go to the mat defending the high art and undervalued virtues of seafood gravy.

“Stop and think about it: When was the last time you heard anyone talk about seafood gravy? When did you last hear someone utter the phrase ‘gravy culture’?”
 
 
RECIPE: OYSTER GRAVY

Seafood gravy “flowed exclusively from the Sea Islands of Carolina and Georgia,” says John. About the oyster gravy recipe, he elaborates:

“…This recipe is really about secret ingredients within a lost cannon of Sea Island slave food culture: one from the big house larder, the other from hidden gardens.

“From the big house, the aforementioned beurre manié—made with local butter and white lammas wheat flour grown on the Sea Islands—to thicken this gravy and create a silk and satin finish to match the voluptuousness of freshly shucked oysters.”

In his recipe, the deglazing liquid is white wine and the flour is added at the end, in the form of beurre manié (a mash of flour and butter).

And, he serves the oyster gravy over toast (photo #2), in the manner of another old breakfast favorite, creamed chipped beef on toast. But biscuits are an easy substitute.

Here’s the recipe. Try it for breakfast or brunch, or:

 
Which Oysters To Use?

The freshest ones! If you live on or near one of the coasts, ask for the best. Size doesn’t matter since you’ll be quartering them. Any plump, briny-aroma oysters will do.

Anson Mills chose local oysters, but you can make seafood gravy with any fish or shellfish or snails. Or, order the best oysters, whole or already shucked, from Willapa Oysters.

Fish gravies are parts of global cuisines from Indian fish curries to African fish gravy, a breakfast and dinner dish.

TIP: You can add oysters or other seafood to a hearty mushroom gravy recipe.
 
 
DIFFERENT TYPES OF GRAVY

Gravy is a category of sauce made in its simplest form from flour (a thickener), fat (and pan drippings) from meat and poultry, and seasonings (salt and pepper). Vegetables can be added, as well as wine and additional thickeners, such as cornstarch.

The word originally referred to a sauce made from the drippings (fat and uses) from cooked meat and poultry, there are now vegetarian and vegan gravies, and gravies that add milk or buttermilk, even tomato.

Jus (pronounced ZHOO), is the French term for a meat gravy that has been refined and condensed into a clear liquid.

All gravies are sauces, but not all sauces are gravy.
 
In classic American cooking, gravies are white or brown. Popular gravies include:

 
And let’s not forget our favorite dessert “gravy”: chocolate sauce, made with fat (butter), flour, cocoa powder, and sugar.

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*A traditional Japanese breakfast is what Americans might order or dinner at a Japanese restaurant: rice, grilled fish, miso soup, pickles and a Japanese-style omelette (tamago). Here’s more information.
 
 

February 25th is National Chocolate Covered Nuts Day.

While you can easily head to the nearest store to pick up some chocolate-covered nuts, nut clusters or turtles, chocolate-covered nuts are something that you can easily make at home.

Prefer to buy them?

Our favorites are the Triple Chocolate Almonds from Charles Chocolates, coated in milk chocolate, dark chocolate and cocoa powder.

They’re also made in Mint Chocolate Almond and in Dark Chocolate Hazelnuts.

RECIPE: CHOCOLATE-COVERED SEA SALT ALMONDS

The recipe is from Sally’s Baking Addiction, a wonderful place to find delicious baking ideas.

Prep time is 25 minutes, plus setting time; total 1 hour.

Ideally, use the 3-pronged tool from the chocolate tool set to lift the nuts out of the chocolate pool and shake off the excess chocolate. We used fondue forks; but if we make these again, we’re going for the chocolate tools.

Ingredients For 1-1/2 Cups

 
Preparation

1. TOAST the almonds by spreading them on a large baking sheet; bake for 10-12 minutes in a preheated 300°F oven. Allow to slightly cool before coating with chocolate.

2. LINE a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.

3. MELT the chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave in a heat-proof bowl at 30-second increments. Stir every 30 seconds until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth.

4. STIR the almonds into the chocolate, making sure to coat each one. Using a dipping tool or a fork, lift the almonds out one by one. Gently tap the fork against the side of the bowl to remove excess chocolate, and place the nut onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining almonds.

5. SPRINKLE the almonds with a bit of sea salt and turbinado sugar. Allow the chocolate to completely set. You can place the baking sheet in the fridge to speed up the setting.

6. STORE the almonds in the fridge for up to 4 weeks, in an airtight container.
 
 
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*Dark, milk, white: Use whatever chocolate you prefer, as long as it’s a premium brand. Ditto with the nuts: You can substitute hazelnuts, macadamias, pecans, walnuts, mixed nuts, etc.

[1] Warning: addictive! Photo and recipe © Sally’s Baking Addiction.

[2] For you or a friend: Sally’s Candy Addiction, the cookbook by Sally McKenney of Sally’s Baking Addiction (photo © Race Point Publishing).

[3] Our favorites to buy are these Triple Chocolate Almonds from Charles Chocolates (photo © Charles Chocolates).